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He shrugged. “We’ve tried to find a way out. But without my map, it’s impossible to locate the exit in the west.”

I’d been right, she realized.The line across the map is to a gateway.

“You’re lucky you found us,” he continued. “And that you didn’t become lost in the desert.”

“Yes.”

She thought of revealing that she had the map tucked away in her jacket. It was a miracle the fae hadn’t noticed it when removing their weapons and taking them into the mountain.

But she hesitated.

Maybe I can use the map as a bargaining tool, she thought.A way out in exchange for their help against Magnus.

“Why have you sought us out?” Arden asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

She considered what to say but eventually decided on partial truths. Better that than become tangled in her own web of lies.

“I need help controlling my magic,” she said. “Ever since I used an amplifier, it’s changed. The shadows… Well, they seem to have a will of their own.”

Brows drawing together slightly, he said, “That is rare indeed.”

“Not everyone can do this?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Most shadow fae can wield the shadows to some extent, but only the most powerful of our kind canawakenthe shadows. It’s even rarer for this type of magic to be possessed by a demi-fae, especially one who’s part human.”

Fuck.

If she had any doubts of whether she might be the daughter of some fae princess, that shattered it. Especially since most fae nobility possessed the strongest magic.

A thought occurred to her.

Was her mother there? For a moment, she longed to ask, but asking would reveal her potential parentage. And that wasn’t something she was ready to reveal yet. Not if it was a card she could play in later negotiations.

“Once you’ve recovered, I’d like to see just what you can do,” he said, his eyes on the distant horizon.

“You’ll help me, then?” she dared to ask.

“If control is what you seek, I will help you,” he said before looking at her, a twinkle in his eyes. For a moment, she thought he seemed genuinely happy. “But not just now. You must recover from your long journey. Eat. Rest. There will be time enough to train.” A humorless laugh escaped his lips. “Without the ability to leave, all we have is time.”

For a moment, guilt at not revealing that she had the map filled her. He’d been trapped here for so many years. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to live for hundreds of years in an underrealm.

But unlike the shadow fae, she didn’t have time. Not when Elias was being tortured by Magnus as they spoke.

“There’s something you should know,” he said, pulling her from her thoughts. “If you embrace your power, there will be consequences.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

She shouldn’t be surprised. Magic always came at a cost.

“Over time, you’ll lose much of what makes you human as you use your magic,” he said.

“My memories?” she asked, unable to disguise the panic bleeding into her words.

Not again. Not after what Elias went through to get them back.

“No, your memories will remain,” he said as confusion crossed his features. “But your… mortality may fade.”

She blinked.