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I ignored the question, as I had the previous ones about my past. Not only did I not trust the king, but I didn’t know for sure that he wouldn’t hand me back to those of my captors who remained if he found out where I’d been.

There was no proof that he hadn’t been working with them, after all.

Breaking off a piece of the dried fruit, I placed it on my tongue. The sour and sweet flavor had me cringing, and I handed the rest of the fruit back to the king.

“Not a fan?”

“No.”

I grabbed a bottle of water from inside the box, unscrewing the lid and lifting it to my lips. The water washed the flavor from my tongue, and I recapped the bottle before setting it back down in the box.

“I’m training Jesh and Lavee to use their magic. I can teach you, too,” he offered, breaking off another piece of his sour fruit while I returned to the bland bloodberries.

“No.” There wasn’t a chance in hell that I was going to test my magic in any way. When that happened, I lost control entirely, and ended up killing people.

“It can be controlled,” Namir remarked. “I used to have the same problem.”

“You transformed into a shadow wolf that ripped the throats out of anyone who came close?” I countered.

“No, I never transformed. But—”

“Then you know nothing of my problem.” I stood, abandoning the berries. I was still hungry, but satiated enough that I’d prefer the silent peace of my tent to the king’s stubborn positivity.

My gaze caught on the wide bit of fabric hanging from two trees, and I realized it had to be some kind of bed, and that Namir had to have slept in it.

Not allowing myself to consider his reasoning for doing so, I slipped back into the small tent and zipped it closed.

Namir didn’t argue with my escape, or call me out for leaving. And soon enough, I heard talking out beyond my small sanctuary. It only took me a moment to put the voices to the faces, and confirm that they were Jesh and Lavee.

“Where’s your violent ward?” Lavee asked. Though I scowled up at the top of the tent with her words, there didn’t seem to be any ill-intent behind them.

I knew enough of society to know that a ward was someone a fae adopted and cared for, whether old or young, and I wasnotthe king’s ward.

“Diora is resting,” the king said, generically. He could’ve come out and said I was avoiding him, for all I cared.

“Did you offer to teach her to use your magic?” Lavee checked. “Someone’s got to, before she accidentally transforms into that shadow wolf and kills someone.”

“She’ll learn when she’s ready,” Namir said firmly.

Lavee scoffed. “Bullshit. She’s a danger to all of us until she’s learned control.”

Jesh growled, “Lav, don’t—”

My tent was yanked open, and the magic in my chest exploded into action.

Shadows burst from my skin as I transformed, and the monster didn’t hesitate before it lunged for Lavee’s throat.

She swore as her back crashed to the ground, and my wolf’s teeth tore into her neck. Lavee’s magic darkened the air around her, but my monster’s shadows cut through it like it was nothing more than air.

Before the wolf could rip the other woman’s throat out completely, a shadowed figure appeared between my monster and Lavee. His throat took the bite of her teeth without so much as flinching, since she didn’t leave a damned mark, and he rolled her off of Lavee hard.

Namir’s body became shadow as he and my wolf rolled, neither of their backs actually touching the rocks on the ground beneath them.

When they’d finally stopped rolling, my wolf was on top of Namir. His hands were tangled in her fur, holding on to the back of her head, his eyes burning into hers.

Blood dripped from her muzzle to his cheek, but he didn’t flinch even as she snarled at him.

“Find your peace,” Namir instructed the wolf.