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Shayne took a step toward the servant who’d been dishing out the juicy gossip. “That’s a lovely dress, pretty Fairy.” He winced at himself as soon as he said it. Flirting wasn’t going to get him anywhere with young servants, and her dress was practically made of boring old burlap and string.

Sure enough, the female glanced down at her outfit with an odd face.

Shayne cleared his throat. “Anyway, I must inquire what you were talking about. Tell me about Lord Cosmo’s spy in the House of Lyro. I’ll pay you.”

The female’s face paled. She, along with the other two, dropped to their knees and clasped their hands. “Please,” the female begged. “Lord Cosmo will kill me if I tell you.”

“I’ll protect you from him,” Shayne promised. “I need to know more about the spy.”

The females all exchanged looks, and Shayne sighed.

“What do you want if not coin and protection?” he asked. “I can’t marry any of you or anything. You’re all too young for me, and I’ve already basically promised myself to Lady Meave.” Then he mumbled, “And I’m out of time to avoid that promise.”

The same female climbed to her feet. “I have something I want,” she said. “I want you to deliver a letter to my mother.” All at once, the other two females jumped to their feet as well.

“Me too! To my father!”

“Yes, a letter to my family!”

Shayne looked back and forth between them, his chest feeling a little squeezy all of a sudden. He rubbed it. “Frankly, I would if I could. But I don’t think I’m leaving this House any time soon,” he admitted. “Is there anything else I can trade for the information?”

The servants’ shoulders dropped. It stirred so much disappointment into the air that Shayne moaned. “Oh, fine.” He waved a hand around. “Why not? I’ll deliver your letters if I can. Just tell me about thespy.”

The gossipy female smiled for the first time. “The spy is a cook—an old friend of Lord Cosmo’s that grew up here. Lord Cosmo writes back and forth with him. It’s how the House of Riothin has been able to stay ahead of Lord Hans-Der all this time.”

Shayne couldn’t believe his ears. No wonder his father had never tried to attack the House of Riothin. He must have known that somehow Riothin would see it coming.

“Amazing.” Shayne laughed to himself. “Tell me, what does this spy know about me, in particular?” he asked.

The fairy’s face fell. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “The last letter didn’t say anything else about you. I read it in secret when I fetched it from the delivery fairy at the front gate.”

Shayne nodded. So neither Cosmo nor Lord Riothin knew anything about the human realm.

“This information has been very useful,” he said. “Thank you.” His mind worked as he turned for the dark hall, but he paused at the kitchen door. “Write your letters to your families and slide them beneath the pillow in my guestroom. I’ll make sure they get delivered,” he told the servants.

The fairies nodded, their smiles a tad bit infectious. One of them said, “You’re so kind, Shayne Lyro! I wish you were the High Lord of the Riothin House!”

The words were like an icy wind wrapping around Shayne’s throat. He swallowed. These fairies wouldn’t say such things if they had his best interests in mind. Little did they know, Meave may soon try to make him that. And after all his efforts to avoid the highest chair at Lyro, he could find himself strapped to a chair at Riothin instead.

What a mess.

Shayne flashed them one last smile. It faded as soon as he turned and headed back through the dark hall and up the narrow staircase.

Cosmo was lounging on a fluffy sofa in a sunny room when Shayne found him. Birds with horns gathered on the windowsills, tweeting and eyeing the black-haired fairy inside. At first, Shayne thought Cosmo was napping. Ripe for another face-drawing. But as soon as Shayne drew near, the fairy opened his eyes.

“Ah. There you are.” Though he said it, he sounded entirely uninterested. “I was wondering when you’d show up to retaliate. I’m ready,” he promised.

Shayne plopped down in the nearest chair and filled the armrests with his muscular arms.

Not that he was comparing, but his arms were far more impressive than Cosmo’s. He wondered if Cosmo had noticed. Shayne leaned, splaying his forearms and putting them in a direct beam of sunlight so they were easier to catch the eye—

“The servants are all whispering about you, you know,” Cosmo said.

Shayne slowed his movements. After a few seconds, he drew his arms back and folded them tightly across his chest. “How odd.”

“Not really. Though, some of the things they’re saying are outright treacherous.” Cosmo lifted to a sitting position and swung himself around to face Shayne. “I wonder if the gossip has reached the High Lord yet?”

Shayne became acutely aware of the dagger hiding in his boot. The birds outside seemed to refocus their attention and take him in. Even the early sun slid behind a cloud and cloaked the room in dimness, likely making his white hair stand out against the shadows.