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“I’ll find another way back to you,” he said, turning to face his mate, drawing her close to feel her against him one last time. “I swear, Maia, we’ll have more moments like this.”

She glanced from the rotting corpses of four men to Azrail. Her hands wrapped around his wrists and held on viciously tight. “You’re not leaving me.”

“Only temporarily,” he promised, kissing her brow. The last thing he wanted was to go back, but Jaro was there and he needed him. And Az knew Samlyn would have more tasks for them, and Azrail could use them for more visits with her. “I’ll be back. I promise you.”

She bared her teeth, canines a sharp threat. “You expect me to let you return to whoever carved your fucking chest up? Are you completely ins—”

He kissed her hard and fast, wrenching his wrists from her hold. His stomach compacted into a knot when her snarl became a sob. “I’m strong enough to withstand anything if I have you.”

He brushed his hand over her chest, echoing what he said earlier. Maia shook her head, refusing to let him go.

“Don’t,” she growled, pleaded. “Az, don’t go.”

But the undead were swarming the pale stairs to the rotunda. He caught her wrists and kissed her fists, one after another. “I’ll be back. I promise.”

He let go and quickly backed down the steps, his heart twisting tight in his chest, begging him to go back to her. But if he stayed, they’d both be punished; he knew the way Samlyn’s mind worked now, and nothing good would come of Az pushing his luck.

“Let go of him!” Maia snarled when one of the dead men grabbed his bicep. “Don’t you touch my mate.”

“No,” Azrailgrowledwhen she rushed towards them, the surge of dominance in his voice stopping her in her tracks. “I won’t risk you, Maia. Do as they say, return to your cell with Bryon, let him take care of you.”

Bide your time,he tried to tell her with eye contact alone as the dead grabbed him, pulling him away.Bide your time, plan, and when the time is right, we’ll get out of this place.

He just didn’t know how.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“You know, I really didn’t havemeeting the in-lawson my list for today,” Isak whispered to Anzhelika as they were led through the busy hallways of the palace.

“It’s only one in-law,” she replied, nudging him with a grin. “What are your first words gonna be?Hey, I’m banging your daughter?”

Isak groaned. “I’m technically not.”

“Hey, I’m technically not banging your daughter but I want to,” she suggested.

“How abouthello, your highness, nice to meet you?”Sunny said pointedly, not batting an eyelid at the fae who streamed past them on important business. Some were the fae Isak was used to seeing, but others had leaves for hair, or tree branches rising from their shoulders, or thorns and roses where Isak had hands. A strapping young man came towards them with a tray in his hands, spiralling horns rising from his deep brown forehead covered in moss. Isak had seen a lot in his life but nothing like the fae of Sainsa. He’d glimpsed a couple fae like this back in Bevhyre but here they were everywhere. A woman walked pastwith an honest to saints horn in the middle of her head, the tip stained blood.

“Badass,” Isak whispered. If he wasn’t mistaken the woman smiled.

“Natural fae like these were hunted to extinction in other kingdoms,” Anzhelika explained, anger narrowing her eyes. “Probably something to do with those saints you just told Harth all about.”

They’d all be severely warned against calling himthe princeoryour highnessor anything that suggested he was anything but a general enforcer of the Sainsan military. Why he was hidden in plain sight, Isak didn’t know. But they were to call him Harth, general, and nothing else.

“That’s… a white bear,” Isak breathed when they rounded a corner in the Hold, tasting the sharp peppery scent of power with every inhale. Magic was dense all around them, the palace full of powerful fae and, apparently, huge white-furred bears.

“An ice bear,” Sunny whispered, leaning closer with excitement in her eyes. “They originally lived on the ice plains of Venhaus, but they moved here centuries ago. There aren’t many left, though. They’re noble creatures, more caring even than fae.”

“And possessed of impeccable hearing,” the bear rumbled as it—he, judging by the voice—walked closer, huge and powerful but almost graceful. He didn’t sound angry, more amused. “Morning, pup. Who are your friends?”

“I’m not sure friends is the correct term,” Harth replied, a smile softening his serious face as their path drew them closer to the massive ice bear. “But that one—” He pointed at Isak. “Is my sister’s mate.”

Isak’s heart jerked. The bear knew who Harth was…?

The prince’s smile settled deeper. “Olek is the most trustworthy person in the Hold. He’s the keeper of every secret spilled within these walls.”

“Hm,” Olek said, slowing his pace as he eyed Isak, seeming to look through his eyes into the dark, twisted thing he’d become. Isak quickly looked away. “Interesting that fate chose you as her match. I wonder what sort of person she’s become in her absence.”

“She became what she needed to survive,” Isak said, a little biting. How had he come from denying their bond to defending her to ice bears in the space of days? No, he knew the answer. That damn dream.