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“Arabella and the shadow fae will protect our asses,” Breckett said, utterly shameless, which earned him a chuckle from Jessamine at the other side of the pool. “Even I can feel that her power is comparable to yours now.”

For a moment, it felt like the world stilled.

Once, Hadeon’s magic far surpassed Arabella’s. That had been when she’d had access to earthen magic as an enchantress and only slips of shadow magic. Then the amplifier had opened the bridge to her fae abilities. Now, as she trained with Arden, her power continued to grow and change. She may not be as powerful as Hadeon yet, and she certainly had far less training than him in her abilities, but she was no longer helpless.

And apparently, others knew it.

Arabella held a hand up, not eager for Hadeon to dangle her favor between them. “Let’s see how my conversation with Prince Arden goes as well as Prince Hadeon’s talk with him. He might be supportive of both our plights. In which case, none of this bickering would be necessary.”

She hoped that was the case. She didn’t want to consider the alternative.

Rising, she turned from them and dried off outside the pool with a rough fabric that acted as a towel. Beside her, Jessamine also toweled off.

Then there was a sloshing of water, and a glance over her shoulder revealed that Hadeon now stood behind them.

Water dripped down his body and off his wings, cascading in long rivulets over a chest and stomach without an ounce of fat. Unlike Elias, his chest was hairless, as was the path that led down to his…

Jessamine pushed one of her legs into her pants. Turning toward Hadeon, she started. “Don’t sneak up on someone like that.” She paused, seeming to fumble for words. “Put some clothes on,” she hissed, gesturing to his manhood. “Before you poke someone’s eye out.”

His head tilted to the side. “Does my nakedness bother you, Enchantress?”

“Of course not,” Jessamine snapped as she shoved her other leg into her pants and yanked them up.

He chuckled before turning to where his clothes were stashed in a corner. “When do you intend to speak with Prince Arden?”

“At once,” Arabella said as she finished dressing. She tied her sheaths back on, checking that the syphen was there, before she quickly braided her hair and placed the chains back atop her head.

“Understood.”

Arabella nodded at Jessamine, who bristled like a wet cat. “Stay out of trouble while I’m gone.” She pointed a finger at Hadeon and then at Breckett. “You, too.”

Then she strode out of the bathing chamber. All the while, she mentally prepared herself to ask a fae prince to send the shadow fae into another war.

Only this time, it would be against a sorcerer.

Chapter Nineteen

ARABELLA

Arabella didn’t have to go far into the tunnels before masked shadow fae warriors found her. There were six of them, each of whom carried large torches in one hand and spears in another.

She blinked at them, surprised.

Every other time she’d been summoned, the guards hadn’t carried anything to light the way. They only brought torches when escorting Hadeon, Jessamine, or Breckett. So, why bring them now?

Colton stood at the front of the group of warriors and nodded to the dark tunnels behind him. “The prince asked us to bring you to him.”

Swallowing her questions, she let the warriors lead the way.

Instead of walking through the usual tunnels toward the cavern at the mountain’s base or toward the common areas, they led her down a series of tunnels she hadn’t gone through before. The tunnels sloped ever downward. As they walked, the air grew steadily cooler until her breath plumed in the air.

Rubbing her hands against her arms, her leathers suddenly felt far from suitable for this particular journey. “It’s cold down here.”

Colton made a sound in the back of his throat that might have been an acknowledgment but didn’t turn to her.

As they descended through countless tunnels, not only did the temperature drop, but the shadows changed.

The humming, playful shadows she’d slowly become accustomed to around the other shadow fae changed to something far deeper. The darkness grew so thick that she could no longer see more than a few steps ahead. If it wasn’t for the torches, she wouldn’t have been able to see at all in these tunnels.