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After her time with Elias where she’d worn dresses that barely covered her ass, she’d slowly become less concerned about covering her nakedness. But for some reason, Jessamine was extra prickly around the fae prince.

After removing her leathers with a few muttered curses, Jessamine marched into the water without acknowledging Hadeon or Breckett. The prince’s eyes fixed on her as she positioned herself at the opposite end, turning from him as she washed her hair.

He soaked her in like a sailor laying his eyes upon the sea for the first time in years.

The two shadow fae males who’d just finished dressing stormed out of the room. They paused only long enough to spit in Hadeon’s direction before disappearing into the tunnels.

Arabella shook her head.

That wasn’t the first time some of the shadow fae had behaved unpleasantly around Hadeon. And it seemed that the weeks they’d spent there hadn’t changed anything.

Whatever Hadeon and Arden spoke about since arriving must have been enough to allow Hadeon to stay in the mountains without fearing for his life, but it wasn’t enough to encourage warmth between the shadow fae and a prince of the Twilight Court.

However, Hadeon seemed entirely unbothered by this latest demonstration of unpleasantries as he soaked in the water.

Striding into the water, Arabella sighed at the warmth around her. “You’re looking better.” She nodded to Hadeon’s face, which had healed of its bruises and swelling.

Hadeon ran a thumb over his lower lip. “The shadow fae missed anything essential in their administrations.”

That was a nice way of saying when they’d beaten him to a pulp but hadn’t broken any bones.

He leaned farther back, not trying to cover himself.

It took conscious effort for Arabella to keep her eyes north of the horizon and not on the impressive cock between his legs.

A cock that was…

Hard. Very hard.

Don’t bother, Prince,she thought as his eyes scanned the length of Jessamine’s body.She’ll never look your way twice.

But Arabella didn’t say anything. Instead, she bathed in silence.

It was only when she’d finished that she said, “I intend to speak with Arden tonight. We can’t linger here any longer.”

Elias needs me.

Either she’d learned enough to control her new magic, or she hadn’t. While she would have loved to train for years with the fae and to learn more about them, she didn’t have the luxury of time. Now, she needed to focus on forming an alliance with the shadow fae—and securing an army.

Hadeon leaned forward where he lounged in the water. “I’ll plan to speak to the prince about… my own propositions after you, then. Unless you’d like me to join you?”

“No.” She allowed herself to relax into the warm waters for a single heartbeat, feeling the tension in her sore muscles loosen somewhat. “I think it’s best if I speak to him by myself.”

“As you wish,” Hadeon said.

“We should discuss our exit strategy,” Breckett interjected from where he lounged by the side of the pool, wearing only his shirt.

“I agree,” Jessamine said. “Are we going to… follow the path to get out of here?”

Arabella nodded, understanding what Jessamine meant—the path where the map marked an X over what appeared to be another oasis to the distant west. “The shadow fae are in the mountains to the north. So, logic says it must be the exit that’s marked.”

“We could talk to Arden about the ma—” Breckett began.

“And risk them taking it and leaving without us?” Hadeon interrupted. “I don’t intend to be trapped here.”

Breckett’s eyes narrowed. “Says the male who’s universally disliked by the shadow fae and for good reason. You didn’t even think to wonder if your supposed friend might be alive for hundreds of years. And you only sought him out when you needed something from him. Meanwhile, the shadow fae have been welcoming to Arabella, Jessamine, and I. Maybe they’ll only leaveyoubehind when someone who knowshow to read thedocumentleads us safely out of here.”

Hadeon snickered. “I won’t explain myself or what took place before you were born. Besides, you think you’d survive a trek across the desert if faced by the zaol or another greater demon?”