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Langdon stood a few feet away, dressed in a simple black outfit much like his warriors wore, his only jewelry the diamonds glittering in his eyebrows and ears. On his narrow feet were supple leather sandals.

He inclined his head. “My lord Adric.”

“Lord Langdon,” he returned. He about choked on the next words, but if kissing ass helped Rosana, then he’d kiss away. “My thanks for allowing Rosana to swim as her dolphin.”

“She’s a guest. I don’t wish to see her harmed.”

Then why the fuck keep her underground all this time?

But Adric knew the answer. The prince had used Rosana to break him. To save her, he’d promise the bastard anything.

His stomach clenched. He was more afraid for Rosana than ever. They were mated now. He wasn’t fighting just for himself or even Marjani.

He was fighting for her.

If he accepted Langdon’s geas , Rosana might have to do the same. A geas was typically for a fae year-and-a-day, or ten years in the human world. Mates couldn’t live apart for that long. She might literally pine away, and it wouldn’t do him any good, either.

But to Hades with that. He wanted her far, far from here.

“You have me,” he said in a hard voice. “Let Rosana go.”

The fae lights wafted lower to circle the two of them, the lustrous purple and green gliding like an oil slick over his skin. Or maybe it was just that standing this close to Langdon made him feel like he was covered in something foul and greasy.

Langdon spoke. “Senhorita do Rio is here at her own request.”

Adric swallowed sickly. That was the truth—she’d said so herself.

“As for you, you’ve broken a number of our laws. Your punishment is set for the night of the new moon.”

Adric’s chin jerked up. “What are the charges?”

“Trespassing, attempted murder. And let’s not forget your part in Lord Tyrus’s death.”

Adric’s heartbeat thundered in his ears.

Oh, Rosana.

He could guess what his punishment would be—execution. Or if Langdon was feeling lenient, he might invite Adric to accept his geas instead—and not for the fae year-and-a-day. This would be a life sentence.

He’d accepted the mate bond to save Rosana’s life. But in doing so, had he condemned her to spend the rest of that life alone?

He moistened his lips. “And Marjani?”

“She’ll be punished for her own part in the death of my line.”

“Your own fucking son ended your line,” he growled back. “He ordered Silver’s death, and he got within inches of killing Merry, too. Then he went after Jace just because he’s Merry’s uncle. Tyrus would be alive today if he hadn’t attacked us.”

“So you say.” Langdon’s lids lowered, concealing his thoughts. “Now go with Olivier or I’ll allow Neoma to play with you.”

The warriors tried to grab Adric again, but he was ready this time. He side-stepped, circled to the prince’s other side.

“What about Rosana?”

“She must choose her own path. But you have my word she won’t be harmed.”

The fae lights darkened. Shadows danced over the room. Langdon didn’t seem to move, but suddenly, he blended with them, part man, part wraith.

Adric leapt after him, but Langdon just…flowed away. This time, the guards didn’t even try to stop Adric. They knew he couldn’t touch the prince.

“The night of the new moon,” Langdon said. “In our time, that’s tonight at midnight. Tomorrow at dusk in the outside world.”

“To Hades with your charges,” Adric bit out.

“Everything I did was in response to acts of war—on myself, my clan, or my…woman.” He barely stopped himself from saying mate .

It would just give Langdon another weapon to use against them.

“You might be able to kill me, but my clan won’t rest until you’re dead. ”

“That’s their prerogative, of course. However, they’ll find I’m not an easy man to kill.” Langdon receded deeper into the shadows. “As for Rosana, New Moon could use a Seer of her power.”

Fury flooded Adric, hot and red. His fangs pricked his gums, his cat quivering with the urge to tear Langdon into bloody pieces.

The three warriors surrounded Adric. Fae balls burned in the men’s palms.

“You’re insane,” he growled. “She’ll never agree to that.”

“No? When you’ve lived as long as I have, you find that everyone has their breaking point.” The prince smiled. “Don’t they, Lord Adric?” And he was gone.

Adric snarled and spat on the marble floor. “Stand and fight like a man, you thrice-damned prick.”

The guards raised the fae balls threateningly. Neoma fingered her dagger.

From the archway, Olivier spoke. “If you’ll follow me, my lord.”

Rosana swam.

For a time, there was nothing but her and the dark, life-giving water.

She glided through it, instinctively mapping the pond’s dimensions with echolocation so that within a few passes, she knew it and its aquatic inhabitants intimately.

The school of minnows that scattered at her approach.

The fat, whiskered catfish and the bluegills and carp.

The snails, crayfish and leeches. The turtles hibernating in the soft black mud, and the frog slowly swimming in the deep water at the center.

She understood she’d almost died. Her body needed time to heal.

But her heart was singing—no, shouting —with joy, its every beat an ecstatic cacophony.

Adric had mate-bonded with her.

He loves me. He loves me. He loves me.

His amethyst hung around her neck, the cord a little too tight with her dolphin’s thicker proportions—she’d have to fix that—but there, warm, comforting.

An hour passed, maybe more. She swam and healed, healed and swam.

As her energy returned, she became aware that Adric wasn’t on the bank waiting. She surged out of the water in a long arc, scanning for him.

It was a murky, moonless night. Her eyes went night-glow as she anxiously searched the bank.

He was gone, replaced by two night fae warriors, their eyes shining in the dark.

She raced for the shore—and shifted without thinking of the cost. Her body could barely handle it.

As depleted as she’d been, she shouldn’t have tried to shift for another twenty-four hours.

For an awful, stomach-churning moment, she wavered between forms. She grit her teeth and powered through it. The next thing she knew, she was on all fours in the shallow water. She came up on her knees and bent forward, hands on her thighs, lungs working.

The night fae moved closer—one man, one woman, neither of whom she’d seen before. The female had Rosana’s clothes.

Rosana pushed herself to standing and walked out of the pond, wobbly-kneed but determined. “Where’s Lord Adric?” she demanded as she got dressed. “What have you done with him?”

“Jessica will explain.”

“Who?”

They herded Rosana forward without speaking, and she allowed it, because it was clear she wouldn’t learn anything from them.

It was the first time she’d been outside since arriving with Blaer. The compound was exactly as she’d Seen it: the large pond, the pebbled paths, the vine-covered lairs. The dark forest towering over cryptlike buildings.

The night fae drag Adric to a clearing in the woods and stake him, spread-eagled, to the ground.

A black-haired priestess in a silver dress steps forward, a gleaming knife in her hand…

She inhaled sharply, gave herself a shake.

The night fae walked her down a short flight of granite stairs, then led her deeper. But she balked as they approached the hall leading to the cell in which she and Adric had been imprisoned.

“I won’t go back in there.”

“Hello.” A young woman in the same uniform as Olivier—white shirt, black pants and a bow tie—stepped forward. She gave a tentative smile. “I’m Jessica, Olivier’s assistant.”

Rosana blinked. “You’re human.” Of course, Olivier had been human, too, but Jessica was young to be living at a fae court.

“That’s right, Senhorita.” The woman gave another nervous smile. “Come with me, please. I promise you’re not going back into a cell.”

She led Rosana down another hallway and then opened the door to a roomy apartment with dark Art Nouveau furniture and large, brooding paintings. “This way.”

She ushered Rosana into a bedroom with more beautiful furniture and a hand-woven rug so plush Rosana’s bare feet left footprints.

The black lamps on either side of the bed were in the shape of a naked woman holding a glowing moon above her head, and an intricate design of lilies and vines was carved on the mahogany headboard.

Laid out on the blood-red comforter was a sleeveless party dress in a shimmering purple so dark it was almost black.

She fingered the short pleated skirt. The dress was clearly fae-made, with invisible stitches and a magic fabric that would fit itself perfectly to her body.

Next to it were a bra and panties in a cobweb-fine lace, and on a rug were matching purple heels in a butter-soft leather.

If the outfit was from anyone but Langdon, she’d have been thrilled to wear it. Instead, she wanted to stuff it in a trash can.

“I’ll order your dinner,” Jessica said. “Meanwhile, the prince thought you might like to take a bath and change into clean clothes.” She turned to go, but Rosana put out a hand, stopping her.

“Where’s Lord Adric?” He was near, she sensed that much through the bond.

The human glanced uneasily at the room’s darkest corner. “He’s fine.”

“Say the words. Tell me Adric’s unhurt.”

“Adric is unhurt.” Her scent held the purity of truth. “Like you, he’s being fed, made comfortable.”

Rosana’s shoulders sagged in relief.

“I’m to come for you a half hour before midnight.”

Her head jerked up. “Why? What happens at midnight?”

“The new moon’s tonight,” Jessica said. “You’ll be at the ritual. That’s all I know.”

A ritual. On a dark, moonless night.

A black-haired priestess steps forward, a gleaming knife in her hand…

Shaken, Rosana sank onto the edge of the bed.

Jessica edged toward the door.

“Wait!” Rosana sprang to her feet. “Please. Take me to Adric. Nobody has to know. I just need to see him for myself.”

The human looked down at her feet. “I can’t. But he’s fine. For now,” she added in a small voice.

“What do you mean, for now?”

Jessica shook her head.

Rosana dropped her voice. “Can you get a message to Lord Dion? He’ll pay you—anything you ask.”

“I’m sorry,” the human whispered as she backed out of the room. In a louder voice, she said, “Your dinner will be in the kitchen. I’ll be back for you in a few hours.”