Page 24

Neah fell asleep to the sound of Wren’s answering chuckle. “Sleep, Neah.”

Neah jolted awake, unsure what her body had sensed that was concerning enough to wake her. A heavy tension sat in the air and she jumped when a hand stroked gently at her hair, as if to soothe her.

Wren. She’d fallen asleep in his lap.

Neah scrambled upright, avoiding looking at the king.

With everything going on, she’d forgotten what her father had told her and had instead allowed herself to be driven by instinct.

Regardless of his intentions, Wren meant safety, and her body had recognised that when it needed to crash.

But now, she was awake and alert and remembered that she was pissed.

She was momentarily distracted from her anger by the sight of Sonnet and Zennon sitting up in their respective beds, pale but alive. “You’re awake,” she breathed, immediately walking over to take her sister’s hand, and Zennon’s answering smile was tired. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I nearly died,” she mused and then glanced at Sonnet in the bed next to her. “I’m just lucky you were here, Sonnet.”

“Mm, lucky ,” Skye said, more than a hint of a growl in the words and Neah’s shoulders tensed.

“What?” Skye protested when they all turned to look at him.

“Zennon had a soul-curse placed on her, the king of magic that a lunar witch specialises in, and we’re supposed to believe that it’s a coincidence that one of the only lunar witches?—”

“I’m not the only lunar witch left in existence,” Sonnet said, her eyes narrow and tone raspy as she cut Skye off.

Skye rolled his eyes and stood up from the chair he’d claimed near Wren, making to step forward and drawing up short when Neah blocked his way.

“If Sonnet cursed Zennon, only to then sacrifice some of her own life force to heal her, then she’s an idiot.”

Skye’s eyes shot to Sonnet’s, looking past Neah like she wasn’t there. “You used your life force?—”

“That’s how my magic works. You might know that if you’d bothered to talk to a lunar witch, rather than murdering them.”

Skye paled. “I didn’t–I’ve never—” He took another step forward and Neah put out a hand, pressing gently against his chest. But he got the message.

“You don’t come near her, unless she says so. Got it?” The words were quiet, barely above a breath, and the obvious threat in her voice made Skye’s jaw clench. But he backed down, and that was all Neah cared about. Sonnet had saved her sister, and Neah owed her a thousand times over for that.

Wren was watching her, the interaction making his golden eyes burn hotter, and Neah looked away. She couldn’t deal with him right now on top of everything else.

“Your Majesty,” a quiet voice said, drawing all eyes to the petite woman hovering at the edges of their small group. “I was told you sent for me?”

A low growl raised the hair on Neah’s arms until she realised it was coming from her, the sound cutting off abruptly but the rage lingering. “ You.”

Neah leapt but Wren was ready for her, catching her before she could reach the keeper who’d brought them the juice that had nearly killed Zennon.

“Let me go.” The words were calm even as she thrashed against Wren’s hold. “I just want to talk to her.”

Wren laughed. “And you need your claws for that conversation?”

Neah glanced down at where her hands gripped his arm, mouth dropping open when she saw the sharply curved edges in the place where her human fingers should have been. The shock was enough to shake her out of her rage.

“Are you going to behave?” Wren murmured against the shell of her ear and an irritating bolt of heat shot straight to her core. He chuckled, likely able to smell the arousal on her, and released her in a slow glide that made her shiver as his warm skin caressed her.

The woman had shrunk back, terror in her eyes, and Neah sighed. If the girl had been responsible for the spell, it didn’t seem likely that she would allow herself to be interrogated for the crime. Neah couldn’t smell any guilt on her, just fear, strong and sour.

Skye stepped up, speaking to the girl soothingly and, when she nodded, held out his hand. She took it and Skye’s eyes turned white. It reminded her eerily of the way Sonnet had looked earlier while communing with the Goddess.

“She prepared the juice,” Skye said, his voice echoing strangely.

“She didn’t curse it though. She’s human.

Someone else must have got to it while her back was turned in the kitchens.

” His eyes returned to their regular blue and he let go of the server’s hand, patting it sympathetically when he noticed the green tint to her skin.

“She’s innocent,” he concluded and Neah sighed.

They were no closer to finding whoever wanted the king and, by extension, Zennon dead.

“I’m sorry,” Neah said to the girl and she nodded stiffly, bowing before scuttling away like Neah might change her mind and pounce at any moment. Then she turned to Wren and glared. “You need to do something. They’re going to keep coming after her as long as they think she’s your mate.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You’d rather they come after you?”

Neah blinked. Did she really have to spell it out for him? “Yes.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Wren asked, turning to Zennon who snorted and then winced, touching a hand to her head.

“Neah can more than take care of herself.”

For some reason, Zen’s response seemed to infuriate him further. “You’re ready to admit to yourself, to the court , that you were there that night? That you’re my mate?”

She folded her arms across her chest as she looked at him.

“If that’s what it takes to make Zennon safe, then yes.

Plus, we have to do what’s best for the crown—right?

” She rolled her eyes, not giving him the chance to answer as she stalked past and bent down to press a kiss to Zennon’s forehead. “Do you want me to stay?”

“No, that’s okay. Gabe already offered to keep an eye on me and Sonnet.”

Did he, now? Neah raised her brows at the shifter. “How kind.”

“Get some rest, I’ll be fine.”

“She’d better,” Neah hissed to Gabriel as she walked past. “Rest up. Tomorrow’s the feast and the ball—what better time to get that target off your back?”

Seeing as her room was covered in orange juice, Neah decided to stay in Zen’s vacant guest chamber. Her father would need to know what had happened, and she needed some real sleep to recover from the exertion of hauling Zennon and Sonnet across the castle on her shoulders.

Nobody stopped her as she left, but she could sense Wren following her as she prowled the halls. She didn’t remark on it. His misguided protection was as sweet as it was insulting. Let him think she was unaware like before, but this time she was watching—she wouldn’t be fooled again.