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And he needed her to make that happen. More specifically, he needed a shadow fae of the royal line who possessed demon heritage on the throne.

By himself, the Everdark could only allow greater demons through the gateway. The other less powerful demonkind couldn’t pass through the gateway into the fae realm with the help of the Everdark alone.

But she could let the demons through.

If the Everdark wasn’t a factor, did she even want a place among the fae, and one of royalty? Besides her need for power tosave Elias and Shadowbank, she’d never considered it. Political power had never been something she desired.

But she did know the demons that plagued Shadowbank and the mortal realm would cause harm in the fae realm if unleashed. The fae could push them back with their magic, but there would be a cost. Hadeon had mentioned that some fae were weak in magic, and they’d be vulnerable.

A terrifying thought struck her.

Would the fae cast the demons into the mortal realm if they couldn’t kill them? There wasn’t currently a way for demons to portal between the mortal and fae realms since they couldn’t use the gateway. But not long ago, there also hadn’t been a way to portal to one of the underrealms.

“If the Everdark gets his way and demons enter the fae realm,” she began. “Many will die.”

Arden raised a brow. “Many have already died.” He stepped toward her, studying her eyes as though searching for something. “Join us, Arabella. You’re shadow fae. The fae will be overjoyed to know a daughter of Myla lives. Help us to reclaim our homeland. It will likely be rubble or overtaken by another fae court.”

What did the shadow fae lands look like? They had been one of the great fae courts. But when the fae wars occurred, had their lands been destroyed? What happened to their cities and strongholds? She had no way of knowing.

“This—us working together—is what your mother would have wanted,” he continued.

For a moment, his words fell upon her like she shouldered the weight of a mountain.

Or the fate of a realm.

Part of her felt sad for her mother, who’d been held in captivity for years against her will. At the same time, Arabella couldn’t bring herself to prioritize what her biological mothermight have wanted. Because she already had a mother, and her name was Iris.

Still, the shadow fae were her people. And perhaps it was a side effect of awakening her new abilities, but she realized she felt responsible for them.

No one deserved to be trapped for an eternity in the Abyss.

“I must see to the safety of my mate and the humans of Shadowbank.” She licked suddenly dry lips. “I can’t save my village from the threat of demons only to bring that very same threat to someone else’s home.”

He nodded as though in understanding. “Tell me, have the fae courts done anything to protect Shadowbank? Have they reinforced your ward or brought their armies to slay the creatures?”

She didn’t answer.

“Did they build new wards? Did they go out of their wayat allto ensure the mortal realm was safe?” he pressed. “No. The Twilight Court is selfish, as are the other fae courts. They look after their own needs first and don’t raise a hand to help those who don’t impact them. Those they consider beneath them.”

He took a step toward her and then another until he was before her, their chests nearly touching.

“Join me, and not only will your mate be by your side, but Shadowbank will be protected. We will reinforce the wards before returning to the fae realm,” he said. “Then we will return to the Shadow Court and rebuild until we are strong enough that none can threaten us ever again.”

His offer was tempting.

Did she dare unleash that darkness upon another realm? For the first time, she allowed herself to truly consider.

He’s right. The fae never lifted a finger to help us,a darker part of her thought.Perhaps it’s their turn to face the unyielding dark.

There was still so much to consider.

“Don’t forget that you’re part demon, too,” he said. The sharpness of his tone felt like she teetered on the edge of a blade, ready to tip over with one wrong word. “The other courts will never accept you. They will see you as a threat and take you down. Especially if they learn about your ability to control the dead. You and your mate will never be safe.”

Fists clenching at her sides, she considered his words. Before she could respond, he was already speaking.

“Join us, and my armies are yours. I don’t fear a sorcerer, and neither should you.” In a softer tone, he added, “You’re one of us. No other court will accept you, but we will.”

Every instinct inside her screamed to say yes, to accept his offer at once. But then she thought of her looming bargain with Hadeon.