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“Always is with you two.”

“Enough about my love life. What about yours?”

“We have bigger problems. How are we going to get rid of our—unwanted guest? I can’t believe he’s just here introducing himself to the staff and guards like he’s family. What does he want?”

Thane ran his hand through his dark hair and gritted his teeth in frustration. “Well, katagas serum doesn’t work so at the moment, I have no idea. He needs something from Layala. I can’t say more than that.”

Fennan’s jaw muscles twitched, and he stared ahead at the elves in mock battle. “You can’t or won’t say more? I’ve been your friend your entire life. You can trust me.”

“It’s not that.” Though those words did bring a flash of Aldrich’s face to mind. No one had seen or heard from the weasel since he snuck off at the battle at the Void. Thane tried not to think about him or what he might be up to. Hopefully held up somewhere in the human lands begging for scraps.

“Then what is it? You can’t say he needs something from Layala and leave it at that. She is my future queen and my friend, and I care about her, too. She already woke him up. What more could he want from her?” His reddish-brown eyes widened, and he turned to Thane. “He’s not here to claim her as his wife, is he? I mean, all that stuff about her being his true mate the papers are talking about is a farce.”

“I don’t know what it is he wants from her. He won’t say. I think taking her away may be his end game, but right now he’s pushing for her to remember being the goddess Valeen.”

“Isn’t there a book or scroll in the mage’s tower about him?”

“I found something in my father’s study, but the book is enormous, and I’ve barely made a dent in it. So, I haven’t found anything yet but I’m working on it. Everyone has a weakness.” Thane waved at Piper. “I’ll take over her team, assess everyone’s readiness, and see if anyone needs to be held back for the next round of training.”

“She’ll be pissed you’re taking her away on the last day,” Fennan warned.

“This is more important, and I’m her king and she’ll follow my orders without question.”

Fennan let out a short chortle. “If you say so.”

Piper jogged over and tugged her Raven wing helmet off. Her red hair somehow stayed slick and smooth in her braid. A smudge of dirt mixed with the freckles on her left cheek, and she smiled at Thane. “Hi, Thane. It’s good to see you out here to watch us for the final day.” She gave Fennan a brief, very formal nod and then looked around behind them like she was searching for someone. “I was hoping Layala would join too.”

“I need you to follow Layala for me. She needs a new dress for the ceremony. She said she’ll be fine on her own and doesn’t want to bother you since you’re training but—”

“It’s dangerous for her to be alone.” Her mouth twisted into a frown, and she glanced back at her team fighting in the skirmish. “I’m not going to sneak around behind her back if that’s what you mean by follow. She purposely ditched me the other night. I’m still a little mad about it.”

“Perhaps I implied that you had a choice,” Thane said. “You don’t.” He hated when he pulled rank on his friends, but this wasn’t a time to test his patience.

Piper leaned back slightly, clearly caught off guard by the forcefulness in his tone. The blush on her cheeks from the heat of the day deepened. “So, it’s an order?”

“It’s an order,” he ground out. “Whether you sneak behind her back or not is up to you. But you will go be her bodyguard; that is your primary duty, one you accepted and swore to uphold. An assassin got into her room, managed to stab her, and cut up her leg, and she sneaks out of this castle alone whenever she feels like it with no backup. I know she’s not the easiest charge but she’s still yours.”

Piper’s face fell and her shoulders sagged. He’d clearly struck a nerve but everything he said was the truth and sometimes it hurt. “An assassin… Of course, High King. I will do better.” She dropped her gaze and dipped her chin. “I will protect her with my life.”

Chapter18

LAYALA

Layala hurried down the steps to the front entrance where the morning sun shined bright and glorious. The guards standing on the sides of the bottom steps dipped their heads as she passed. “Lady Lightbringer,” they acknowledged.

“Good morning,” she said brightly, with forced enthusiasm. “Did you see which way the elf with shorter dark hair went? He’s probably smoking.” She smelled the sweet scent lingering in the air now.

“Toward the stables,” the guard on the left answered. Maker above if they only knew who walked past them earlier.

In the distance, Hel led a monstrous all-black horse with a white star on his forehead out of the barn doors. The bastard thought he could takeherhorse? And why would he even need one when he could just poof into thin air and reappear where he wanted? This was deliberate.

She started off in a determined march, quickly turning into a run.

Hel pulled himself up into the saddle as she drew close. He tossed down the end of the civar, blew out a puff of smoke, and nudged Midnight into a walk.

Layala snatched the reins on the left side and pulled Midnight to a stop. “Where do you think you’re going with my horse?”

“To find my date.” His mouth twitched and she swore he was trying not to smile. “Jealousy looks good on you, love. Pouty lip and all.”