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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CALLUM

J ust one room left in all of Inverness on account of some big event in town, and we managed to snag it. The hotel room’s not much to look at—a king-sized bed with plain, white linens, a small table shoved awkwardly into one corner, and a window that overlooks the car park. It’s the kind of place that doesn’t bother pretending to be more than it is, but it’s clean, and the heater works. After the day we’ve had, it might as well be the Ritz.

Tai stands near the window in just a towel, phone pressed to his ear. His voice is hushed, clipped, but I catch bits of it as he discusses the incident with the cleanup crew who’d been sent to the hospital. A team of fae tasked with erasing memories and patching up the mess—the same ones who’d been cleaning up his destruction all over Europe. No small feat, given the amount of magic slung around in the ICU. Another team is tracking the rogue, though from the tightness of Tai’s shoulders, I doubt there’s been much progress.

Nova sits cross-legged on the bed, her coat tossed onto the chair in the corner, skin pink from a shower. And still in nothing but a feckin’ towel. None of us are glamoured anymore, and all I can focus on is the swell of her breasts and her miles of legs.

She’s busy arranging and re-arranging all the pillows and blankets on the bed, but it doesn’t seem as though it satisfies her. Every so often, her stare tracks to Tai. There’s something about the way her expression softens when she looks at him, something that twists in my gut like a knife.

I sink into the chair by the small table, my legs stretched out in front of me, boots still on. The hum of the coffee machine competes with the muffled clicking of the heater, filling the silence.

Tai ends his call and turns, leaning against the windowsill. His brown eyes sweep over the room before settling on Nova. “They’ve wiped the memories of hospital staff and patients. No recollections of magic remain. But there’s no more sign of the rogue fae.”

Nova’s head snaps up. “Nothing?”

“Not yet,” Tai sighs. “They’re widening the search radius.”

Nova exhales, puffing out her cheeks, and leaning back on her hands. The loose strands of her dark hair frame her face, and she looks otherworldly. It’s hard not to stare.

I glance at Tai, catching the way his gaze lingers on her a second too long before he looks away. There’s something between them, something I can’t quite put my finger on. It gnaws at me, the way her magic boosted his earlier. Was it more than just an emergency to help him? I don’t know enough about fae dynamics to understand if it’s more than that, but the closeness they share feels … personal.

“How are you feeling?” I ask her.

She looks at me, startled, before a small smile tugs at her lips. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Ye did a lot back there.” I pause, unsure how much to push. “Boostin’ his magic like that. I wouldn’t have thought of that.” Tai raises a brow at my shit-eating grin. “My magic is feeling dangerously low, too, ya know.”

They both chuckle, and it lightens the mood in the room. I catch the pillow Nova aims for my head, though just barely, as her reflexes are way quicker than mine.

She blows out a breath, a blush creeping up her chest, and she glances at Tai again. “It’s not a big deal. He needed help.”

His arms fold across his bare chest as he watches us. There’s a hint of something in his eyes—defensiveness, maybe—but he doesn’t say a word.

I clear my throat and push myself upright, the chair scraping against the floor. “Right. Well, if ye’re sure.”

Nova waves a hand dismissively, but her cheeks flush, the color blooming high on her cheekbones.

“How’s your magic now?” I ask Tai.

He clears his throat. “Uh, better than it’s been in a while, but still really low. We got lucky tonight, but that won’t always be the case. I’ll need a way to stay topped up.”

I cross the room to the bed, dropping onto it with a groan. The mattress isn’t much better than the chair, but it’ll do. “Just so we’re all on the same page here, are you two …?” I brace myself for the answer. If they’re an item, I’m going to feel like a fucking dick for kissing her.

Nova’s eyes widen and she shakes her head. “Not exactly.” Her gaze darts to his, a hint of panic flashing across her features.

“Oh, well, in that case.” I drag myself a little closer to her.

She laughs and gives me a playful shove.

“Would we be together right now if we could be? Yes.” Tai levels me with a stare that isn’t quite a glare, but I recognize a pissing contest when I see one.

“Oh yeah?” I glance at Nova.

Her blush deepens, and she avoids my stare, focusing intently on picking at a loose thread on the comforter. "It's ... complicated," she mumbles.

I raise an eyebrow. "Complicated, how? You either are or you aren't."

His jaw clenches. "There are certain ... obstacles preventing us from being together at the moment. But rest assured, once those are dealt with, Nova and I fully intend to pursue a relationship."

I study him for a long moment, trying to read between the lines. Obstacles, huh? Glancing over at Nova, I meet her conflicted eyes. "Sorry, lass.” I once again haul myself to the other side of the bed, feeling like both an asshole and a third wheel. But most of all?

I’m fucking devastated.

I like her, more than a lot.

Flopping back on the lumpy mattress, I stare up at the water-stained ceiling. My mind spins, replaying the events of the night. The adrenaline rush of our narrow escape. The electricity I felt when I kissed Nova. And now this gut-punch revelation about her and Tai's "complicated" almost-relationship.

The asshole, lovesick part of me wonders if I should just stay in Scotland when they head back through the portal, see if I can’t pick up the pieces of my life.

I have no magic. No family. No real friends, other than Kieran, who’s got his own life and family to worry about.

So why the hell did I stay in Bedlam?

At first, it was duty—helping the royals relocate the humans after we were freed from Espero, making sure no one else got left behind. It was a job, a purpose, a way to keep my hands busy, so I didn’t have to think too hard about what came next. But when the work wrapped up, and the others found new homes or slipped back through the portal to Earth, I stayed.

Because of her.

Because somewhere between strategizing in war rooms and late-night talks in Convectus Castle, between stolen glances and teasing smirks, I stopped seeing Nova as just a princess or the High Queen’s daughter. And now, I don’t know how to walk away. Sighing, I sit up and slide off the bed, crossing to where my bag sits. I dig out a new pair of boxers and gesture to the bathroom.

Might as well drown my sorrows in a shower.