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“No tricks or coercion,” Adric said. “She must be given a true choice.”

Dion waited for Rui to nod, and then said, “That’s acceptable to us.”

Langdon inclined his head. “You have my promise.”

“And my promise as well,” first Adric, then Dion said.

Langdon hesitated. “I would like the chance to get to know her, though. Perhaps a meeting or two a year.”

“That’s up to her father,” Dion said.

Rui crossed his arms over his broad chest. “No.”

“And that goes double for me,” said Jace from behind Adric’s shoulder. “You had your chance to get to know her when she was on the run from Tyrus. Now, she stays with us.”

The prince’s mouth tightened. “Very well. But perhaps you can ask if she wishes to meet me. I promise, I want only to become acquainted with her.”

Rui’s dark brows lowered. “We’ll see,” was all he’d say.

“Thank you.” Langdon stepped back. “Let them leave unharmed,” he told his warriors. He bowed to the queen. “Peace to you and yours, Cleia.”

“And to yours,” she returned with a gracious bow of her own.

Adric and Marjani exchanged an incredulous glance. But that was the fae. Polite even as they slipped a knife into your rib cage.

In the exodus that followed, Adric sidled up to Langdon. “Just so you know,” he murmured, “if you take Merry, I’ll know. Every earth fada in the clan is connected to my quartz.”

“I see.” Langdon’s eyes dropped to Adric’s pendant.

Adric fingered it just to make sure his point was taken. “You can hide her, but eventually, I’ll find her. And I wouldn’t advise looking for a way to break the connection. It might work—or you might kill her. We’re not the enemy,” he added. “Your own people are.”

Langdon’s gaze flicked at a priest setting the metal bowl back on its stand. Others had faded back into the shadows, so that only their faces were visible. Watching. Waiting.

“I’m aware of that,” the prince said, and striding back to his throne, settled onto it with his legs sprawled in front of him as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

Adric’s chest heaved. It was over.

He reached for Rosana, but she was already there. She took his head between her hands and gave him a smacking kiss, uncaring that her brothers, Cleia and the upper hierarchy of both their clans were watching. Or maybe, that was the point.

“You did it!”

“No, we did it,” he corrected, enfolding her in his arms. “I love you, you know that?”

“Right back at you.” She buried her face in his neck and they stood there, arms tight around each other, rocking back and forth. “I was so scared,” she muttered.

“I’m sorry, angel.”

She pulled back. “You should be,” she said with a crooked grin. “Now take me home.”

He glanced at where Marjani was crouched next to Luc, speaking in a low voice. The wolf growled and shook his head.

“You go,” he told Rosana. “I’ll be right with you.”

Her gaze had followed his own. “Of course.” She hugged him again and then turned to Dion, who was waiting to wrap her in a hug of his own.

Marjani looked up at Adric, biting her lip. “He won’t leave. I think he’s bonded to her somehow.”

Adric scowled down at Luc. He’d thought the next time he saw the wolf, he’d rip off his face for what he’d put Rosana through, but now he just felt sorry for him. Besides, if he knew Luc, the wolf would punish himself more harshly than anything Adric could do.

He set a hand on Luc’s head. The wolf pushed into his palm, taking his alpha’s scent on himself.

“Luc. Come with us. The clan misses you. I miss you.”

The wolf turned his head to look up at Adric. His eyes had lost their madness. He gave Adric a decided nudge toward the exit. Go.

Adric’s throat tightened. He wanted to argue further, but almost everyone had left now. Besides him and Marjani, only Fane, Cleia and a couple of sun fae warriors waited, and it wasn’t fair to ask them to stay in this nightmare of a court any longer than they had to.

“Okay. If you’re sure that’s how you want it.” He rubbed his cheek against Luc’s. “But when you return, your place in the clan will be there. That’s a promise.”

Luc dipped his head in acknowledgment.

There was still one thing left to do. Keeping a wary eye on the circling ravens, Adric thrust his quartz toward at the woman trapped within. “Lady Blaer,” he commanded. “Look at my quartz.”

She glanced up and dully shook her head.

He let the fire flare inside. “Lady Blaer,” he repeated in a hard voice. “Look at my quartz.”

This time, her gaze caught on the quartz. Held.

Maybe it was because he was so determined, or maybe it was because she’d been weakened by her fight with Langdon, but when he said, “You will forget the secret words. You’ll even forget they exist,” she gave a jerky nod.

“Say it,” he ordered.

“I will forget the secret words. As if they never existed.”

“And you’ll never use them against a fada again,” he added.

“And I’ll never use them against a fada again.”

“Good.” He bared his fangs at her. “Because if you do, the next time we meet, I’ll carve your fucking liver out.”

He rose back up.

A tear ran down Marjani’s mud-streaked cheek. She touched Luc’s shoulder, then turned and stumbled toward the portal, where Fane wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Together, she, Fane and Adric exited the clearing, Cleia and her men behind them.

Dion and Tiago waited on the other side of the portal, along with Rosana, who had an arm around each of them.

“You came.” She was laughing and crying at the same time. “ You came .”

“Of course, we did,” Dion growled and handed her off to Cleia for a hug.

“You were awesome,” Rosana told her. “Totally kickass.”

The queen grinned—and swayed on her feet. Her skin was pale under its dusting of gold. Dion was instantly there, sweeping her into his arms.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he said.

Together, he, Tiago, and Rui hurried the two women through the forest. Rosana cast an apologetic look over her shoulder at Adric, but allowed it. But when she stepped through the second portal, she halted to wait for Adric.

He immediately set an arm around her waist. Staking his claim in front of her brothers.

Dion cast Adric a dark look. “You really mated with this filho da puta ?”

“I was dying.” Rosana moved closer to Adric. “He saved my life. We’re bonded now. You can’t undo it.”

“But we would like your blessing,” Adric added.

Tiago sneered. “What about your clan?”

“They’ll treat my mate with respect, or they’ll find a new clan.” Adric touched his quartz. “I swear on my mother’s grave.”

Beside him, Marjani and Jace nodded agreement.

Dion gave curt nod. “I’ll hold you to that.”

Rosana beamed. “It will work,” she assured her brothers. “You’ll see.”

As they started forward again, she lifted her face to a ray of sunshine. With a shock, Adric realized it was morning, the sun rising in a winter-blue sky.

His lungs expanded. Inside, his cat gave a luxurious stretch.

A dizzying exhilaration filled him. This was happiness, he realized. This light-as-air feeling.

The night fae had been defeated—for now, at least. His sister was free of the death sentence hanging over her, and he’d neutralized Lady Blaer. They’d even bought Merry some time before she’d have to deal with Prince Langdon.

And not only had he survived, he’d somehow won this smart, beautiful, caring woman as his mate.

Rosana turned to look at him. Curious at first, and then she broke into a wondering smile.

“You’re happy. I feel it. Here.” She pressed her fingers to her breastbone.

“Hell, yeah.” He touched his lips to hers, taking that smile inside him. “Let’s go home.”

“Yes,” she murmured against his mouth. “Let’s go home.”