Page 17 of A Legacy of Stars (The Lost God Legacies)

17

TEDDY

W hiskey was a mistake.

It took Teddy a while to realize that the pounding in his head matched the pounding outside of his head. Someone was at his bedroom door. Someone who clearly wanted to be punched in the face.

He groaned, squinting into the bright morning light that poured through the curtains he’d forgotten to close the night before.

“I’m coming.” His voice was ragged from sleep, his mouth too dry to say more. He stood, his muscles screaming with the remnants of the previous day’s battle.

He stumbled across the room and cracked the door open.

Jalen leaned against the doorframe, looking impatient. His face split with a smile when he took in Teddy’s appearance.

“Oh, Ted. You look rough. Are those yesterday’s clothes? Did you sleep with your shoes on? Alex said you would be feeling it this morning, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen you in such a state,” Jalen said.

Jalen’s effusive energy this early in the morning was overwhelming even when Teddy wasn’t hungover. It was certainly way too much for the state he was in .

“What do you want?” he snapped. “What time is it?”

Jalen grinned wider. “It’s half-eight. You slept in.”

Teddy groaned and rubbed his temples to ease the ache.

“I’d let you sleep later, but there’s an inquiry. You need to come downstairs for questioning,” Jalen said, stepping into Teddy’s bedroom. “Gods, you reek. Did you drink the whole bottle?”

“No. Alex drank half.” Teddy was joking, but by his mental accounting, he realized it might have been true.

When he was young, his parents had taken him to a healer who magically enhanced senses. Her work had granted him sharper hearing, eyesight, and senses of touch, smell, and taste, but it also meant that he healed faster. Not as fast as Stella, who had godly magic in her blood, but faster than a typical person.

He also metabolized alcohol faster. And yet, he still felt rotten.

“It’s so rare that I’m the prince who has it the most together and I’m kind of enjoying the self-righteousness that comes along with it,” Jalen said. “No wonder you’re so insufferable all the time.”

Teddy grimaced at his brother. “I could still kick your ass.”

Jalen laughed. “If I didn’t enjoy seeing you delusional, I might be offended. You’re clearly hurting, but Endros wants all the competitors questioned to check their involvement with the death of Victor Schwoebleman.”

Teddy glowered at him. “Endros, the god these maniacs worship, would like to question us, the contestants in his murder games, to see if we are killing each other outside the arena.”

Jalen nodded. “You got it on the first try. Maybe you’re not in such bad shape.”

“What does our father say?”

Jalen frowned and tapped his fingers together in an uncanny impression of their father. “‘Teddy can handle himself.’”

While Jalen’s skin tone was darker, more golden-brown than olive like their father’s, he had the same hazel eyes and smirk. He’d long ago mastered the king’s mannerisms and loved to impersonate Xander, especially if he’d been recently chastised .

“Also, our mother is expecting you downstairs in fifteen minutes,” Jalen said with a gleeful smile.

Teddy cursed and stumbled to the washroom, ignoring Jalen’s laughter as he slammed the door.

Queen Jessamin Orum Savero stood in front of a sunlit window at the end of the royal wing of Olney Castle with her consort and guard, Maren, at her side. Teddy could tell by the jeweled dagger at the waist of her elaborate gown that she was anxious.

His mother always carried blades, but she only displayed them so obviously when she wanted other people to know she was ready for a fight. Jessamin had been raised in the Queendom of Novum, a large island in the middle of the Adiran Sea. Since her older sister, Karina, was the heir to the throne, Jessamin had been raised to lead the Novumi army. It was a twist of fate and shifting alliances that saw her sent to Argaria to marry Xander Savero.

Maren leaned close to the queen and whispered something in her ear, and his mother’s shoulders relaxed.

Teddy’s chest clenched. That was what Grace had always been for him—the steadiness and humor, the comfort in his most stressful moments.

Teddy hesitated and Jalen stepped on his heel, nearly running into him.

“Hedging, brother?” he teased.

Teddy didn’t have time to respond. His mother had seen them.

Her face lit up as he walked closer. “There’s my handsome boy.”

“Good morning, Mother,” he said, kissing her cheek.

She froze and sniffed as she drew back. “Long night, Theodore Davide?”

“Uh-oh, the full name. I’ll see myself out,” Jalen said, taking the first chance to escape any official duty, as always.

“Traitor,” Teddy grumbled .

His mother tilted his chin up to look at his eyes and clicked her tongue. “So unlike you. Is this about yesterday?”

He jerked his head away and was rewarded with a throbbing spike of pain. “Sure. Let’s go with that. Just blowing off some steam after a fight.”

“A dangerous time to choose to get drunk in public,” she said, slowly studying him.

He wasn’t about to tell her about Grace. This wasn’t the time or place. There were too many eyes and ears inside the castle.

“Walk with me.” It was a command if he’d ever heard one, but he held out his elbow and his mother threaded her arm through.

She was only a few inches shorter than him, but she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Your father is with Marcos,” she whispered. “They can’t find a way to stop this from happening. We think it’s best to let Endros question you. It’s clear you were too drunk to have done anything and at least there will be plenty of witnesses to say you weren’t there, but whatever is happening now is bigger than all of us and it’s best if we pretend to go along with it for now.”

Teddy nodded.

“Evan believes this is truly the work of the Sons of Endros and not one of your competitors. Almost every single one of them has whereabouts accounted for?—”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Teddy interrupted. “They could have had someone else do it for them and just used the rebel group as a coverup.”

His mother smiled approvingly. “That’s what I said.”

“So what does Evan suggest?”

“He’s having each one of them followed to see who they interact with and then we will try to trail those people, but at some point, that won’t be sustainable. I believe he’s trying to focus on the most likely candidates—so those who have wealth and access that could pay for assassins and to cover it up.”

Teddy squeezed her arm a little tighter. “We had a scuffle with the Roach and his friends leaving the bar last night. ”

His mother smiled and waved at a well-dressed lord and lady who walked by them. “We?”

“Stella and I.”

Jessamin’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? You were leaving together?”

Teddy rolled his eyes. “Not like you’re thinking. She walked me back to the castle because I was drunk and she was not and—” He tapped his chest and lowered his voice. “She just didn’t want to feel me make a fool of myself.”

“I don’t know. I think that girl has a good bit of her mother in her,” Jessamin said. “Cece has always been concerned with everyone else before herself.”

“Except Father.” The words were out of his mouth before his sluggish brain caught up.

His mother stopped short and glared at him. “I won’t hear that from you. You are young and don’t know what you’re talking about. You can hate her all you want for being the hero when you think your father should be, but I have taught you better than to ignore the deeds of women in history in favor of what men decide is important.”

Teddy looked down at the ground, chastised. “I’m sorry.”

If his father was the one constantly reminding him to be impeccable, his mother was the one who was always praising him for his wisdom and temperance and allowing him a place to express his frustration and anxieties. She was also the one to remind him that his father hadn’t mastered everything all at once. It had taken Xander a long time to come into his own as a ruler. Jessamin was a woman of grace and gentle encouragement, unless he needed a firm push.

But Teddy was so tired of the pressure already and he wasn’t even king yet. He didn’t know how either of his parents had managed to not be completely burned out on court life by the time they were his age.

His mother took his chin in her hands and forced him to meet her eye. “It’s fine. You’ve had a stressful few days. Now, you must prepare yourself for this interrogation. You can’t act out. You can’t react at all. I hate to pressure you, especially when you’re in a state, but if ever there was a time to be perfect, this is it. Endros will try to bait you with everything you expect him to. You can assume he knows the truth about our family, but it’s best you play dumb.”

Teddy rolled his shoulders out and took a deep breath.

She cupped his face in her hands. “I know that you are your own man now, but this is a moment when I need you to be my son. Be as still as the mirror surface of a lake. No matter what is going on beneath the water, you must remain placid. We don’t know what game Endros is playing, and until we do, things need to remain business as usual.”

“Yes, Mother.”

He knew she was right. His mother was an amazing strategist, and he had enormous respect for how calm she could remain while listening to men take credit for the success of her ideas. He’d watched his father smirk at her across war strategy tables for years, a silent conversation passing between them, Xander animated and obviously annoyed, Jessamin reminding him not to show it. Though their relationship was unconventional, they made an excellent team.

As good of a team as Teddy and Grace would make. His stomach dropped as he tried to shove the sadness to the farthest corner of his mind.

Teddy frowned. “One question, though—how is Endros managing to run the interrogation himself? He can’t possibly expect to stay corporeal here long enough to speak to all twelve of us who remain in the Games.”

Jessamin glowed with pride. “Good catch, darling. Evan and I suspect that’s exactly the point he’s trying to make. They believe the faith of the Sons of Endros has strengthened his ability to stay in this realm for longer periods of time. We think he’s trying to show off—intimidate us with his looming presence.”

Teddy swallowed hard. That was an unnerving possibility. All the living gods had been killed and had ascended to the Otherworld, the realm of the gods. Their power could be felt in small ways in the living world, and they could stay for short periods of time to visit with their subjects, capable of using a limited amount of their magic on the world. But conducting a full-day interrogation of the remaining twelve competitors should have been beyond Endros’s capability.

The god of war and discord thrived off instilling fear, so this was probably just another tactic.

His mother led him down a candlelit corridor. She squeezed his arm and his chest warmed. “You should be up next. I’m not sure where Rainer and Cece are, but Endros is in there with Stella now.”

“Endros? Is in there? With Stella?” Teddy didn’t think. He charged toward the doors.

Rainer and Cecilia weren’t out here waiting because Stella had most definitely not told her parents she was being interrogated by the god of war.

His fingertips brushed the handle, and the door swung open.

Stella stared at him, her face awash with surprise and relief. Endros appeared over her shoulder. Teddy lost his composure. Seeing the god looming over her filled him with protective rage.

“Your Highness ,” Endros said, the title meant as a taunt more than anything else, but Teddy’s focus was immediately drawn to Stella.

Their bond buzzed with warmth. That’s what he’d felt a moment earlier. Not his mother’s comfort, but the nearness of Stella.

Stella’s eyes flickered with surprise and then hatred.

Well, that settled that. She was still mad.

Enjoy your vigil . What an unbelievably cruel thing to say. Teddy didn’t even know why he’d said it.

No—he did know. He’d started to realize he’d been wrong in some of the assumptions he’d made about her. He’d started to see an unnerving kindness in her and so he’d said the meanest thing he could to shove her away.

Now he regretted it because he could tell by the distrust in her eyes that he would have to pry the information she’d shared with Endros from her. Drunk Teddy was so shortsighted.

Stella brushed by him. “Good luck, Your Grace .”

“Thank you, my lady ,” he countered.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the menace in her tight smile. Whatever momentary lightness had come from fighting together last night was chased away by the familiarity of being at odds again. Her anger was almost a comfort. This, at least, was a place that he knew how to work from.

Endros gestured Teddy into the room, but he didn’t step out of the way. Teddy was forced to brush shoulders with the god. It was a power move, meant to display he was just as corporeal as a mortal.

The god closed the door as Teddy crossed the room and slumped into a chair. He tried to look as pained as he felt. This was actually a scenario where his senses being dulled was a good thing. It would slow any reactive impulses.

Endros gestured to a cup of tea on the table. “Drink.”

Teddy lifted the cup and sniffed.

“No need to test it. Poison is a woman’s weapon,” Endros said.

Teddy sipped the tea instead of saying what he wanted to say, which was that poison was an efficient weapon. There was no point trying to convince a man of brutality that poison could be as much an art as swordsmanship.

He studied the god of war and discord through the steam rising from his cup. Endros looked every bit the warrior—broad and muscular, with a crisp linen shirt and leather vest that strained against his chest. His dark hair was threaded with gray and brushed back into neat waves. A scar several shades lighter than his tan skin ran down the right side of his jaw, and his silver eyes glowed faintly with something otherworldly, just like his son Cato’s. Though, where Cato’s were usually lit with curious mischief, his father’s held only predatory menace.

Endros had no weapons, but he exuded the kind of powerful aura that made it clear he didn’t need one. He probably knew ten ways to kill a man without breaking a sweat.

Teddy knocked back the rest of the tea, his stomach gurgling loudly in protest. He should have at least had some toast before coming in here. He set the cup down with a clatter as his stomach roiled. Maybe Endros had lied, and it was poison.

“It’s truth tea,” Endros said.

Teddy’s stomach plummeted. He’d had a whole cup of truth tea and now he was about to be interrogated. What had Isla said about truth tea? His magic was sluggish, buried under the weight of his hangover.

Her voice floated into his mind. Skirt the truth. Say things that are true but not the exact answers to the question, or offer slight deviations. Instead of saying “I don’t remember,” when you do, say “my memory is fuzzy.” It’s vague enough to be true.

Seemingly satisfied that the tea had enough time to work, Endros sat down across from Teddy. “What kind of man are you, Theodore Savero?”

Teddy stared at him, trying to look as bored and hungover as possible. “How do you mean?”

Endros grinned in a feral way that let Teddy know he’d stepped right into a trap the god had laid for him. “I mean, are you the type of man who is eternally in competition with your peers? I can’t imagine why else you would be interested in so many women who want Prince Arden instead.”

Teddy’s eyebrows shot up, and he laughed out of sheer surprise. Not neutral like he’d promised his mother, but hopefully it read as apathy.

Endros cocked his head like a predator studying prey. “That’s funny.”

“A bit. Yes.” Teddy leaned back, tilting his chair onto its back legs. “No. I’m not eternally in competition with my peers, nor do I see Arden as competition. When you’re the best, you don’t feel compelled to prove it relentlessly.”

“Perhaps you are like your father, after all. He thought he was invincible once.” The god pursed his lips and shook his head. “He learned, though.”

Teddy allowed the silence to stretch out. Isla had taught him everything she knew about interrogations, and silence was his new best friend.

“Surprised your ego is still intact after your fight yesterday. Not sure that it’s warranted,” Endros said.

Teddy was comforted that there was nothing the god could say that would be worse than the way he’d already taken himself apart piece by piece, retracing every mistake he’d made down to the way he’d first drawn his blade. Endros thrived on creating fear and conflict, but Teddy would be shocked if the god could find something meaner to say than the constant running monologue of inadequacies in his head.

Teddy wasn’t foolish enough to believe he had no weaknesses. He loved far too many people, and he knew his family history. Love was an easy pressure point to exploit.

But he’d been so conditioned to temperance—too aware of the danger that waited for him or anyone else in his family to lower his guard. It was exactly why they were all so well trained. His parents had seen to that. Even Juliana, whom people often underestimated because of her beauty and poise at court, was a fierce fighter.

“Nothing to say?” Endros prodded, looking for a weak spot to apply pressure.

“You haven’t asked another question,” Teddy said.

“I wonder. Do you have your father’s same preference for pretty little goddesses?” Endros asked.

Teddy laughed again, this time out of sheer shock at the question.

Endros went rigid and his eyes narrowed. “I’m not usually known for my humor.”

“No, it’s just that I can’t stand Stella McKay.”

“Oh? Perhaps you’re not your father’s son.”

Teddy frowned.

“Don’t make that face,” Endros said. “That’s a compliment. Your father was weak and sentimental. All impulse and no patience. You seem to have more of your mother in you.”

It took all of Teddy’s concentration not to fidget under the god’s assessing gaze. Fear crept into the corners of Teddy’s mind, the hairs rising on the back of his neck. There was nothing wrong, yet a creeping dread washed over him.

He met Endros’s eyes again, and it hit him. This was Endros’s magic. His power was known to bring fear into the heart of even the bravest soldiers .

A sharp tug in his chest snapped him out of his daze. Stella must have felt his fear.

“I think you’ll find my whereabouts were well accounted for last night. I was with Stella McKay, Nathan Aiger, my sister Alexandra. Most of the patrons of the Poison Vixen can confirm I was there until mere moments before the body was discovered.”

Endros pursed his lips. “Yes. Stella told me about bumping into some other competitors and hearing death whispers just a few minutes before you arrived at the castle gates. Quite convenient.”

Teddy forced a frown. “Not terribly convenient for me, since I was drunk. I would have a hard time taking down most of the remaining competitors sober. I certainly couldn’t have done it in the state I was in last night.”

Endros eyed him for a long moment. “You may go.”

Teddy hesitated. It couldn’t be that easy, but he wasn’t about to stay and give the god a chance to pick him apart anymore.

He rose to his feet and walked across the room with casual slowness, even giving the god his back for a moment when he opened the door. Teddy turned and bowed before stepping out into the hallway.

He walked down the hall without looking back, barely breathing until he reached the end of the corridor, where he was surprised but relieved to find Stella waiting for him just inside a sitting room. Teddy stepped inside and sat down next to her.

“Don’t read into it, Your Grace. I figured it was best to stay close to the other combatants, just in case. That way, I’d have witnesses if someone tries to take me out or decides to get handsy again.” She nodded to Drew, who was glowering at her from where he sat on the far side of the sitting room. His hands were wrapped in bandages that made it look like he was wearing enormous mittens.

“No healers?” Teddy asked.

“Not from the contest,” Stella said. “I suspect Dixon tried to fix them, but burns are slow work. I found out the hard way when I was younger and learning to control my power. I had such a bad tantrum once that I burned my father by accident. It took a week for Lyra to fix what I’d done. A healer has to keep working layer by layer of skin and let the swelling go down. It’s a very delicate skill and I think Dixon’s talents are more utilitarian—how to keep someone from bleeding out, set a bone, pull pain from an injury.”

Teddy had never thought about it. Fire had always been easy for him to control, but witches with fire affinities were known for their quick tempers, just like witches with storm affinities like him were known for being mercurial and memory witches were known for getting lost in thought. It was unclear whether affinity was influenced by personality or vice versa.

“That was smart, by the way—last night. You made sure he’d only be hurt if he touched you first.” Teddy tried to sound sincere but he could tell by her sneer that he’d done an effective job of ensuring they stayed adversaries.

“Try not to sound so surprised,” she snapped.

Teddy shouldn’t have been shocked that she’d been strategic. He just didn’t understand the way she switched so swiftly from rational to impulsive.

Stella rose from her seat and shoved the leather satchel that had been sitting next to her into his arms. “Jalen packed this for you.”

“You’re ready to go see your aunt?”

She nodded, a crease forming in her brow as she started toward the hall, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Teddy wanted to ask her what had happened, but there were far too many ears inside the castle. He needed to wait until they were out of the city.

In the wild, they could finally speak freely.

They walked through the castle hallways and out into the sweltering midday heat.

“If we leave within the hour, we can make it to the temple before it gets dark,” he said.

“I just need to change into riding clothes,” Stella said. “My bag is already packed.”

When they cleared the castle courtyard, she picked up her pace, as if she could sense him gearing up to apologize.

“Stella, I’m?— ”

“He came this morning, so fortunately my vigil didn’t last long,” she said, walking faster.

Gods, Teddy felt like such an asshole, but he was relieved Arden had finally done the bare minimum.

“Good that he could finally make the time.” The words slipped out, a remnant of the truth tea’s effects.

Stella spun on him so fast he almost ran right into her. “Oh fuck off , Teddy. Not everyone can be a paragon of princely devotion by completely ignoring their partner’s unhappiness.”

Her words were like a slap across the face.

She crossed her arms and continued. “He brought flowers and apologized for taking so long. In fact, the reason he was delayed was because his betrothal had been called off. He wanted to make our courtship official.”

“But that would put an even bigger target on your back.”

“I know. That’s what I told him.”

Teddy wanted to think the best of his old friend, but Arden was making it hard. Jalen had always been closer to the prince of Olney since they were closer in age, but Teddy had still grown up seeing him every summer his whole life for the Godsball, the Solstice Festival, and the Gauntlet Games. He never would have expected Arden to be capable of such thoughtlessness.

“So we’re keeping it quiet for now, but once the Games are over, we will make it official,” Stella said.

“Does that mean he’s not courting Grace?” He was torn between anger that Arden had Grace’s attention and was rebuking her and relief for the same reason. He wanted Grace to be happy, but it would be so hard to watch her be with a lifelong friend.

Stella pushed her pace faster, as if trying to outrun his question. Teddy jogged to catch up, his head still throbbing along with his pulse.

They turned down the long, shady lane that led to the McKay Estate. The morning was unbearably hot. Sweat dripped down Teddy’s back as he hurried along behind Stella. At least there was a breeze blowing in off the sea, carrying the scent of salt and summer florals.

Stella stopped short as her family home came into sight.

Fionn Silver was leaning against the garden gate.

Teddy shepherded Stella behind him. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

Stella shoved him aside and kept walking. “He’s not here to kill me, you idiot. Not before I’ve paid him what he’s due and not if he wants to win the competition.”

The mercenary smiled warmly as they approached. Teddy scowled back at him. No hired sword should have a smile that straight or skin that unflawed. Though Fionn’s nose had clearly been broken a few times, it gave him a sort of roguish charm to go along with his otherwise remarkably symmetrical face.

“Hey there, princess. I’m calling in my favor,” Fionn said.

“What favor?” Teddy asked at the same time Stella said, “It’s not a good time.”

Fionn offered a humble shrug and sympathetic smile. “I’m afraid it can’t wait. You’re not welching on our deal, are you, princess?”

The use of the pet name twice in as many sentences made Teddy roll his eyes.

Stella sighed and looked toward the back of her house. “It has to happen right now?”

“I’m afraid so.” Fionn sounded apologetic, but the sincerity was lost in the way he smirked at Teddy.

“Will it take long?” Stella asked.

“Indeed. This is delicate work.”

Teddy looked between the two of them. What sort of deal had she made? He guessed something to do with memory. Though it wasn’t her primary affinity, he knew she was still extremely skilled at memory magic, just like her mother.

Stella took one last longing look at her house before she turned to face Teddy. “I’m sorry. We’ll have to finish our business tomorrow.”

“Absolutely not,” he said. “You can’t just run off with a trained killer when we are all being hunted by a trained killer. Even if he’s not the one doing it, two of you being together will just increase the likelihood that the assassin will take an interest. Perhaps a two-for-one.”

“I’d like to see him try,” Fionn said, looking only mildly insulted at the insinuation that he couldn’t handle himself.

Teddy knew he was being irrational, but he couldn’t control himself. The bond was possessive. It wanted to be near her. Even in the few moments they’d spent together, he felt like his headache was lessening, as if the connection and nearness of her were revitalizing. That was annoying.

“You didn’t seem concerned when it was the two of you spending time together,” Fionn said. “What are you two, anyway? Lovers?”

Stella’s expression shifted from annoyed to horrified insultingly quickly.

“Don’t look so stunned. You make a handsome couple.”

Stella faked a gag.

“Am I so repulsive?” The words were wrenched from Teddy’s stupid mouth by the truth tea. At least that was what he told himself. It was that or a simple need for reassurance after Grace had dumped him and bruised his ego. He was just hurting, hungover both emotionally and physically, and he wanted assurance.

Stella placed a hand on his shoulder and with deep sincerity said, “Of course you’re not objectively repulsive. You’re just repulsive to me .”

Fionn laughed so loudly and suddenly that Teddy jumped.

“Gods, she is refreshingly honest, isn’t she?” Fionn said.

Stella rolled her eyes. “Am I dressed appropriately for whatever this favor is?”

Fionn gave her a slow once-over. “Yes, I’d say so unless you want to slip into something more showy.”

Stella cocked her head. “Though I did not explicitly say so, I am a lady and I’ll not risk my virtue. Any favor between us will not be sexual.”

Teddy ran a hand over his face. Of course she hadn’t clarified that before making a godsdamned deal with a mercenary. As if they were the most virtuous lot. His blood boiled that Stella had been so apt to spite him that she’d entered into a foolish bargain with someone who could use her however he liked.

Teddy took her arm. “This is a bad idea.”

She glared up at him. “This is none of your concern. Go sober up.”

“I don’t think so, princess ,” Teddy said. “Until this killer is apprehended, I go where you go.”

Stella stared at him for a long moment, heat flaring in her cheeks. “You can’t control me,” she whispered.

Teddy chuckled. “Oh, that much is clear. But I can try to contain you.”

“Do you want to take a moment to freshen up?” Fionn asked.

The crease in her brow returned. “No, why?”

Teddy bit back a smile. Her hair was a bit unruly. Most ladies kept their hair neatly pinned up, but Stella’s looked like she had twisted it back into a ponytail, started to pin it up, and then had given up halfway through either from lack of time or overwhelm at the sheer volume of dark curls. It somehow looked right on her, though. She looked like she belonged in Olney. Like she’d just returned from a morning of riding on the beach and was running to the market for some errand.

Fionn shrugged and held out his arm to lead her away from the house. “All right then, princess, let’s go get my money’s worth out of this trade.”

Teddy fell into step behind them.

“Don’t look so worried, Savero,” Fionn said without turning around.

Did the man have eyes in the back of his head? How did he know what Teddy’s face looked like?

Fionn pulled his arm in, drawing Stella slightly closer to his body. “I’ll take good care of your girl.”

That was exactly what Teddy was afraid of.