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See, this is proof I’d make a shitty queen.

“What are they saying?” I ask.

“Malaki tracked Galleghar to the Fauna Kingdom, but lost him there. And, as far as the kingdoms themselves go, Flora and Fauna are suffering massive casualties.

“The wholesale slaughter in those kingdoms continues. The Thief’s soldiers are moving to all the big cities and killing any fae they come across. The sleeping soldiers are sustaining heavy losses themselves—Flora and Fauna fae aren’t just going down without a fight—but the carnage continues.”

This entire time, fairies have been dying. While I was taking body shots off of Des, those soldiers were cutting through innocents.

My stomach rolls at the thought.

You’ve let yourself be idle, my siren whispers.This is what happens.

“Why would the Thief do that?” Conquering is a bloodsport, but these kingdoms have already fallen. There’s no reason the deaths should continue.

“Why would he, indeed?” Des looks up from the paper, meeting my eyes. “You have a box of memorabilia from some of the worst humans. What wouldtheydo if they came into power?”

They’d kill and maim and run their kingdoms lawlessly, and no one would be safe but for them.

“This isn’t a human we’re dealing with,” I object.

Humans have their own drives, fae another.

“Evil doesn’t work that differently between worlds,” Des says. “Although faedohave a knack for creativity and flare.”

Des sets the parchment aside. “Oh, by the way, I thought you should know, Typhus Henbane is dead.”

It takes me a minute to place the name.

The King of the Banished Lands, the one who we’d come to for news of Galleghar.

The man with a city’s worth of stolen magic is now dead, and I’m at least partially responsible for it.

Yesterday, that piece of information would’ve sat like a stone in my stomach. Today … today I’m in an odd mood.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Exactly what you feared might happen. His people rose up against him and slaughtered him. They took back their magic.”

The magic he’d forced them to barter away …

Bartered magic.

My eyes snap to Des.

“What?”

I run back to his bedroom, only to find the Bargainer is already there waiting for me. He stands, arms folded, watching me with curious eyes. Sidestepping him, I grab the paper I left on the bed and stare at my notes.

“Can I have my timeline?” I beckon to Des with my hand.

Wordlessly, the Bargainer produces the timeline I’d created days ago, dropping it in my hand.

I set the two papers side by side on the mattress. Over my shoulder, the Bargainer stares down at them.

It was right in front of me the entire time.

“Galleghar and the Thief share powers.”