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“You will make the vow with Demos,” Telean told me.

Prisca stiffened. She slowly turned her head and pinned her aunt with a dangerous look. “Are you suggesting my judgment has been compromised? That I would risk our kingdom and all the lives at stake?”

The table was silent. Telean stared back at her niece. And whatever she saw in Prisca’s cold expression must have pleased her, because she smiled.

“No,” she said softly. “I’m not suggesting that at all.” Her gaze flicked to me. “Make your vow, Prince.”

There was one person I would tolerate taking orders from, and even Conreth was careful with his phrasing. I gave Telean a long look, and she dropped her gaze.

A few minutes later, two white lines sliced across Prisca’s palm—one from me and one from the pirate queen.

Thol walked in as I was finishing the vow. The man looked as if he was a ghost, barely of this world. “What is happening?” he asked.

“We need to tell Prisca some important information,” Tibris said. It was clear he liked the other man. If Prisca had somehow managed to stay in that village and had married Thol, Tibris would have treated him as a brother without question. I barely suppressed a snarl.

That was the future Prisca had wanted. The future she might still long for now, even with the knowledge that her village was nothing but ash.

“You can talk in front of me,” Thol said. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Of course,” Prisca said softly. “Just as soon as you make the blood vow.”

I had to turn in my seat to stare at her, wondering if I’d somehow misheard her words. A strange kind of elation flickered in my gut.

Thol’s mouth dropped open.

Tibris shifted in his seat. “Prisca.”

She glanced at her brother. “If the man who has saved my life over and over again needs to take a vow, then the one who was planning to kill me should make the same vow, don’t you think?”

Thol had the decency to flush. Tibris sucked in a breath, and Prisca’s eyes met his once more. “Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out?”

“No,” Tibris said softly. “Thol was insane with grief.”

“And now he’s lost in rage, which is perfectly understandable.” She turned her attention back to Thol. “You don’t have to remain here for this conversation.”

“No,” Thol said, his teeth clenched. “I’ll vow.”

Next to her, Asinia was staring at her best friend as if she’d never seen her before. Her eyes met mine, and I gave her a warning look. She dropped her gaze before Prisca could see that expression on her face.

Thol made his vow. Prisca now carried three marks on her palm. Jealousy shot through me at the fact that Thol had marked her body in any way, even if it was just a blood vow.

Only a few people were sitting at the tables surrounding us at this time of the day, but I created a silence ward anyway.

Prisca raised a brow. “I thought only Conreth could do that.”

I shook my head. “Now that I have my full power back, I can do it too.” I wasn’t ready to talk about the fae fire.Thatpower had come from somewhere else within me. Somewhere I’d never felt magic before. It was as if it had been lifted directly from my soul.

Demos pushed his plate away. “It took us a while to put it together, but we’re certain now.”

“How?” Prisca asked, twisting her hands in her lap.

“We followed one of Regner’s guards. He’d been in the area. Tibris heard him boasting to someone that the hybrids would never be able to challenge Sabium. Not with their precious hourglass still under the human king’s control.”

Of course.

“Some of the hybrids who took a certain route would have traveled right above it on the way to the fae lands.”

The twisting increased. “Where?” Prisca demanded.