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“Do you need me to go hunt some down?” Luka asked grimly.

Both of his hands went through his hair again. He’d have to fix it before his father got here, or the prick would likely withhold the ration because he wasn’tpresentable enough.

“Axel?” Luka pushed.

“No,” he ground out. “We don’t know when he’s coming. The last thing we need is for you to not be here when he shows up.”

“Okay,” Luka said, pushing off the counter. “We’ll help keep things under control until you get your ration.”

“I don’t…” Axel trailed off. “I’m going to shower. Keep Katya down here.”

Luka nodded as Axel left the kitchen and went upstairs. He pulled out his phone, turning on one of his favorite playlists before pouring himself a large glass of liquor and swallowing half of it in one go. He could do this. It was only, what? Another few hours at most? He’d stay up here until his father arrived, and all would be well.

Until next week at this same time.

He knocked back the rest of the liquor, pushing aside those thoughts and refilling his glass before starting to wander around his room. It smelled like her. Hints of jasmine and citrus, something smokey with underlying spices. All of her clothing was neatly folded and tucked away in a corner in the closet. Her lesson books, reading books, and notes were organized on a shelf. He should get her a phone. She was an Arius Kingdom Fae now. She could have a phone.

Axel took another sip of whiskey as he reached for a notebook on the top of the stack. Flipping it open, he laughed out loud. Of course she wrote notes in another language. Putting thenotebook back, he grabbed a book stacked beside them, taking it to the sofa. He was pretty sure it was the same one she’d said Theon had given to her.

Setting his glass aside, he flipped through the pages. The thing was entirely about the gods and their bloodlines, how their powers manifested, known allies and disagreements among them before Devram was created. Naturally, the history was thousands of years ago, given they would have no idea what was going on outside the realm now. Apparently, young females were securing godlike powers and controlling mirror gates.

Fucking mirror gates.

He still couldn’t believe those were a real thing or that the silver-haired female had actually been real.

Setting the book aside, he tugged his shirt from his pants before unbuttoning it and tossing it aside. Leaving a mess for Ford to clean up later had become his favorite pastime.

He took his time in the shower, letting the hot water and the alcohol in his system calm his anxious nerves. He was toweling off his hair when he heard movement in the other room, and he immediately tensed. How hard was it to keep her downstairs?

With a frustrated sigh, he wrapped his towel around his waist and stalked to the doorway. He’d left it open, assuming Theon and Luka could handle this one simple task.

“You shouldn’t be?—”

The words stalled in his throat when he found his father standing in the middle of the room, Eviana at his side.

“Axel,” Valter greeted, flipping through the same book Axel had been looking through earlier. He also held Axel’s glass of liquor in his hand. He made a point of taking a long drink before saying, “Perhaps some pants before we speak?”

“Of course,” Axel said, moving quickly to his closet and pulling on navy suit pants and a white button down. He didn’t bother with a tie, knowing his father was already impatient.

He was buttoning his shirt cuffs when he came back out to the room. “Ford said you’d be stopping by.”

“And yet you chose to make me wait when I arrived,” Valter said tightly, snapping the book closed. He handed it off to Eviana without even looking at her, the Fae taking the book and quietly setting it aside.

“My apologies,” Axel said, slipping his hands into his pockets and clenching them into fists. “I erroneously thought I had more time.”

His father made a displeased noise, and Axel waited for the slice of pain as penance, but it never came.

Instead, his father said, “I am told the fire Fae passed her exams today and is now free of her shirastone bands.”

“She did, yes. She is very skilled,” Axel said carefully.

“It appears your brash decision at the Emerging Ceremony continues to pay off.”

Axel forced himself not to shift under his father’s shrewd gaze, the calming effects of the shower and alcohol now long gone. “I am happy to know you are pleased.”

Valter hummed again, taking another drink of the liquor as he slid his other hand into his pocket. “She and Theon seem to be getting along well.”

“What?” Axel blurted before quickly evening out his tone. “I mean, I haven’t seen them spend much time together. She is busy with her lessons and training, and he is busy with Tessa.”