Page 6

Tari

H elian led me and Ash beyond the stables to the holding cell where they were keeping Enso. I was startled by a loud squawk overhead, but then Bea clumsily landed not far from us with an excited honk.

A stable boy gave a sharp whistle, waving to her, then stopped when he noticed us, his cheeks flushing. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I didn’t see you,” he said as he bowed. “I was about to feed the wyverns supper.”

The boy looked part Fae, part human, with short blond hair and thin, pale wings that draped behind his back like tattered sails. I doubted the wings worked, or if they did, I doubted they could take him far.

“That’s okay,” I said with a smile. “Thank you for taking care of them.”

He shrugged. “With Mortimus gone, I had no other winged beasts to feed. I have a touch of green magic, so I can speak to most animals.”

He walked up to Bea, rubbing her flank as if they were old friends.

“What’s your name?” I asked the boy.

He looked at me as if he’d been struck mute. “Harry,” he answered, “but most people call me Falcon.”

“Well, Falcon, you seem to have a way with animals. Can I trust Bea in your care?”

“Bea?” He arched a brow while scratching the wyvern’s side. “You mean Freya?”

Now it was my turn to blush, for I’d forgotten her real name was Freya. I’d named her Bea before I’d known she already had a name. I exchanged a look with my mates. He has a better relationship with my wyvern than I do , I projected to them.

It’s okay. Helian squeezed my shoulder. You have Isa now.

Freya closed her eyes, purring when I rubbed her snout, making me regret that I’d forgotten about her. “I’m sorry, girl,” I whispered.

“She likes to hang around the stables and keep an eye on Enso,” Falcon said with a nervous laugh. “Though I think she hangs around for the free food.” He playfully patted her back.

“She may need to hang around a bit longer.” I grimaced, glancing between my mates. “We’re preoccupied with other things.”

“Of course,” Falcon said with a casual shrug. “She’s welcome to stay here as long as she wants. I’m hoping, soon, she’ll let me ride her.” He paused, swallowing. “If that’s okay with you, Your Highness.”

I looked at Freya, who gaped at Falcon like a puppy begging for scraps.

“As long as it’s okay with her.” I tensed when I heard an angry squawk in the distance, echoing as if Enso was trapped in a tunnel. “Will you take us to Enso?”

“Of course.” He nodded toward the other side of the stables. “This way, but I should warn you that I’ve had no say in his care. Malvolia has assigned rotating mages to watch him.”

Why would he tell me that? Was it because Enso was being housed in deplorable conditions? I leaned against Helian for strength when he took my hand, and we followed Falcon.

The cell had been intended for dragons, a deep hole carved in the earth and reinforced with impenetrable stone. I peered into the hole, unable to see anything beyond pitch black. It took me a moment to summon my magic, but I managed to drop a few floating balls of light. They landed beside the wyvern, who was at least three stories down. A blade of sorrow pierced my heart when he looked up at me with a whimper while chained to the floor, bones scattered at his feet. He had a flattened pile of straw for a bed, and his only drink was a dirty pool of water.

Before I could complain, Helian informed the guards that Enso’s conditions were unacceptable. They bowed their understanding and promised to make him comfortable. Helian also told the guards that Falcon would have final say on Enso’s care. This earned him a few scowls, but they didn’t argue. Even though I felt better leaving my wyverns with a green witch who obviously cared about them, my heart was heavy when we left them, made even heavier when we headed toward the back entrance to the castle dungeon. I didn’t want to go down there.

Helian held my hand while we followed Ash through the maze of dark, musty halls in the dungeon beneath the castle, relying on my shifter mate’s nose to lead the way after we’d refused help from the guards.

Our father’s cell was at the very end of a particularly damp and moldy hall. I peeked through the bars to their cell, expecting more filth, though I was pleasantly surprised to see several plush rugs and fine pieces of furniture. A warm hearth crackled, casting a pleasing glow throughout the room. My aunt might have been an evil bitch, but at least she didn’t appear to be torturing my parents.

Dreading this meeting with my parents, particularly with my mother, I heaved a long breath before motioning to the guard to let us in.

Mother jumped from the bed when she saw us, her eyes watering with unshed tears. “Tari!”

Marius stood, too, offering a kind smile. He reminded me so much of Derrick, albeit thinner, with more lines framing his eyes and mouth and much more gray peppering his long, dark hair—the result of being trapped in a dungeon for twenty-four years. “Thank you for visiting us.”

A surge of guilt tightened my chest. I hated that they’d been forced down here, but we couldn’t trust Derrick until we exorcised the demon from him.

Helian and Ash followed me into the cell, giving me space while standing beside the heavy door as it clanked shut behind us.

“How fares father Derrick?” I asked my mother.

She folded her hands in front of her, motioning toward my father’s inert form. “He still sleeps.”

I heaved another breath before sitting on the bed beside Derrick and pressing my palm to his forehead, pleased to feel warmth seeping into my fingers. His chest rose and fell with each steady breath, and the color had returned to his cheeks. Any moment, and he’d wake. Then what? Would he have control of his body, or would the demon take over? My mother and Marius tempted fate by being trapped in this cell with him. At least his hands and legs were still bound in chains. I prayed that would be enough.

I stood, taking Ash’s hand when he hovered protectively near me. I forced a smile while facing my mother and Marius. “Your room looks cozy.”

My mother let out a dissatisfied snort. “You mean, our cell?”

“Well, yes.” I shifted from foot to foot, more uncomfortable by the second. Why did my mother have to be like this?

Ash squeezed my hand, projecting to me through thought. We should go.

My mother arched a brow. “Shirina didn’t want to see her fathers?”

“She’s resting,” I said. “She had to use a lot of magic this morning, checking Malvolia’s army for demons.” It was true. I’d left my sister sleeping on the same sofa that I’d napped on most of the day while Cassandra and Drae watched the children.

“Malvolia deliberately overworked her, no doubt.” Mother tossed her long, dark hair over her shoulder while making a splutter of protest. “The bitch won’t be satisfied until she’s completely turned my daughters against me.”

I didn’t have the energy to argue with her. “I must go.”

Her features fell, and she looked at me as if I’d drowned a sack of puppies. “You just got here.”

I worked hard to unclench my teeth, reminding myself that I loved my mother, no matter how much she tried my patience. “I have work to do, Mother.”

“You don’t even want to get to know Marius?” She motioned toward my father, who stood there with his hands in his pockets, his face flushing.

“Of course, I do.” I crossed over to him, taking his hands in mine while searching his kind eyes, imploring him to understand. “Father Marius, I want nothing more. But war is coming to Thebes.”

“It is.” He squeezed my hands, his smile widening. “And I don’t blame you for needing to prepare.”

At least Marius understood. Hopefully, he’d calm my mother. I released his hands and cut my mother a side-eyed look. “We can’t win this war if we’re too busy fighting amongst ourselves.” Though I didn’t blame her for loathing Malvolia, their constant bickering only increased the tension between everyone. Not to mention, with Malvolia and my mother estranged, it gave my bitch aunt more time to harass Helian.

Anger flashed in my mother’s eyes as she motioned toward her cell walls. “Well, now that we’re stuck in the dungeon, you won’t have to worry about any fights from me.”

I managed a tight smile before kissing Marius’s and then my mother’s cheeks. “Goodnight, Father, Mother.”

“Goodnight, child,” Marius said, his voice loving and tender. “We hope to see you in the morning.”

“Of course.” I motioned toward the bed, wondering if Derrick truly slept, or if the demon forced him to remain still while he plotted his escape. “I will continue to check on Derrick.”

* * *

Tari

A S UNPLEASANT AS MY visit with my mother had been, I dreaded my next stop even more. I stood with Helian and Ash, peering into the bars of another cell at the other end of the dungeon. When a strong, icy draft blew past us, I shivered, wrapping my cloak tighter around me. This cell appeared far less comfortable, with a pile of hay for a bed and a hearth with only a few smoldering embers. This wouldn’t do. Though I still loathed the bitch, I wouldn’t stand to know the woman who’d saved my children was being treated worse than livestock.

Helian shone his lantern into the cell, illuminating the Fae with the bloated hands and feet curled in the hay like a dragon in a nest.

I struggled to find the nerve to speak. “Hello,” I finally rasped.

Arabella lifted her head, her eyes narrowing when she saw us peering through the bars. “What do you want?”

I motioned to the winged guard to unlock the door.

Once he opened it, I found the courage to put one foot in front of the other, my boots sticking to the unwashed cobblestone floor, until I stood just a few paces from my nemesis. I wrinkled my nose at the rotten stench of burned flesh and something else. Demon. Like cracked eggs that sat out too long in the sun. Helian lifted the lantern, revealing dust particles floating through the air, so thick it looked like snow.

I swallowed back a bitter taste in my mouth while wishing I had something sweet to drink. “To heal your wounds.” I frowned when Helian held the lantern over her bruised body. “Don’t they pain you?”

She snarled, then laid her head back on the straw. “Of course, they do.”

I went to kneel in front of her, but Ash blocked me with a growl. His claws were unsheathed, fur sprouting along his arms. I gasped when I gazed into his glowing eyes and extended maw. He’d shifted into a cross between a Fae and a beast and looked absolutely terrifying. If he wasn’t my mate, I would’ve run, screaming.

I cleared my throat, pointing at Arabella’s swollen and blackened fingers. “Did the demon do that to your hands?”

“Yes.” She didn’t bother lifting her head, her voice faltering. “I’m turning into her.”

“I can heal the burns, but I’m not sure about the swelling.”

She let out a laugh that sounded like a dying bird. “Then you should have Helian run his sword through me.”

“Happy to oblige,” Helian grumbled.

I shot him a dark look. Be nice , I warned through thought, hardly believing that I was defending the bitch. I ran my hands down my arms, doing my best to fight off the chill that seeped into my bones, despite the warm cloak that shielded me from the elements. “We’re working on finding a way to get the demon out of you.”

She lay there as still as a corpse, her voice lacking inflection or any hint of emotion. “What happened to the Windhaven army?”

I wondered if she asked because she was genuinely concerned about her people or because she needed their swords for selfish reasons. “Many scattered to the countryside,” I answered. “Those who didn’t were most likely killed.”

She sat up with a groan, hanging her head while tucking a blanket around her shoulders, the chains binding her wrists rattling with the movement. “I heard whispers that demon spiders destroyed Ventus.”

“They did,” I said, feeling sad for Windhaven’s once beautiful capital city. Shiri had told me all the colorful trees had been stripped of their foliage. The empty cobblestone streets weren’t awash in blood, for the spiders had turned even corpses to dust. I didn’t want to know what ghosts Ember would see if we took her there.

Arabella sniffled, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the hay dust or because she’d suddenly grown a heart. “How are the children?”

What happened to the real Arabella? Helian’s question echoed in my mind, and I knew he’d projected the thought to both Ash and me.

Ash’s growl reverberated in my head. It’s a ruse to get us to trust her.

Probably , I answered, but what if it wasn’t? Besides, that didn’t mean I still wasn’t obligated to her after she’d saved the girls.

I watched for any cracks in her facade. “They are well. Thank you for asking.”

She held out her ugly, burned sausage arms until the chains binding her went taut. “Did the children send you to heal me?”

I shook my head. “I came because I owe you a debt for saving them.”

Her features twisted into a hateful snarl. “You do, but healing my burns isn’t enough.”

Helian’s chuckle echoed in my head. Ahh, there she is. I knew she wanted something.

“Nothing I do will ever be enough to thank you for what you did.” I regretted the words the moment I said them, but I’d spoken the truth. Without Arabella’s help, my children could have become demon possessed or killed.

She turned up her chin, the demon flashing in her eyes. “Get this demon out of me and help me claim the Windhaven throne and restore Ventus. Then we’ll be even.”

“What about your uncle?” Helian asked. “You said yesterday the forest ate him? Are you sure he’s dead?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Her eyes belied no emotion.

I shivered as a draft blew into the cell, or perhaps it was the frigid aura radiating off Arabella.

“Good.” Helian crossed his arms, glaring down at Arabella. “Will you rule it like your uncle?”

She matched Helian’s glare with narrowed eyes. “Why do you care how I rule it?”

“Because he was a tyrant.” Helian spoke through gritted teeth. “You both were.”

Her cheeks flushed before she broke eye contact. “I won’t be this time.”

Helian jutted a foot toward her, baring his teeth. “How can we believe you?”

She glanced at her fat hands fisted in her lap. “I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my behavior, and I’ve made a promise to the Elements.”

“What promise?” I asked.

She looked up at me through watery eyes. “That if they restore my body, I will be a kinder Fae.”

“How much kinder?” Helian balled his hands into fists, seeming ready for a fight. “Will you beat your servants for not catering to your every whim? Will you use your beauty as a weapon to manipulate? Will you let your jealousy rule you and order the execution of innocent Fae?”

My stomach roiled and pitched. He had every right to hate Arabella after all she’d done.

She swiped moisture from her eyes. “I will do none of that.”

“Forgive me for not believing you.” Helian tossed back his head, his long silvery hair falling across his shoulders like a curtain of ice. Then he cut his fierce gaze to me. “Get her to swear a blood oath.”

The tension radiating off him set me on edge. I worked hard to unclench my jaw while facing Arabella. “Will you swear a blood oath?”

She visibly swallowed. “Yes.”

I released a deep breath. “Then we can help you secure Windhaven.”

Arabella pressed her lips together while looking away, but I could see a whirlwind of emotion swirling in her eyes.

I’m not ready to do the oath now , I projected to Helian. We will wait for Shiri’s and Isa’s help.

Helian grumbled his agreement.

“Will you let me heal your burns?” I asked Arabella.

“Yes.” She held up her hands as if they were foreign objects. “And maybe you can drive this demon back.”

I grimaced when I saw a big piece of blackened skin flake off her wrist. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try.”

“You don’t touch her until we muzzle her,” Ash boomed, his deep wolf voice shaking the very marrow of my bones. “We can’t risk her biting you.”

“Ash, I—” I wanted to argue with my mate, but he was right.

Arabella’s shoulders fell. “He’s right. Don’t trust my demon.”

We called in a guard, and they muzzled her with a leather mask. Then Ash hovered protectively over me, one furry arm distended and ready to knock her back should she try to attack. I grasped one of her arms, repressing the urge to vomit when it squished between my hands like dough. It was hard to focus on healing her with my big wolf mate breathing down my neck, but I finally manifested enough magic to heal the burns. By the time I was finished, I was exhausted once more. Her hands were still ugly and bloated, though the smell of burned flesh was gone.

I sat back on my heels, wiping sweat from my brow. “How do you feel?”

She dropped her head and loudly sniffled. “Better.”

Ash lifted me into his arms while a guard took the muzzle off Arabella’s face.

“How did the forest eat Duke Viggo?” Helian asked.

Adoration reflected in eyes that were much clearer as she looked up at Helian like he was a god to be worshipped. She still loved him, though I didn’t need to worry. My fated mate was committed to me, and I was fairly certain he loathed her more than any demon.

“A monstrous plant snapped his bones and swallowed him,” she finally answered.

Helian raised his chin, leering down at her over the rim of his nose. “I would offer my condolences, but I’m not sorry he’s dead.”

She shrugged. “Neither am I.”

I wondered what kind of relationship she’d had with her uncle, and if the rumors that he’d been her lover were true. I shuddered to think of that man touching me. It would’ve explained some of her unpleasant disposition, though it still didn’t excuse her past petulant and cruel behavior, unless her demon had been controlling her the entire time.

“And the demon mistress, Megaera,” Helian continued. “What exactly happened to her?”

Arabella flashed a wicked smile, reminding me of the demon that lived within. “I struck her hard. She will need time to recover.”

I shared a look with my mates. This explains why she hasn’t attacked yet.

Hopefully, she’s buried beneath the Periculian Mountains after Shiri’s earthquake , Ash said, his voice a dark shifter’s rumble.

Helian shook his head. If she can claw her way out of hell, I’m sure she can escape the mountains.

I rested my head against Ash’s big, furry chest, fatigue washing over me. “I’ll ask the jailer for better accommodations, at least a cot and a warm fire,” I said to Arabella.

She peered at something beyond my shoulder, her cheeks flushing with either shame or anger. “And some warm food.”

“Of course,” I drawled, my eyelids heavy with sleep.

Ash adjusted me in his arms, infusing heat into my bones as he slowly backed away from our nemesis.

“Princess Tarianya?”

Ash stopped at the threshold of the cell before snarling at Arabella.

I lifted my head off Ash’s chest. “Yes?”

“Helian is your fated mate?” She nodded toward my handsome Fae prince.

I shared a secret smile with Helian before facing Arabella. “He is, along with Ash and Finn.”

She made a sour face, as if being in the same room with Ash was like swallowing poison. “I’ve never cared for shifters. Too barbaric.” She shuddered, scowling at Ash. “Too Feral.” Seeming lost in thought, she added, “Except for Ember and Aurora. I made an exception for them, since they’re such precocious little witches.”

Ash’s deep wolf’s rumble rattled my bones.

You have no idea how badly I want to turn her to ash , I projected to my mates.

Helian’s curse echoed in my head. Do it and save us the trouble of dealing with her. She’s still a prejudiced bitch.

Ash squeezed my sides. But she did save our children. For that reason alone, you should spare her. Don’t worry. His chuckle echoed in my mind. I don’t give a troll’s ass what she thinks of shifters.

“But now that I know Helian is your fated mate”—Arabella paused, flashing Helian a dazzling smile—“I don’t hate you as much for taking him from me.”

Helian’s laughter echoed off the walls.

Arabella’s features fell, and I hoped his rejection felt like a blade twisting in her heart.

“That’s good,” I answered coolly, “but he was never yours.”

* * *

Tari

S ERVANTS TRIED TO INTERCEPT us and show us to Shiri’s bedroom suite after we left the dungeon, but Ash bared his fangs, and they scattered like mice. He had shifted back into his Fae form, his clothes hanging off him in tatters, though he still had glowing wolf eyes and a deep monster voice. His nostrils flared as he led us down one hall and then another, scenting his way back to our family. I was shocked to see moonlight streaming from the many tall, leaded glass windows that lined the halls. How was it night already, and just how long had we been in that dungeon? Perhaps healing Arabella had taken longer than I’d thought.

Ash led us to a door with two firemage guards stationed outside. It was unnerving to have them there, even if Malvolia said they were for our protection, for I knew they also served as her spies.

Ash went to kick the door open, but Helian jumped in front of his brother, chuckling. “Easy, brother. We’re not on Thesan anymore.”

Thesan was the wild island where Ash and Finn had been hiding from King Fachnan. For five years, they’d cohabitated with deadly natives, Fae-eating sirens, dangerous monsoons, and food-stealing gnomes. After living so long like feral wolves, it was no surprise that Ash would prefer kicking down a door to opening it.

Helian opened the door, motioning for us to go through with an easy smile.

Ash grumbled and brushed past him. We were greeted by my sister and Drae, who ushered us into a room with a roaring hearth, plush carpets, a long, wide sofa, two big, comfortable chairs, a serving buffet, and a small dining table. A cool breeze blew in from the open double doors that led to a beautiful veranda with flowering plants bathed in moonlight. I spied another set of closed double doors that no doubt led to the bedchamber and bathing room. This sitting room looked much like the one in our parents’ bedchamber. So much opulence and extravagance compared to our little shack in the Periculian Forest. I resented Malvolia for this room, for this castle, knowing she never went to bed with a hollow stomach and holes in her stockings.

The children ran to us, circling Ash’s legs like yapping little dogs, reminding me of their shifter blood. Ash set me on the sofa and scooped the girls into his arms. He plopped onto the floor, and they climbed all over him like he was their personal mountain. I watched with awe, my heart warming as the hard lines around his eyes softened and his lips spread into a fanged grin.

Only those two could melt a big, scary shifter , Shiri projected as she sat beside me, taking my hands in hers. She frowned. You look tired. You’ve used a lot of magic.

I know. I slumped against the pillows with a groan. But we need to unearth that book.

Not tonight, sister. Shiri squeezed my hand, her brow marred with concern. We’ve both used too much magic today. We’ll go at first light.

A lump of panic wedged in my throat as I thought about those demons inhabiting our father and Arabella. They wouldn’t stop trying to infiltrate the castle. They would keep attacking until they possessed us all. The demons could attack us any day. Each day we delay, we put ourselves at risk.

“I know,” she answered aloud, her voice infused with a touch of siren, “but we’re not going there in the dark, especially when demons could be lurking.”

“Tari, she’s right.” Helian knelt in front of me. “You’re resting tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll go.”

I loathed the pity in Helian’s eyes and the way he sounded like he was soothing one of the girls. It suddenly occurred to me that perhaps it was because I was acting like a petulant child. The thought humbled and unnerved me.

“You’re right.” I exhaled a long, slow breath, thanking Cassandra when she handed me a cup of steaming tea sweetened with lots of cream.

“So they moved you here?” I asked my sister.

She curled her legs into herself, flashing a warm grin. “This was our bedroom suite the last time we stayed here.”

I motioned toward the curtains billowing through the open doors and inhaled a big breath of cool sea air. “I could live on that terrace.”

She winced, looking away. “It’s beautiful here, but it’s still not Abyssus.”

I squeezed her hand. “I know you miss it there, sister. Once this is all over, you can return.”

Her smile faltered, and I feared she wasn’t confident in returning. Did she think the demons would defeat us?

Palming a glass of honeyed liquid, Drae sat on a big, easy chair across from us, his wings draped across the back. “Are the bedchambers here as nice as the bedchambers at Fachnan’s castle?”

“I wouldn’t know.” I shrugged, meeting Helian’s eyes. “We weren’t allowed to stay in the castle.” All because Helian’s father, King Fachnan, wanted to punish his estranged wife’s shifter sons for the sin of being born.

Helian jumped to his feet and crossed over to the double doors leading to the balcony, watching the moonlit skies. I realized he hadn’t spent time with Radnor since we’d arrived. Then again, I hadn’t visited with Isa, either. I hoped our dragons didn’t think we didn’t care.

“Yes, the bedchambers there are similar.” Helian finally took his gaze off the sky long enough to answer.

Shiri patted my knee. “You’ll see for yourself once this war is over and you’re Queen of Caldaria.”

Heat flushed my cheeks and chest as Helian and I shared an awkward look. I dared not glance in Ash’s direction as he sat on the floor nearby with the girls. I could feel his wolf’s gaze boring into me, though, and I feared no matter how I answered my sister, I’d upset one of my mates. Back on the Fallax Islands, Helian had told me he wanted to make me his queen, but that was before he agreed to let Ash be the alpha. I couldn’t marry Helian if Ash was my alpha, could I?

The uncomfortable silence that stretched between us was more unnerving than a gong in my ears. I fumbled with my fingers in my lap, trying to think of a way to change the topic.

Shiri’s telepathic thought echoed in my head. Did I say something wrong?

We haven’t discussed marriage yet , I projected back to her while purposely avoiding looking at my mates.

You’re Helian’s mate, too, right? she asked, though her question felt like more of a statement.

I nodded, even as the weight of Ash’s stare made me wilt like a flower beneath the sun’s rays.

Then, why wouldn’t he make you queen?

It’s complicated. I tucked my knees to the side and leaned against the sofa, closing my eyes, pretending I was resting instead of having this conversation with my sister. Ash is the alpha and the heir to Lupine. I’m not sure how he’d feel if I married Helian.

She pressed closer to me, her knee wedged against mine. And how do you feel about it?

I don’t know yet. Hopefully, my mates didn’t realize what my sister and I were discussing. I haven’t given it much thought. It was the truth. How could I obsess over marriage when I had more pressing issues to worry about?

If you don’t marry him, then Helian’s child will be considered a bastard, which will make his claim to the throne harder.

My eyes flew open, then narrowed on my twin. I knew she hadn’t intended to hurt me, but how dare she call my unborn son a bastard? I was so sick of that word, I wished I could strike it from the earth. Children didn’t deserve such hate for the mistake of being born. I curled my hands into claws, thinking of the many times Ash and Finn had been called bastards, even after their fathers claimed them.

Let’s just focus on surviving this demon war. I’ll worry about the rest later , I grumbled, letting coldness seep into my tone in an attempt to get her to drop the subject.

I gave a start when three maidservants wearing starched white aprons over gray dresses came into the room without so much as knocking. The oldest of the three, with graying, dark hair, bowed before me. “If you’d please, Princess Tarianya, the servants have finished your parents’ former bedchamber for you.” She stepped aside, motioning toward the door as if I was supposed to follow.

Shiri’s eyes widened as she shot up, grabbing my hand. “That’s too far from us.”

I agreed, especially since Finn, Nikkos, and Blaze were gone. With three less mates to help protect us, we would need to protect each other. “I don’t want their bedchamber. They’ll need it when we heal Derrick.” I nodded toward Shiri. “I want a bedchamber adjacent to my sister’s.”

The servant’s mouth twitched, annoyance flashing in her beady eyes. “There are no adjacent bedchambers in this wing of the castle.”

Shiri frowned. “I’d rather my sister be close to me.” We need to be together in case demons attack , she said to me through thought. Your magic is slower now, and you’ll need us to help protect you and the children.

The servant folded her hands in front of her, scowling at us as if we were naughty toddlers. “I’m sorry, but we have nothing nearby.”

Shiri waved the servants away. “Then Tari and her mates and children can stay with me.”

The servant’s mouth fell open. “With you?”

“Yes.” Shiri motioned toward the spacious sitting room. “There’s plenty of room here.”

“We can take this room.” Helian nodded toward Ash, the children, and me. “You and Drae can have the room with the bed hanging from the ceiling.”

I squinted at the other set of double doors. There was a bed hanging from the ceiling?

“A sitting room isn’t suitable for a princess,” the servant said with a huff.

Shiri laughed aloud. “We’ve lived most of our lives in a two-room shack.”

A grin stretched Drae’s face as he downed the rest of his drink and stood, ruffling his wings. “Remove the sofas and have a bed brought in here.”

The servant’s lips twisted, and her nostrils flared before she finally answered. “A bed in the sitting room?”

Ash bared his fangs as he, too, stood, towering over the servants. “Scandalous, isn’t it?”

“Leave the sofas.” Helian shook his head, snickering. “We don’t need a bed. We’ve slept on far worse than the floor.”

The servant’s cheeks turned bright red as she gaped at Helian. “There is only one bathing chamber.”

“My entire family shared an outhouse for twenty-three years. We’ll manage. You’re dismissed.” Shiri waved away the servants, as if she was shooing a fly. “Return when you have refreshments.” She paused, her voice dropping to a siren’s rumble. “Knock next time, and do not enter unless we give you permission.”

“Yes, Princess.” The servants bowed, backing out of the room while keeping a wary eye on Ash.

After they left, I nudged my sister. “Why are they so intent on separating us?”

She shrugged. “Probably just protocol.”

But I wasn’t reassured. Malvolia had already made it clear she didn’t like me. Besides, it was obvious she wanted to bed Helian, and it would be easier to get to him with Shiri out of the way.