Page 95 of Boundless

“It isn’t good,” said the seer. “From what little of him I’ve seen, he thinks he alone will be enough to offer balance between the courts. His plan hasn’t changed.”

Goddamn it, Lyall!He was such a fucking fool I wanted to scream it at the top of my lungs.

At least he apparently had believed me when I told him the truth about the Curse of Rot.

“Then ours won’t either,” Rune said.

“You cannot go to the Unseelie Court unaccompanied,” said Raja. “This is ridiculous—you’re anewking!”

“So is Lyall.” With a squeeze of my hand, Rune stood up. Everyone followed, and so did I. “If he kills the heir, there’s no going back.”

“So,that’swhy the Seelie Queen hasn’t done it yet,” Jasewine said, tapping her black fingernails against the edge of the table.

“Done what?” I asked, a chill running down my back at the thought of the Seelie Queen. That face, the rawhatredshe so proudly displayed in her golden eyes—and for her own brother, too. She’d killed her own fucking brother.

The same person who’d started this whole mess by killing her husband.

Fucking hell, what was wrong with fae royals?

“Drank the Iyandra,” said Jasewine. “She announced she would as soon as the prince took the throne, but my sources tell me she’s postponed it. It must be because the Seelie King needed someone he could trust on the throne while he went to the Unseelie Court. Who better than Mother Dearest?” Her eyes glistened, and she suddenly looked so much like Rune that itmade me do a double take. “Tell me, Seer, has he announced his arrival, or has he gone undercover?”

“That I do not know,” the seer said, shaking her head, wrapping her arms around her torso. “But he is on his way—and whoever you choose to send, you must be, too,” she told Rune.

“Send me,” Jasewine said the next second, and my stomach about jumped right out of me.

“No,” I said, like she’d spoken tome, not Rune. But I would never put her in front of Lyall knowing who he was. Having the reminder of our recent meeting in Mysthaven so fresh in my mind still.

The woman raised a thick black brow at me, but she was smiling. And when she opened her mouth to speak, Rune beat her to it.

“No, Jasewine. You will stay here, and we will go after the heir.”

Yes.That sounded much better.

“I will join you,” Maera said with a deep nod.

“You don’t have to, Maera,” I said because it felt like this wasn’t her fight, even if it was. It waseveryone’sfight, but even so, the thought of running into Lyall again scared me shitless. Rune and I would be enough. Rune knew him, and so did I.

Except the seer said, “She does, actually. It is best if the Alpha joins you.”

“I will,” Maera repeated, like it was done deal, and if I thought her pack mates were uncomfortable before, now they looked about to burst into tears—or fur and teeth.

“Then it is decided,” Rune said and stepped back, let go of my hand.

“Think about this, Your Highness. It isnot safefor you to leave again, and so early. We haven’t had the coronation feast yet—you have responsibilities,” Raja insisted, and she sounded like she was scolding him. “You have an army at your command. Youhave people—mercenaries. Others who are more than capable of retrieving the heir. Youdon’thaveto put yourself in danger.”

“I will be back within the day, Raja. Nothing has to change. Nobody has to know that I’m gone.”

“The throne will know. It’s a pain in the ass,” Jasewine said, waving her hand back like the throne was an actual person.

But then I remembered—the building is fucking sentient.At least part of it because why the hell not?! This was Verenthia, after all.

“But you can handle it,” said Rune, as if he was trying to reassure himself.

“Of course, I can. It submitted to me within minutes last time, didn’t it?” She pretended to be offended by the very idea. “You go ahead, be a hero. I’ll play queen. It’s one of my favorite games, anyway.” She pushed back her hair and walked around the table, slamming her heels against the marble on purpose as she went toward the dais. “Where’s my crown? I demand my crown. You heard the king. Give it to me—now.”

Yes, she was speaking to the palace.

“Rune,” Raja whispered, but Rune’s mind was already made up.