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“Why are we still having this conversation? Rhett is not good enough for you.” Iona tried to respond, but Calindra’s voice overpowered her daughter’s. “I’ll forgive you for allowing that scoundrel into our home, but I’ve taught you better than to consider yet another dalliance with him.”

“Yes, Mother,” she whispered, the conversation over.

Footsteps creaked nearby, and Ayla squeezed my hand.

Without further delay, I shadow-stepped us to the suite’s rear balcony. Ayla steadied on her feet as I confirmed that the curtains were closed and the windows sealed tight.

The waves crashed against the cliff beneath us, covering Ayla’s voice as she spoke. “If I had realized how Rhett would get our invitation, I would have insisted on a different way.”

“If Rhett didn’t want to reconnect with Iona, he wouldn’t have done it.”

Ayla drew her lips into a line, clearly concerned, but before she could form a reply, a window shifted behind us. I wrapped my arm around her waist and embraced her tighter at the far side of the balcony.

It was Iona’s bedroom. A fae wearing a dark cape crawled out from the window.

From the shadows, we watched as Iona deliberately scaled along the wall and onto the next balcony, and then the next, moving with enough grace it was clear she’d done this before. When she reached the palace grounds, she scurried away.

Through it all, I held Ayla to my chest, her essence filling my every breath as I clung to each heartbeat. Ayla’s hands rubbed along my back, and a low growl gathered in my throat. We needed to move… but nobody was bothering us in the shadows, and I clung to the moments like the greedy fae I was.

Long after Iona had vanished into the depths of the vast palace grounds, Ayla found her voice. “I expect that by the time we return to our suite, Rhett might have a companion, someone who could bring us more unwanted attention.”

“Hopefully Calindra will be too distracted to notice the missing shard,” I said, checking the pocket where I had stashed the shard. “This will make for quite the scandal.”

“So one shard down.” She looked about. “Where was the second one?”

I pointed toward another balcony and jumped us there. The lights in this suite were turned on, the curtains drawn mostly closed, movement crossing their narrow gap.

“Someone’s in there,” Ayla whispered.

I tucked her hand in mine and crept closer to the curtained door, peering through the gap. A male paced within, glanced at a desk, and then settled at it. He picked up a quill and scribbled upon a paper.

It was difficult to find any distinguishing physical features besides the dark hair upon his head. Like most mer, his only fae attributes were his pointed ears.

I glanced at Ayla, indicating she should take a look. She stepped closer to the window and peered through just as the male leaned back, stretching his hands over his head, his bracelets jangling, before returning to his work.

She pointed to the back of the balcony, and we stepped away.

“It’s Lord Tallus. The chunky bracelets give it away,” Ayla whispered. “According to Iona, he’s Calindra’s co-conspirator.”

We watched for a few more moments. Lord Tallus was hard at work with no indication he had plans of leaving anytime soon.

“We’ll have to come back later,” Ayla suggested. “You said there was another shard in the guest wing?”

I nodded.

“Let’s go then.”

Ayla stayed close as I shadow-stepped us from the balcony, and we roamed across the grounds.

Soon a guard walked toward us, his patrol taking him right into our path. Ayla leaned closer as I hugged the shadows near.

I could have shadow-stepped us away, but when her essence of cherry and spice filled my lungs, I refrained, pressing her against the palace wall instead.

She leaned closer, her forehead against my neck and her arms around me.

A dark desire to trap her in my shadows forever was quickly followed by dirtier ones, wondering how she’d react if I reached past the slit in her skirt to find her thigh. I settled for brushing my lips along her hairline.

She sucked in a breath, trembling in my arms.

The guard passed by before either of us dared to make another move.

Soon , I promised myself, eager to return to our rooms once this business was done. Ayla’s plump lips tightened in determination even as her hand lingered by my side.

“Soon,” she agreed.

I wrapped her hand in mine and led the way, following the perimeter of the grounds until we returned to the guest wing.

Despite our silence, Ayla stayed close, and only once we approached the structure did she speak, her tone serious.

“I don’t think it’s a mere chance that there’s a shard bearer amongst the visitors. ”

“Agreed. This assembly is much more than an opportunity to decide how much they’ll charge for fae lights.”

“The shard bearers will need to make new plans now that Inarus has fallen,” she added.

I nodded severely, loving how we thought alike and hating how we’d reached the same dangerous conclusions.

Her gaze darted toward the guest wing. “So where is the shard?”

Once again, I sank into the Underworld, seeking out threads of purple light and finding it far easier now that I held a second shard in my cloak’s pocket.

I didn’t like what I saw.

“By Teyr,” I cursed, opening my eyes to count the doors.

Righteous anger coursed through my veins. None of this made any sense, and not for the first time, I felt like a pawn in his game.

“Who has the shard?” Ayla pressed.

“It’s three shards,” I corrected. “And they belong to the Starlit King.”