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The vale couldn’t touch founders but they policed, punished, and kept the rest of the underside grasping within their talons, monitoring comings and goings—not to mention the many crimes their runners were guilty of whenever they could find a vulnerable unders to corner.

I hated her kind. I despised the power-hungry old families in control even more than the ignorant new bloods who believed their ways were the only ones worth respecting.

It was hard to remember that when she kept looking around, pointing at our buildings with pure delight in her eyes, when she smiled at children running around despite their horns and scales and wings. It was hard to recall that she came from them when she looked so perfect amongst us.

Gideon had been the first to teach me that there was more than one kind of valer. But no matter how much we might enjoy each other, she was still who she was. A Valesco. A Pendros. The daughter of two of my enemies. We could be acquaintances. We could even be friends of sorts. Anything else was ludicrous.

If only my mind and body could get with the program.

“We’re here,” I announced as Dan slowed the horses.

And none too soon.

This entire investigation needed to be wrapped up as quickly as possible. Then I’d return to my life, and Kleos would return to rejecting one suitor every week.

And when I heard that she inevitably accepted one, I wouldn’t even kill him.

28

KLEOS

Iwas familiar with the general air of chaos around the animal sanctuary. I might have chosen another career path, but I was an innate healer—I volunteered in the emergency rooms of the hospital in the vale when they called for assistance, andwasoften voluntold as a helper in the Guard’s infirmary.

I could immediately tell from the energy behind the desk that the staff wouldn’t have time for us right now. Something urgent was commandeering their attention.

Lucian strode straight to the front desk, and given who he was, a woman in a white fitted cloak detached herself from the group of whispering healers to greet him. Valiant effort aside, her expression remained concerned.

“Mr. Regis. We were expecting you. I understand you have an enquiry?”

“Yes—” I could tell he was about to launch into his request, so I placed my hand on his forearm.

It was unfair that the fabric of his iridescent coat felt just as soft as it looked, like a crow’s feathers. Hopefully no bird had been plucked to get the effect.

His head snapped straight to me, an eyebrow cocked in some sort of a challenge. He seemed to tell me,well, do you believe you’ll get better results than I will?

I rolled my eyes. Not everything was about him. “I’m sorry,” I told the healer. “You look busy? We can absolutely wait.”

The petite stout lady, with a severe bun holding back brown curls and bright green eyes, blinked several times, glancing from me to Lucian. I didn’t think she’d ever heard of a Regis waiting for anything.

Well, this one would have to learn.

“I—” She cleared her throat. “We have a bit of a situation. A night fox’s hurt—something took a bite out of it. We have to make a decision. We don’tlikeputting down anything if we can help it, but it’s suffering,” she blurted, speaking to herself more than us. “If you don’t mind—just a moment. I’m discussing it with the senior staff.”

Here goes nothing.“Could I take a look?” I bit my lower lip. “At the fox. I’m a healer.”

She didn’t know me from Adam, and the woman clearly had authority here. She must have studied for a decade to get to her role. I expected her to chastise me for my cheek. Even hospital healers, traditionally trained through hard work and dedication, hated the way I could just show up and do what no amount of studying could teach them.

Instead of launching into a lecture, or questioning my qualifications, the woman asked, “A core healer?”

I nodded.

She sighed deeply. “Sometimes, I have doubts, and then the gods provide just when we desperately need something. See? This is Apollo’s work, mark my word. This way, if you would.”

She quickly lead us through the staff entrance, calling a few, “Out of my way!” as she ran. Her legs were so short I could walk at a normal pace to keep up.

We soon were all but pushed into a room with a sterile operating table. The whole thing felt familiar to me. The fox was still, its pelt, dark as night and as shiny as Lucian’s coat, was matted with thick blood just as gold as his frozen, wide-open pupils. They must have had to immobelized him with a potion like the one Lucian used on me for the rune work. It was safer than completely putting a creature under anesthesia, when they were so hurt. His golden blood marred the operating table underneath. He was hooked up to an IV, but I could tell in one glance the blood they used to replenish his wouldn’t help much—it was from a regular fox, not a magical creature. It was likely the best they could do. It wasn’t good enough.

Feeling just how close the poor thing was to the edge, I wasn’t polite. There would be time for answers later.