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I strode out of the corridor and into the living room where everyone was waiting for us. And I went straight to Malai. “You know, I was so happy to meet a Lady of the Wild Hunt. My daughter is going to be a Lady someday. Danu revealed it to me. But you have brought dishonor to the title. I'm reporting you to the High Council.”

Malai blinked and swallowed, but other than that, she gave no reaction.

“Seren, please,” Raza said. “That's a little extreme.”

“Is it?” I spun to face him. “She's not just a hunter. She's a Lady of the Wild Hunt, and she's on a mission. Her responsibility was to that mission. But she flat-out said to me that her loyalty lay with you, first and foremost. She doesn't respect this mission because it doesn't involve Fairies. So, when she heard a bit of gossip, she took it to her king, betraying her hunter vow. The Wild Hunt is supposed to be neutral, without loyalty to any single kingdom.”

Raza's face, so human now, tightened with every word I spoke. “Yes, I see your point. But she showed me loyalty, so I cannot—”

“What you cannot do is interfere , Raza.” I spun back toward Malai. “You compromised the mission. We've already lost a lot of time over this nonsense. Even worse, you've made fools out of an ambassador and your king. Tell me, Malai, what exactly was your intention went you went running to my husband, spouting tales that had nothing to do with him?”

Malai lifted her chin even as the rest of her team exchanged angry glances.

“Don't you dare get upset!” I pointed at the hunters. “You're in trouble too, you motherfuckers! One of you could have reminded her of your vows. At the very least, you should have left and reported her yourselves.”

“Whoa, babe!” Killian said.

I looked at him.

“I mean, yeah, you're right. Go on with your bad self. Let her have it!” He ran a hand through his hair and muttered, “Fuck.”

“I know, Kill. You wanna be the guy everyone likes. Fine. Do your thing. But I'm not working with people I can't trust.” I narrowed my eyes at the Wild Hunt team. “Raza is your king, yes. But I am your queen! Where was your loyalty to me? Huh? Did you forget that when you were busy squawking like hens? I cannot believe the level of unprofessionalism that I've just witnessed. You haven't just embarrassed the Wild Hunt and your local Fey community, you've also embarrassed your king and queen in front of extinguishers, vexes, and the goddamn, motherfucking King of Hell!”

The Fairies cringed back.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Star smile. My husbands were wincing, but Star saw the necessity of what I was doing. As a new monarch who dealt with rebels, he understood such situations. If you let disrespect go unchecked, you will never earn respect. And this disrespect wasn't just toward me. It had targeted the High Fairy Council and the Wild Hunt as a whole.

“I'm sorry, Your Majesty,” Malai said. “Please, don't report my team. It was my decision. I take full responsibility.”

“If you want to fall on your sword, that's fine with me,” I said. “But I'm done working with all of you. Get the fuck out of my sight right now.”

Malai bowed to me, then Raza. She left with her hunters.

“Are you really going to report her?” Raza asked.

I swiveled my stare at him much as he'd done to me earlier.

“Seren, she was being loyal to me.”

“Raza, the mere fact that you can't get past that long enough to see that, in being loyal to you, she was disloyal to me is troubling. Where is all that stuff about tearing apart worlds for me? Do you lose your claws when that world shows you loyalty?”

He stepped back as if I'd struck him.

“Babe.” Killian shook his head. “Harsh.”

“Harsh?” I was suddenly very angry. “ Harsh ? Are you hearing what he's saying? According to Raza, I shouldn't report a Lady of the Wild Hunt for breaking her hunter oath, leading her team into insubordination, and jeopardizing a mission. Why? Because she was being loyal to him.” I spun back to Raza. “This is why I don't want to bring you on missions!”

Raza lifted his chin. “Very well, my Queen. I can feel your anger, and I see your reason for it. I'm sorry that my pleasure at one of our fairies showing me loyalty has come between us. I know you see it as a betrayal to you, but I don't. I think Lady Malai acted out of concern for both of her monarchs.”

“Well, it's a good thing we won't be her judges in this matter. The Fairy High Council will be impartial, I'm sure.”

“Seren, is that truly necessary?”

“Raza, I love you. I love you more than air. I would do anything for you. So, know that it pains me to say this. Go the fuck home before I kick your ass!”

Raza shook his head. “We're doing this here?”

“We can go back into the bedroom if you prefer. This isn't our house, and no one here will care if we bust it up a bit.”

“The bedroom where you kissed me and apologized for not scrying sooner?”

“I'll give you that one because you need to save face. I get it. But you know why I said that. And you also know that I didn't have to scry you. So, what's it gonna be? You wanna stay and keep fighting, wasting my time when I'm chasing a witch-killer? Or are you going to leave with dignity and save this shit for when I come home?”

Raza looked from me to Star. Then he whispered, “I see.”

“What?”

“Don't make me say this in front of strangers.”

“Just fucking say it, Raza.”

“You're scared, mo shíorghrá.”

I went still. “Really? That's all you got? You're gonna call me chicken?”

“Seren.” Raza took my hand and pulled me into an embrace. “I love you. It's going to be all right.”

“Raza, cut it out.” I pushed.

He held firm, folding himself around me. “We will figure it out together.”

Gods, this man knew me so well. Better than I knew myself. All that bluster. All that anger. It was for about me, not him. I was scared, but mostly, it was guilt that had me in its fists. I could have ended Star's pain and eased my husbands' minds. But I had chosen to deceive them instead. You'd think that being a traitor would make me behave nicer to my men. But nope. I was being a bitch. Going off about another traitor. Pointing my finger at her instead of myself. I guess Jung got it right; What you hate most in others is the shadow within yourself.

I sighed and hugged him back. With my face in his chest, I said, “Yeah, all right. But you still gotta go.”

It came out more like, “Yawah mite buuugahh.”

Raza grinned as he leaned back. “What was that?”

“I'm sorry for snapping, but you gotta go home, babe.”

Raza let out a huffing breath. “Seren. I've come a long way. I'm not gonna just turn around and fly home.”

“Um, excuse me, Ambassador,” Team Leader Sullivan said. “I've been trying to wait for an opening, but we can't wait any longer.”

“Of course.” I stepped away from Raza. “What is it?”

“We've tracked the camera feed.”

“Damn it!” I snarled. “You see?!” I pointed at Raza. “Sullivan, interrupt me next time. Personal shit can wait. Do you have a location?”

“Yes, Ambassador.”

“Where? Let me see.”

“Phuket.” He angled his laptop toward me.

“Can you get me a visual?”

“Yes, ma'am.” A few taps and the picture zoomed in to show a street.

“Good.” I picked a spot in an alley, then looked around the room. “Get in close everyone.”

“One moment.” Star held out a hand to Sullivan. “May I see that?”

Sullivan handed his laptop over as Star's King's Guard strode in from the backyard.

I looked at Star.

He winked at me.

That man knew me too. And he was usually one step ahead of me.

“Form groups.” Star spun the laptop to show his guards. “We're laleking here.”

“Seren.” Raza laid a hand on my shoulder.

I sighed. “Fine. You can come. But then you're going home.”

Raza nodded, but it didn't feel like agreement.