Page 130

Valter studied him for a moment before saying, “They appeared quite close in the lounge when I arrived.”

“That is good to hear then,” Axel said, the words like acid on his tongue.

“I suppose, but with the female having passed her exam, it gives us a little time,” Valter went on, swirling the drink. Now his eyes never left Axel, as though he was watching for something.

His palms were sweaty, and he wasn’t entirely sure if it was from the increasing withdrawal or from the way this conversation seemed to be heading. Forcing himself to remain loose, he said, “A little time for what?”

“A powerful fire Fae is quite coveted,” Valter went on. “We would be fools not to use the asset to secure some deals before she is bonded to Theon. Once that happens… Well, you’ve seen how he is with the other one,” Valter said, his lip curling. “I hope that when your time comes, you don’t act so foolishly when you Select a Source.”

“Tessa is obviously a unique case, considering her unknown heritage,” Axel replied. “But Katya still has her other lessons, despite passing her element exams. She’ll go straight into advanced element training. I think that would be rather important for her to master.”

“You just told me she is very skilled,” Valter said.

“She is.”

“Then she should be able to keep up and still begin fulfilling her duties to the kingdom. She has a small window of time before Theon can Select her. We need to be strategic with that time,” Valter went on.

Axel tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. “And why aren’t we including Theon in this discussion since he is the heir?”

“Because I have been informed you may be becoming…attached to the female,” his father said, swirling his drink once more. “I wanted to visit with you personally to see if you were going to cause any issues. The gods know you enjoy your dramatics.”

That godsdamn Ford fucker. They knew he was reporting everything back to their father, but he clearly hadn’t been careful enough.

“I see,” Valter said when Axel didn’t answer soon enough.

“You see what?” Axel asked.

“That the information is correct.”

“It isn’t.”

His father arched a brow. “No? I do not need to worry about you interfering with matters?”

“Like you said, she is strong and a rare asset,” Axel said. “Why do you think I make her sleep in my rooms?”

Valter tsked, rolling his eyes. “Of course I know why you keep the female in your rooms.”

“Aside from that,” Axel said, his stomach roiling at the implication. “I keep her under close watch. I escort her to and from the Pantheon. She eats with us not because I am attached to her, but because I know the value she holds for our kingdom.”

His father’s hazel eyes continued to study him, and for the life of him, Axel couldn’t figure out if he found what he was looking for or not. He didn’t know if he’d been convincing enough, but the implications of his father’s next words were perfectly clear.

“Your weekly rations are in the kitchen,” Valter said, draining the last of the liquor from the glass and passing it off to Eviana. “Should you suddenly find a need for your theatrics, I trust you recognize I could have waited until tomorrow to deliver them. Or another few days. Weeks.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Axel said tightly.

His father’s smile was all teeth when he said, “I suppose that’s up to you.”

Drinking Fae blood made him feel better than any alcohol or roll of lull-leaf ever could. He could taste the power in it, something earthy and bold in this bottle. A bottle he was drinking far too much of, he realized when he held it up to the light and found it over half gone.

Shit.

He replaced the cork, his fingers still trembling slightly. He was sitting on the pantry floor.

The godsdamn floor.

He’d pulled the bottle from the icebox and slid right down the wall as he drank. Not daring to rush to the kitchen until after his father had left. Valter hadn’t said a word about his plans for Katya when they’d gone downstairs to join the others. Instead, he’d spent a casual fifteen minutes interrogating Theon on his progress in figuring out Tessa’s lineage and severing the Source bond with her.

Footsteps sounded. Axel didn’t bother looking when Theon’s shoes stopped in the doorway.