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Riven huffed a laugh. “This is likely theonesubject I know more of than Vrail. Vellinth was my home for a long time.”

I turned on my heel. “I thought Feron raised you in Aralinth?”

Riven’s brow knotted together and he shook his head. “My existence was kept a secret from everyone.” The muscles in his neck flexed and he kicked a stray pebble into one of the pools. “The story goes that it would have interfered with what my mother was trying to accomplish in the kingdom. She didn’t want to give Aemon any reason to reject her proposal. She was the only Fae left that could give him an heir and she knew she couldn’t do anything to compromise that chance.” Riven’s lip curled into a thin line of disgust.

I grabbed his hand. “She left you here?”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Riven cleared his throat. “Feron took me in and stayed here with me and Darythir.” Riven pointed to a tall tree that housed three dwellings along its trunk.

My chest cracked at the thought of Riven being hidden for his entire boyhood. I knew the scars that could leave on a person. “That must’ve been lonely.”

Riven gave me a stiff nod. “As my magic grew, it became obvious to Feron that it was dangerous. He didn’t let me into the other cities until heknewI could control it.”

I squeezed his hand. “How long did it take you?”

“Thirty years.” Riven sighed up at the orb.

My jaw fell open.

He jabbed my side with his elbow. “It wasn’t all bad. Nikolai and Syrra came to visit me here as much as they could. Syrra’s training saved my life. I don’t think I would have learned how to cast a net over my powers without her help.”

I leaned against his shoulder. “Nikolai told me Syrra only trains people she cares greatly for.”

“In your case perhaps.” Riven pressed a kiss to my hair. “But Syrra and I did not care for each other in the beginning. She only trained me out of fear that I would hurt someone she cared about.”

Syrra appeared beside Riven. “And in time, you became one of them.”

We both stepped back in surprise, neither of us having heard a sound.

“How do you do that?” I gasped.

Syrra grinned and pointed to the thick branch that trailed from her right shoulder down to her elbow. “I earned this marking by protecting the young child of a Light Fae who was in my care atNiikir’na. She imbued the carving with a spell.” Syrra crossed her arms and shrugged. “It muffles the sound of my feet.”

I turned to Riven. “Is that true?”

He only shrugged.

“I would think you would rather believe my tale. Otherwise you would have to admit that my natural talents as a spy are better than yours.” Syrra’s smile was the picture of innocence, but I recognized the competitive flame in her eyes.

I crossed my arms to match hers. “Do you have any more secret talents I should know about?”

“Yes,” Syrra said with a nod. She didn’t add anything more.

Riven laced his hand through mine before I could pull the truth from Syrra by force. “Is everything ready?”

Syrra nodded and pointed to a small tree at the edge of the city. “We can conduct the ritual in there.” She turned to me. “If you make it through all five rounds, we should be done by the third daybreak.”

I swallowed. “If?”

Syrra’s face was as serious as I had ever seen it. “This will not be easy, child. The elixirs will burn through your cravings in a series of five rounds. Each will be longer and more painful than the one before it.”

I swallowed. “And that will cure me?”

Syrra chuckled softly under her breath. “No. There is no cure for a vice like ours, but it will clear your physical body of every trace of wine and let you focus on healing your mind and spirit.”

“You did this?” I asked. “When Feron helped you with thewinvra?”

Syrra nodded.