Page 6

Five

Drystan

B y the time I manage to convince the redcap to blink me back to the Court of Blades, it’s long past dark. Lore holds out his hand as soon as we arrive, and I sigh, drawing out his payment.

“Don’t lose it,” I grumble, dropping the enchanted blade into his palm without ceremony. “And remember, you need to bring me back?—”

“Before Rose wakes up, and don’t tell anyone about this.” Lore waves me off, examining the gold blade and ruby pommel. “Calm your frostbitten tits. I’m mad, not stupid.”

We’ll have to agree to disagree there. I don’t know what he has planned for my mother’s favourite dagger, and I’m not going to ask. Goddess, knowing Lore, he’ll probably wrap it up and gift it to Rose.

He disappears with a parting spank to my arse, meaning that I have to deliberately unclench my jaw as I force myself to face the door to his dungeon.

“Goddess,” I whisper into the empty corridor. “I need you to make him tolerable. Just for one night.”

For Rose’s sake.

Ever since her confession last week, I’ve been stuck on the same awful thought.

I can lay blame at Caed’s feet for a lot of things, but if I kill him, I’ll break our mate’s heart.

Unacceptable.

So here I am. Searching for a solution I might not be able to accept.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have made her undo her charm. No. I’m a winter lord. I can control myself. Even if the urge to punch him is like a constant itch beneath my skin.

I twist the polished doorknob, sending a second prayer to the Goddess for patience as I slip into what the redcap calls his ‘cosy dungeon.’

The Fomorian sits on the cot at the far end of the only occupied cell, looking much the same as before, except he’s wearing fresh clothes and he’s cleaner. I’m not sure if that was Praedra’s or Rose’s doing, but he’s undoubtedly the most pampered prisoner the redcap has ever hosted.

His ash-blond hair reflects the torchlight as he lifts his head just enough to see who I am, then drops it back into his hands with a huff.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” His voice is still rough. “Actually, no. Let me guess; you’re here to tell me how you’re going to take pleasure melting the skin from?—”

“Shut up.”

I need him to talk, but Goddess, he just can’t help riling me every time he opens his mouth. I’d rather be stuck in an inn with a bunch of rowdy leprechauns yammering about the fluctuating price of gold than listen to him.

But here we are.

Danu, I hope Rose is aware just how much I love her. I wouldn’t even consider doing this for anyone else.

“You’re going to make me forgive you, Fomorian,” I snap. “We have all night. Go.”

The asshole looks at me then, really looks at me, and lets out a low laugh.

“You’re not serious?”

I drag a stool from against the far wall to just in front of the bars. If we’re going to be here a while, I may as well sit.

“You have until the redcap comes to collect me at dawn to convince me your sorry ass is worth keeping.”

Arranging myself so one ankle is resting on the opposite knee, I lean forward and wait. For several drawn-out minutes, we’re just two males, staring one another down.

The longer it takes, the more angry I become.

It’s not like I’ve asked him to do the impossible. I’m here, aren’t I? Listening like Rose would want? Ugh. Who am I kidding? The Fomorian won’t change. He can’t.

The stool scrapes against the floor as I shove away, intent on forgetting this ever happened, but a blue hand on my arm stops me.

“Fuck!” he growls, as I crush his fingers, bending his wrist backwards at the joint until he releases me. “Just sit down, would you? I’m trying to think of what I can say that’ll make a fucking difference.”

“Anything,” I spit. “Something that makes up for what you did to her. For her dying over and over because of you.”

Caed rolls his eyes and pulls his hand back through the bars, rubbing his wrist. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen. I know I messed up. I was just… trying to survive, I guess. All I wanted was to make Elatha give a shit about me—” His voice cuts off, and he groans. “Took me until all of this shit happened to realise that I’m just a weapon to him.” He pauses, turning back to the cot. “You know what that’s like.”

What? “Explain.”

Caed shrugs as he retreats to sit on the edge of the bed. “From what I saw, you were just a weapon to your parents, too.”

Goddess damn it. I hate him, but he’s not wrong.

I plonk my ass back onto the stool, then regard him silently. “My parents didn’t have my name.”

“That wasn’t the reason I did everything I did, and you know it. He only—” Caed chokes off again, and I sigh.

“You’re young,” I allow. “But you’ve had almost four decades to shake off your daddy issues. Try harder.”

Goddess, it’s almost like he’s not even giving it his best shot.

Almost like… he’s given up.

The thought makes the bed in the next cell over catch fire, turning to ash in seconds. How dare he give up? How dare he make our mate fall in love with him and then condemn her to heartbreak?

“I’m sorry.”

Two little words freeze me mid-mental-tirade.

“I did what I did for stupid reasons.” He won’t look at me. “I was an idiot, and Rose died multiple times because of me. Even after I was cursed, I was too stupid to apologise and mean it. It wasn’t until she refused to charm me the first time that I realised she was treating me better than Elatha ever had. By then, it was too late.

“I get it. I won’t fight on Beltaine, and I won’t make a fuss. I’ll stay out of the way until then, so it won’t hurt her too much?—”

“You’re an idiot.” I’m impressed that I manage to keep my tone level.

“Look, I can’t help how I was raised.” Finally, he pins me with a glare. “Just like you can’t help the stick up your ass. I’m fucking trying.”

So am I.

“Not hard enough.”

He claws two angry hands through his hair. “What do you want me to say? I’ve been following her all this time, haven’t I? Protecting her when I could—when you couldn’t . I even tried my best to let you catch me. Do you even realise how much time I spent finding a healer for my cousin, and then walking to Roark’s apartment to give your slow asses time to stop me? I even left the púca unharmed when disabling him would’ve doubled my chances of getting away. I fought his orders every fucking second. If I’d truly wanted to do any of it, you wouldn’t have been able to stop me.”

Something in my gut twists at that. All Caed would’ve needed was to be a little faster—a little less considerate—and we’d be having a very different discussion right about now.

It wasn’t enough, though. Not that any fae alive could’ve resisted someone who held their true name.

He’s not lying, and his aura is a soft blue-grey of regret. It’s pathetic.

Goddess, I may have promised him all night, but I’m not sure I can take much more of this.

Forcing myself to take another deep breath, I glance at his exposed arm.

There, in the second frame. A whisper of ink.

That’s enough. Progress is progress and all that bullshit. Any more of this, and I might forget why I came and maim him.

I head for the door like the barghests of the Hunt are on my tail. “I’ve heard enough.”

Caed chuckles. “But we were having such a fun little heart to heart. Aren’t you going to regale me with more rules or some creative threats?”

I was raised in the toxic bowels of Calimnel. This male—this cocky, impudent youth —should not be able to get under my skin the way he does.

Rose loves him. Rose somehow loves me , and I won’t give that up because his stupid ass is insufferable. Turning, I pin him with a glare that would make a lesser male quake in his boots.

“I came for her. If I forgive you, it’s for her. Do you understand?”

For once, his turquoise eyes are deadly serious as he says. “She is all.”

Finally, something we can agree on.