“How did you find a woman without leaving my chamber? Who is that?” Liam wavered from side to side and belched.
A wave of alcoholic fumes drifted to Sly. He wrinkled his nose. “Quiet. You’ll wake her.”
Cinnabar stirred and the covers drifted lower to reveal a naked shoulder.
Sly tugged the covers back into place. “Stop ogling.”
“But how did you get a woman past my guards?”
“Sit down before you fall down.”
“Too much sweetwater,” Liam said, not taking his attention from Cinnabar. “My cousin and I had a few. Who is that? One of the maids? If you get one of the staff with child—”
“It’s not one of the staff,” Sly snapped. “That would be an abuse of my position within your court.” Such as it was.
Cinnabar stirred, her blue eyes opening. She sat up, blearily rubbing her eyes. “I can’t believe I went to sleep.”
“We have company,” Sly said. “Eyes off!”
Cinnabar spotted the king, let out a shriek of horror and burrowed beneath the blankets.
“Cinnabar?” Liam stared at the trembling mound beside Sly. “Iseabal told me she ran off with a group of players.”
“Princess Iseabal lied,” Sly snapped.
A muffled protest came from beneath the blankets. Sly scowled at Liam.
“Cinnabar, come out from under there.” Liam stood abruptly and almost toppled over his own feet. “Damn and blast!”
“She can’t give you the truth either.”
“But I’m the king.” Liam hiccupped.
“A drunk king.” Sly smirked, deciding to tease. “I’m certain you’re seeing mirages.”
“Not,” Liam said, staring at the mound as if he intended to burn away the covers. “Could use magic.”
“Don’t,” Sly ordered.
Liam subsided with a frown. “Maybe I’ll bring my cousin.”
“No,” Sly said. “I take it he’s as drunk as you.”
“Maybe.”
“Turn around.”
“Why?” Liam demanded.
“So she can get dressed without you gawking at her.”
“Didn’t realize she was so pretty.”
A growl rumbled through Sly, surprising both him and Liam, judging by the king’s rapt goggle. They stared at each other.
“All right.” Liam meandered toward the double windows. Once there, he held on to the ledge and studied the darkness beyond.
“Close your eyes,” Sly commanded. “You’re checking out the reflections.”
“It’s not fair. You have a lady. I don’t have time to indulge myself. Not unless I visit my cousin. Too many gossips. Too many expectations.”
“That doesn’t mean you can ogle her. Close your eyes.”
“You’re spoiling my fun.”
“Too bad.” Once Sly was satisfied Liam wasn’t peeking, he lifted the covers to reveal a trembling Cinnabar. He climbed from bed and scooped up her stained white dress.
Cinnabar pulled the gown over her head and Sly helped tug it into place.
“You can look now,” Sly said.
“It is Cinnabar. Did you return with the winter court?”
“No, she didn’t.” Sly hated the way Cinnabar huddled against his side, trembling violently.
“Another mystery,” Liam murmured. “Castle is lousy with ’em.”
“It’s all right.” Sly stroked Cinnabar’s tangled hair.
“Why is your gown stained?” Liam asked.
A moan escaped Cinnabar. Her breaths were short and shallow. Rapid.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” Sly caressed her back to offer comfort. She’d want to escape, but Liam blocked the windows. Although pity surged within Sly, he didn’t force Liam to move. If Liam witnessed what happened, he’d have answers to his questions. Even if he couldn’t leave and go home, perhaps there was a way of helping Cinnabar.
With another moan, Cinnabar stepped away from him. The faint glow Sly had seen before lit her form, and the next instant, she was an owl.
Liam straightened from his slouch, anger burning through some of his confusion. “Someone cursed Cinnabar!”
Cinnabar flew from the floor to Sly’s shoulder. Her russet feathers ruffled, and she scrunched up her body, hiding her head against his neck.
“Who?” Liam asked.
“Make an intelligent guess,” Sly said.
“Iseabal.”
Sly didn’t confirm or deny.
“My sister lied to my face. Cinnabar has been here the entire time. Another item for my list,” Liam said with a trace of disgust. “Iseabal is at the center of my problems.”
Cinnabar let out a distressed hoot and lifted off his shoulder. She flew around the chamber as if searching for an exit.
“Open the window and let her leave.”
Liam managed to unfasten the latch and stood back to allow Cinnabar’s escape.
An invisible band tightened around Sly’s chest. She was leaving, would always leave. Shoulders slumped in regret, he turned to face Liam.
“Have you discovered anything about the shooter?”
“I’ve learned Calum went missing for a time. It wasn’t his feathering on the arrows, but that means nothing. Iseabal and Katrina remained with the stable lads, so I know it wasn’t either of them.”
“The culprit might have paid someone to fire the arrow.”
“My cousin has pointed out this likelihood. He suggested I fabricate a truth spell and order everyone at court—servants and nobility—to undergo questioning.”
“Can you do that?”
“Yes, but it will cost me in power. It will take time to recover, and anyone with power of their own can challenge me. If they win, I’ll lose my place within the court.”
“Do you trust your cousin? If he had your back, now would be the time to conduct the questioning.”
Liam rubbed his chest as if it ached. “At this point, I don’t care if I lose my power. It would allow me to follow my love of farming, to live a normal life.”
“You’ll make a decent and fair king, Liam.” Sly sensed this with every fathom of his gut. “The everyday people—the servants, the farmers, the weavers, those with minimal magic—they need you to champion them.”
Liam heaved a sigh, weighty with defeat. “As much as I wish it, I can’t walk away.” He straightened and threw back his shoulders, his royal blood never more obvious. “You’re right. I don’t have to follow tradition. I can change things. Give the normal man a better life. Give the nobility a better sense of purpose. And all that starts with a truth spell.” His eyes blazed with a tinge of red as he focused on Sly. “You will help me.”
“Yes,” Sly agreed. “For as long as I can.”
Liam nodded. “We bury my father on the morrow. The following day, I will conduct the truth spell. I ask that you and my cousin keep an eye on proceedings while my power is at low ebb. You will be acting king while my cousin provides the juice should you require magic.”
“Won’t your sisters and the rest of the nobility grumble about that?”
“Yes.” Liam’s grin held mischief. “You’ll like my cousin. I’ll introduce you in the morn. Meantime, I need to decide how to deal with Iseabal. She must reverse the spell on Cinnabar. Do you know why Iseabal cursed her?”
“Yes.”
Liam’s glance was shrewd. “Let me guess. The stain on Cinnabar’s dress tells an interesting tale.” Liam yawned so wide his jaw cracked. “Gratafire, I’m exhausted. I forgot to request a trundle bed.”
“Your bed is big,” Sly said. “As long as you don’t try to cuddle me, we’re good.”
Liam snorted. He sat on the edge of his bed and attempted to remove his boots.
“Hopeless. Let me.” Sly tugged off the boots and indicated Liam should stand. He pulled off his jacket. “You can do the rest. Remember, no cuddling.”
The next morn came all too soon. Sly moaned and stood to stretch.
“Liam, it’s time to get up.”
Liam groaned.
“I’m going back to my chamber.”
“Ask one of my guards to escort you.”
Sly shrugged. “Okay.”
Liam rolled to a sitting position and groaned. “I knew I shouldn’t have drank so much sweetwater. Don’t eat or drink anything. Not a thing until you’re in the salon with me. We’ll eat from the same dishes. I need your head clear to take over for me temporarily.”
Liam hadn’t arrived when Sly walked into the salon, fully dressed in a clean suit and starving. His stomach rumbled the instant he smelled the scent of wild boar slices.
“Sly, come and join us,” Iseabal said. An order.
Sly stilled, not wanting to go near the woman.
Liam’s Aunt Jasper and her friend Beatrice were sitting nearby with a young man. His skin was a pale blue. Sly ignored Iseabal and let his curiosity drive his footsteps in that direction.
“Ah, Sly. Have you met Calvin, the winter king?” Aunt Jasper asked. “Take a seat, lad. Eat with us. Calvin, this is Sly, Iseabal’s betrothed.”
Golden eyes regarded him from an almost pretty pale blue face. Sharp cheekbones. Long eyelashes. A pair of dark blue horns that swept back from his temples in a graceful curl. “You hail from Ione Island. Your family runs the Middlemarch Resort, correct? I believe my cousin and her friends visited you recently. They had an enjoyable time and hope to return in the future.”
“You know Sly?” Liam appeared behind him.
“Not personally, but my cousin showed me some of her souvenirs. Photos, I believe you call them,” Calvin said.
Liam pushed Sly into the empty seat and gestured at another empty one nearby. It scooted over the floor by itself and Liam sat.
“Calvin, please don’t mention to Iseabal that you know of Sly. Not to anyone else, either. I’ll explain when we’re in private. Sly.” Liam clicked his fingers in front of Sly’s face. “Pull it together, man. Iseabal is watching.”
“I’m hungry,” Sly said for lack of anything better to say. His mind spun, his thoughts whirring so fast he could barely make sense of them. He had a home. Family. Now there was a chance he’d manage to return. But Cinnabar… He hated to leave her trapped in the body of an owl.
“I’ll order for you,” Liam said, and proceeded to do so.
“Why does Calvin have horns and you don’t?” Sly asked.
“No one knows for sure,” Calvin answered. “A genetic anomaly. The Unseelie people came from warrior stock while the Seelie toiled the land and kept the peace. Rumor says the horns became weapons and the people encouraged the genetic quirk.”
“The Unseelie mind-speak better than us, too,” Liam said. “Our mental communication isn’t reliable.”
“Interesting.” Sly fell quiet and ate until hunger no longer rumbled his gut.
“Sly!” Liam spoke with an air that told Sly he’d attempted to snag his attention more than once.
“Sorry. What did you say?”
“I’m going to leave you with Calvin. He will protect you. Whatever you do, don’t leave his side and don’t go anywhere with Iseabal. I’m bringing forward the truth ceremony. We’ll do it this afternoon instead. The funeral takes place in an hour. We’ll go for a walk to the lake and discuss our plans. Remember, mention nothing.”
“An intrigue,” Calvin said. “This is proving an interesting visit.”
Iseabal observed the three men sitting with her aunt, her warning antenna vibrating. Liam knows. Somehow, he’d discovered what she’d done, and he was keeping Sly from her control. Sly’s mind had cleared. He was remembering things. His bright green eyes—intelligence lurked there, instead of confusion.
She cracked her knuckles beneath the table, temper sparking her magic. Her dinner plate rattled against her eating fork.
She required answers before she determined her next move.
Perhaps Cinnabar…
She hadn’t seen her recently. Well, she’d hunt her down, and if she phrased her questions carefully, she’d learn at least some of the answers she required.
She was too close to achieving her goal, had conscientiously practiced her magic to boost her chances for a power grab. She refused to misstep now.
Damn and blast, Trevelyan was heading her way. Too late to escape.
“We had an understanding.” The burly blue security guard shot straight for the jugular.
Aware of eavesdroppers, Iseabal rose, took his arm and marched him from the Great Hall. She pulled him into a quiet audience room and shut the door.
“You kissed me.” He planted his hands on his hips, a picture of masculine outrage with his head thrown back, his blue horns making him appear taller. “Why are you betrothed to this no-magic stranger?”
Iseabal hesitated, ignored the pitter-patter of her heart and applied her brain. A clean cut. Best for both of them. She ignored the twinge of pain, the ache of loss. Trevelyan was a handsome man, a respectable man, one who made her laugh, but he bore the dominant gene.
And he was decent. Too honorable to help with her plan.
She was close, so close to seizing power and authority, her birthright.
“Call off the betrothal,” Trevelyan ordered.
And that, right there, was why she’d ignored her attraction to Trevelyan and walked away.
She stared him straight in the eye. “I don’t love you.” Her fingernails dug into her palms but she maintained her implacable gaze.
Deep blue swirled into his cheeks. His nostrils flared and for a second, she thought he might strike her.
He didn’t. Instead, he lifted his chin, disgust layering his even stare. “Have an enjoyable life, Iseabal.” And with one more scathing glower, he walked away.
The door rattled in its frame as he slammed it shut.
Iseabal blinked hard, shoved aside all tender emotions. She didn’t need Trevelyan. She didn’t need any man…at least, she wouldn’t once she seized power and became the ruler of Seelie.