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Jessamine gave her a flat look.

Sighing, Arabella said, “It’s just… The mating bond… I’ve hardly been able to feel it since we came to the Abyss. But now, I have this awful dread I can’t shake. And I don’t know if it’s coming from the mating bond or if it’s my own fears.”

Jessamine squeezed Arabella’s shoulder and opened her mouth to speak when another voice came from the far end of the cave.

“Don’t rush anything. Or else you might lose any alliance you’d hoped to gain.”

Turning, Arabella spotted Hadeon sitting against the stone wall, his wings tucked in close. As ever, he lounged with such ease. It was as if he were in his own personal throne room. His feet were stretched out before him, arms crossed, and his head was tilted back as he leaned against the curved stone wall.

If his face wasn’t covered in bruises and one eye swollen nearly shut, she might have believed his bravado.

“Didn’t sleep?” she asked.

With a chuckle, he said, “No.” Then he leaned forward. “I meant what I said. Don’t rush Arden into an alliance. He won’t take kindly to his hand being forced.”

Breckett made a delightful little choking sound in his sleep before rolling over.

“I understand wanting to get back to save Elias, but maybe…” Jessamine began, her tone oddly hesitant. “Learn as much as you can from the fae before we try to find a way out. It could be the difference between life or death in the battle to come.” Again, she hesitated. “The sorcerer wants something from Elias. He sought him out for a reason. If that’s the case, he wouldn’t kill him off so quickly.” Her eyes locked on Arabella’s. “We may have some time yet.”

Arabella tried to ease the tightness in her throat as she braided her hair and donned her leather jacket. “I hope you’re right.”

Footsteps sounded at the cave’s entrance, and a shadow fae warrior appeared, his face brightened by the lone torch mounted on the wall.

“Prince Arden wishes to speak with you,” the warrior said to Arabella before placing a tray of food down.

Eyeing the food, she assumed it must be morning in this world without a sun. But there was no way to truly know. All the same, this was likely meant to be their breakfast.

Belatedly, she realized it was the same male warrior who’d nearly killed Hadeon the day before. The one who’d retrieved Arden after she’d knocked the knife from his hands with her magic.

Standing, she grabbed a slice of bread from the tray, waved farewell to the others, and then gestured toward the tunnels behind the warrior. “After you.”

She followed the male down long corridors as she quickly ate. The previous day, she’d spent eating her weight in absolutely anything the shadow fae offered them—from stews, to breads, to dried meats. Once she’d finished eating, she’d fallen into a deep sleep.

Even now, weariness seeped into her bones, but she couldn’t let that stop her from training. There was no time to waste.

Like the day before, she felt bursts of magic through the cave walls. It felt like fireflies moved just beyond her line of sight.

Just how many shadow fae are here?

After they’d turned down several tunnels, two fae appeared, walking in the opposite direction.

Toward them.

She held her breath, uncertain of what to do with her hands.

How would the shadow fae feel about some demi-fae appearing suddenly in the Abyss with several other rather unusual companions? They’d probably never come across an erox or a human. And any encounters they’d had with the Twilight Court fae were likely less than friendly. As such, it was possible they viewed Arabella as an enemy given that she’d appeared in Hadeon’s company.

For reasons she couldn’t explain, she found herself wanting these fae to like her. To accept her.

These are my people.

The thought slipped into her mind. As it did, she blinked, uncertain what to make of it. Once, the enchantresses of Shadowbank had been her only family. Then Elias had come into her life and changed everything. Now, how she viewed the world was being challenged once more with this new kinship with shadow fae. Did she owe them any loyalty?

She fixed her eyes on the cave floor where the shadows swirled playfully at the feet of the oncoming fae. There were two pairs of feet. One walked with purpose toward them, and the other pair was far smaller, turning and jumping toward the first fae.

It was at that moment she realized one of them was a child.

The too-loud whispers of a small voice echoed down the tunnel.