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I grinned at him. “You’re coming with us. On the off chance one of the Alpha Pack members is waiting on the other side of the barrier, it’s your job to sweet-talk them while we steal their shit.”

“Sounds fun.” His eyes lit up. “I hope it’s Bastian. He’s fun to play with.”

My grin slid from my face, and I narrowed my eyes at him—and across the room, I heard the sound of weapons clattering against each other. I glanced at Draven to find him glaring at Kieran too.

“Linguistically.” Kieran rolled his eyes. “The overgrown pussycat is fun to play with linguistically. ”

“You’ll be my favorite Moroi forever if you call Bastian that to his face,” Rynn said seriously before springing to her feet and trotting over to the mirror.

Kieran chuffed. “I’m already your favorite Moroi. You just let Samara pretend she is to protect her delicate sensibilities—oww!” He rubbed the back of his head where I’d smacked him. “Rude.”

“Come on.” I grabbed his arm and started tugging him towards where Rynn was waiting for us, only pausing to grab a few sheets of paper and sharpened pieces of charcoal so I could sketch out the glyph for reference.

I thrust them into the pockets of my dress before coming up short when Vail stomped over, shoving between me and Kieran.

“If there is even a hint of the barrier being down when you get into that room, you get that nice ass back here immediately. The Alpha Pack isn’t going to react reasonably if they see you with Rynn. ”

“You need to work on your compliments as much as your apologies.” I poked him in the chest. “And I don’t have a nice ass—I have an amazing ass.”

“Sam,” Vail growled.

“Vail,” I mockingly growled back.

My heart quickened when he smiled at me before leaning down to whisper in my ear, “If you don’t bring that amazing ass back in one piece, I’m going to think of all kinds of ways to punish it.

” Before I could get out a clever retort, Vail’s hand gripped the back of my head, and his lips crashed against mine in a searing kiss.

Heat coursed through me as I molded my body into his.

Yes. I was still mad at him.

Yes. I was enjoying the hells out of this kiss.

As Rynn had said before, two things could be true at once.

“Stop getting distracted by dick!” Rynn barked sharply.

Vail and I broke apart, both of us breathing a little heavily.

“Also”—his eyes slid to where Kieran was now waiting with Rynn, a stupid grin on his face—“I want credit for allowing you to go with just the wolf and peacock.”

“You don’t allow me to do anything,” I sputtered, but Vail was already stalking back towards the weapons table.

Draven shook his head at him. “You almost had it but fumbled the landing.”

“Shut up,” Vail growled.

“Let’s go.” Rynn grabbed me. “Deal with your obnoxiously possessive and bossy mates later. Cade and the others are usually patrolling at this hour, and I’d like to get in and out without them noticing,” she snapped before shoving me face-first into the mirror.

“Oh fuck, that was weird.” I hopped from one foot to the other as I stared wide-eyed at the mirror.

The reflective surface looked solid, but as soon as I made contact, it felt like a cold, viscous liquid slipping over my skin.

My mind told me I should be dripping wet right now, but my skin was dry and unblemished.

Aside from the weird sensation, it’d been fine. Nothing like when Draven had tripped the glyph at the bottom of House Harker and my stomach had tried to relocate to my throat as we fell.

“Rynn wasn’t kidding.” Kieran glanced around the space we had landed in. “I’m not even sure Vail would have fit in here, and Draven’s ego definitely wouldn’t have.”

“I’m going to tell Draven you said that.” I peered at the completely packed shelves that I could only see parts of, thanks to the wooden crates full of more books and scrolls stacked precariously in front of them.

“Go for it.” Kieran grinned at me. “I like his punishments.”

I thought of when Draven had used his whip to tie me up in the cabin.

“Good point. Tell him I talked shit about him too.”

Kieran snorted. “This place actually makes Roth’s room look neat and tidy.” He reached out to the nearest stack of books just as Rynn stepped through the mirror.

“Don’t”—the books tumbled over with a loud crash—“touch anything,” Rynn finished tensely and looked towards the open doorway that led into another small room.

The three of us held still, waiting to see if the Alpha Pack would barge in. We were close enough to the mirror that we could make it back through and smash the one on the other side . . . probably.

Velesians were fast fuckers.

A little tension bled out of Rynn’s shoulders when nothing happened. Either they weren’t here or the barrier was still holding.

“Come on.” She slipped past me and Kieran—somehow managing not to knock over more books—and headed towards the small room that must have been the entryway. “Let’s do what we came here to do and get the fuck out before one of those assholes comes . . .”

She trailed off and came to a slow halt a foot past the arched doorway like prey that suddenly realized it was no longer alone.

Immediately, I dashed towards her with Kieran hot on my heels, books crashing behind us in our haste.

I’d been right—this room was just a small entryway that led to the stairwell.

Another archway was directly to our right, which hadn’t been visible from the other room.

Clearly, it used to have a door because the black hinges were still attached to the stone—mostly anyway— but now, they were twisted and half torn out, like someone had wrenched the door free with their bare hands.

My bet was on Cade. The ursanthrope spoke with even words and calming smiles most of the time, but when he lost it, you got to see what a three-thousand-pound, pissed-off bear looked like up close.

It wasn’t the leader of the Alphas who was waiting for us though. Nor was it Bastian or Ryker—the latter of whom I was happy not to see because Rynn didn’t act rationally around the other lycanthrope. Plus, I didn’t want to be around two snappish wolves any more than I wanted to deal with the bear.

Leaning against the wall on the other side of the doorway was a man with deep brown skin so dark, it was as if it had been kissed by midnight. His black hair was cut short, and the neatly trimmed beard somehow called even more attention to his handsome features.

I had five extremely gorgeous lovers, and I was not the least bit interested in another, but even I had to acknowledge that this man was hot.

Like, impossibly so.

I also had no fucking idea who he was.

Though I was pretty sure Rynn did, based on the intensity she was staring him down with. She still hadn’t moved from her spot, but I recognized the almost cautious aggression sending trembles up her lithe frame. If she were in wolf form, her hackles would’ve been raised right now.

The handsome stranger’s golden yellow eyes barely glanced at me and Kieran before falling back to her. He said nothing, but I saw the hatred burning in his eyes.

“I was wondering when you were going to bother showing up.” Rynn finally spoke in a low, raspy voice. “You smell even worse in person.”

Kieran and I traded a weighted look. Velesians were kind of particular about scents—especially their own. Telling one of them they stank was a sure way to get your throat ripped out.

“Rynn, who?—”

“Just copy the glyph, Samara,” Rynn cut me off. “The barrier is up. He can’t get through.”

Right. I pulled the papers and charcoal from my pocket and strode towards the doorway. The golden-eyed Velesian didn’t move, but his eyes did flick towards me for a second before returning to Rynn.

No vertical slits. So he wasn’t a panther shifter. All the ursanthropes I’d met had a much larger build. He could be a lycanthrope, but something about that didn’t feel right. If I was correct, then that meant he was an aetanthrope—an eagle shifter.

Kieran followed me as I quickly laid the paper over the glyph and then scratched the charcoal over it until the pattern appeared on the sheet.

I handed it to Kieran, and he carefully folded it so it wouldn’t smudge before tucking it into his pocket.

On another sheet, I made some notes about how the glyph was positioned on the wall and some other finer details that might not have come through in my charcoal imprint.

After handing that paper to him and tucking the charcoal back into my pocket, I studied the glyph for a few minutes. My memory was pretty good, so between that and the papers, I was confident I could recreate this glyph.

The man hadn’t broken his silence once. It was kind of unnerving. I was burning to ask Rynn who the fuck he was, but she hadn’t offered up that information, and the situation felt volatile enough that I didn’t want to push her about it.

When I stepped back from the wall to stand beside Rynn, the man finally deigned to speak. “I’m going to enjoy stripping the flesh from your bones, traitor,” he said in a deep melodic voice.

“Try me, Warrick,” Rynn sneered.

Warrick . Holy. Shit. The missing member of the Alpha Pack. Or at least, a member who nobody in the Moroi realm had seen in decades. We’d all assumed he was dead and that his death was the reason the Alpha Pack had been less inclined to talk to us recently.

Kieran had clearly been thinking similar thoughts because he gave the Velesian a leering look and drawled, “You’re looking pretty good for a dead man.”

Warrick’s cold, predatory gaze flicked to him. “I don’t speak to Moroi whores.”

“Technically, you just did,” Kieran pointed out and leaned an elbow on my shoulder. “Given your whole vibe, I think you really need to get laid. I know I’m absolutely stunning, but unfortunately for you, I’m off the market, so you’ll have to look elsewhere."

Rynn choked on a laugh, finally snapping out of her stare off with Warrick, and slid a glance to Kieran. “You are definitely my favorite.”

“I know.” Kieran nodded sagely.

Warrick’s eyes burned with fury, but before he could say anything else, footsteps echoed down the stairwell, and a moment later, Bastian appeared.

In the dim lighting, his usually vertical pupils had rounded out, and he gave Warrick a brief warning look before turning his attention to us. While Warrick exuded a quiet deadliness, Bastian was all sleek underhandedness.

“Rynn,” he said smoothly, “I’m delighted that you’ve returned to us.”

“Oh go fuck yoursel—” Her words were cut off as Kieran clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled her snug against his chest. Both Velesians’ eyes narrowed at him holding her.

Shit. Diplomacy , I reminded myself. Don’t make things worse.

“Apologies, Bastian.” I stepped in front of Rynn. “She’s helping us with a minor issue in the Moroi realm.”

Sharp green eyes cut to me. “The minor issue being your aunt overthrowing the Sovereign House, seizing power, and according to a few rumors, being in possession of a Fae crown capable of controlling minds.”

“You have to admit, he has a way with words,” Kieran chimed in. “It’s kind of hot.”

I gave Kieran a scathing look over my shoulder before returning my focus to Bastian. “I have things under control.” Or, really, I had a vague outline of an absolutely insane plan that had a small chance of working.

The daemon is in the details , as the Fae used to say. I had no idea what a daemon was, but it sounded neat.

“Do you?” Bastian cocked his head at me.

“Yes.” I took a step back and heard Kieran drag Rynn towards the other room, where the mirror waited for us. “We have no interest in a war with the Velesians. I will handle things in the Moroi realm.”

“The traitor stays,” Warrick said in a calm tone that I didn’t believe for a second.

“No.” I gave him a cool look. “Rynn’s with me.”

Aggression rolled off Warrick, but Bastian stepped in front of him in a move very similar to what I’d done to Rynn.

“What my friend means to say is that Rynn belongs with us,” Bastian said in that polite tone of his that I always found a little annoying. “She is a member of the Alpha Pack after all.”

“Is she?” I gave him a friendly smile. “Because your friend seems to feel otherwise.”

A muscle in Bastian’s face ticked before he could hide it. I stepped forward until I was less than a foot away from the barrier.

“It will solve a lot of problems if you release Rynn from your Pack,” I said quietly. “The Alpha Pack clearly doesn’t want her.” My eyes flicked briefly to where Warrick stood behind the panther shifter. “Just let her go.”

Bastian studied me, and for a second, I thought he was going to go for it before he dashed that hope. “That’s not possible, I’m afraid.”

“Why?” I ground out. “She doesn’t want to be here—you all don’t want her. This is an easy solution to a delicate situation, and you know it.”

“Do you need assistance with Carmilla?” Bastian asked. The change in topic threw me for a loop for a second.

“We’re not helping her,” Warrick growled.

A brief flicker of irritation rolled over Bastian’s eyes.

It seemed the Alpha Pack wasn’t quite the cohesive unit I’d thought it was.

If I wanted to destabilize the Velesian realm, I would have rejoiced in that observation, but despite my desire to free Rynn from them, I did want the Alpha Pack to succeed in holding power.

If the Velesian realm fell to chaos, it would spill over into the Moroi realm.

Just as they needed me to hold my people together, I needed them to do the same.

“Like I said,” I told Bastian, ignoring Warrick, “I have it handled.”

He held my gaze for a long moment before dipping his head in acknowledgment. “Then I look forward to discussing future relations between the Velesians and the Moroi—with the new queen.”

It wasn’t a cold dread that settled in my gut at the inference of me becoming the Moroi Queen. Only acceptance. Perhaps a little reluctance, but acceptance all the same.

My people would survive. All of the Moon Blessed would. I didn’t give a single fuck about the Fae and whoever had banished them here. We would not be casualties of their bullshit.

“And I look forward to discussing our future alliance as well.” I nodded at him before turning and walking to the other room, where I heard Kieran and Rynn fiercely whispering to each other.

“Samara,” Bastian said just as I was about to pass into the other room. I halted and looked back towards him. “We won’t let her go. She is ours .”

Somewhere in front of me, Rynn let out a deep, rolling growl.

“Rynn belongs to no one but herself,” I told him simply. “I will not force her to return.”

“Even if it means war?” Bastian asked, and for the first time in our conversation, a hint of defiant rage crept into his tone.

“She is my best friend,” I told him simply. “Fucking try to take her from me. I’ll burn down your world.”