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He had one day left after today. One day to make sure his allies returned to the human realm and never came back. It wouldn’t be easy, but there was a fairy here who might be obnoxiously clever enough to make it happen, and heartless enough to let Shayne walk into danger without putting up a fuss.

Because Shayne had to be long gone when they found out about everything.

Shayne shook the pretty human awake at midnight. His crossbow was heavy on his back as he brushed a strand of Lily’s maize hair out of her eyes. The moonlight glowed over her cheeks as her lashes fluttered.

Mor, Cress, Dranian, and Mycra were all on the other side of the fire. Only Luc was nearby, and his snorty breathing was shallow enough to assure Shayne he was a light sleeper.

When Lily’s gaze locked onto Shayne above her, she sat up quickly.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” She looked right and left, reaching for her atrocious gun, but Shayne grabbed her hand, and she stilled.

“Nothing.” His tongue turned prickly. “Nothing at all, ugly Human.”

She rubbed her eyes. “Then why’d you wake me up?” Her words were slurred with sleep. “What time is it? Is it time to go home?”

Shayne cracked a smile. “Soon.” He pulled her to her feet with him and held her steady as she teetered. When she looked up at him in question with her half-open, sleepy eyes, he said, “Don’t hate me. I need to do this just once.”

Her lips parted, and her gaze flickered down to his mouth. He smiled—she got the idea.

“Shayne…”

“Shh.”

He dragged her tight against him, and he kissed her.

The sky deities must have been jealous—he kissed herwell. Lily’s lips melted against his, her sharp, quiet inhale becoming music that rivalled the creek’s trickling water. Shayne’s thumb dragged along her cheek, pushing her hair back as he spilled every ounce of his enchanting persuasion into her soft mouth.

Magic rang in his ears when he pulled away. He’d expected to like the kiss, but queensbane, he hadn’t quite expected his chest to erupt with flame. He brushed his fingers along Lily’s flushed cheeks one last time as her wide blue gaze took him in. As the enchantment did its work and transformed him into the most gorgeous thing she’d ever laid eyes upon—though, that was nothing new for him. Just the same situation as always.

“Lily,” he said. Truly, he liked using her real name when he could get away with it. “I want you to do something for me. Go right back to sleep after this, and in the morning, go home with everyone. Don’t try to stay.”

She said nothing as she absorbed his words.

“And miss me a lot,” he added, just for the sake of it. “Don’t go running off to find some ugly human male to fake date instead.” Obviously, her enchantment would wear off long before that instruction was applicable. “Tell our friends at the station we broke up. They’ll believe you this time when I don’t come around.”

He should have let her go then; time was getting away from him. He was lucky his real brothers hadn’t woken up. “And last…” He bit his lips over a grin. “Tell me you’ve completely fallen head-over-heels in love with me. I want to hear you say it from those pretty lips before I go.” He didn’t care one bit that she had to utter it under an enchantment. That she might remember this later and wonder what in the world he’d made her do.

He’d revelled in fake dating her for ages. He could revel in a fake love confession, too.

Lily looked back and forth between his eyes. Her mouth twisted a little. Then, she did it: “I’ve fallen for you, Shayne,” she said. She even held eye contact as she said it—it was the best.

Shayne smiled. “You’ll never understand what you do to me, Lily Baker.” He took her shoulders and guided her back to the ground to put her back to bed. Lily stared as he laid her back, as he dragged off his crossbow, pulled off his coat, and tossed it over her. “Ugly Human… you know I never thought you were ugly, right?” He pulled the coat right up to her neck and tucked it in around her shoulders. Then he flicked the end of her nose. “Sleep tight.”

He waited until she closed her eyes before he refastened his crossbow, stood, and turned for Foxy Luc. But as soon as he turned, he found Luc standing there. Already wide awake. A peculiar look on his fair face.

It was a shame. Shayne would have liked to whack him out of his sleep.

Nevertheless, Shayne turned and headed for the creek. He waded through the shallow water in silence, careful not to flick a rock or hit a branch or do anything else that might stir his brothers awake. Luc was just as quiet as he followed.

They moved to the sound of squeaking moonbugs until they reached a nearby cave. And there, Shayne turned to Luc, grabbed his hand, and slapped his paper crane into Luc’s palm.

“I don’t trust you as far as I can throw you, Foxy. But I’m not a fool. I won’t bring any of them with me to a House as dangerous as Riothin,” he said. And then, “I’m going away for a bit.”

Luc didn’t object, but he raised a scarlet brow. “And how long will you be gone, exactly?”

“A while,” Shayne admitted. He didn’t want to think about whether or nota whilewould turn intoforever. “Don’t forget that you took Dranian’s arm, and there’s no fairy I care about more than that one. So make it right and die for him if you must.” Shayne stepped in closer. “If I’m forced to become the next High Lord of the House of Lyro, and I find out you’ve let something happen tomybest friend, I will hunt you down for as long as you live.”

Luc smirked and twirled the paper crane in his fingers. “Try,” he invited. “Please, North Fairy. I would really enjoy seeing how it would go for you, High Lord or not.”