“The third trial istomorrow?”My mind spun. I couldn’t do that again; I felt bone-tired. “But the arena! Can they reconstruct it so soon?”
“It’s not in the arena.” He ticked the three stages of the Recruits’ Trials off on his fingers as a reminder. “Recruit versus recruit combat. Recruit versus monster combat. And then recruit versus Fae.”
“A banquet to celebrate us after the selection…but really, to test how useful we can be.”
“I wish it was sooner, to be honest. The queen will be plotting away after today’s show. You’d better prepare what secrets of mine you’re going to give away. Make it good, prove you’re worth more than the danger you pose.”
“You knew what she required of me.”
Fieran always seemed to know.
“I know.” He sat on the edge of the window seat, and even though he’d just carried me through it, I felt a thrill of unease.
I edged closer, trying to make myself a little less afraid of open windows. Soon I’d either fly or burn, and I hoped I’d fly.
“I was thinking you should lean into the story that Ander and I are fighting over you,” he said. “But you’ll need to tell her details that make me look like a fool. She adores that kind of thing.”
“The story,” I repeated. I didn’t want to delve into whether that story was a lie or not right now. “Don’t you think she’ll be most curious if I really have a false mark?”
His lips tugged at the edges. Pride. “That story is everywhere, isn’t it?”
“Ensmeth is the one who told me.”
The pride was gone in a flash. “I don’t care for him.”
“Me neither. He took the idea that I might be themortal queenone day as quite offensive.” It was so ridiculous.
“Itseems like you will have quite a bit to tell the queen. I could be up to all kinds of mischief.” Fieran reached out a hand. “Come the rest of the way to the window.”
“You said you wouldn’t nag.”
The smile that lit his face then was entirely playful. “I won’t.”
I took his hand—always driven by dangerous curiosity where he was concerned—and he drew me closer.
He kept holding my hand as I came and sat on the window seat across from him. I sat stiffly, my feet planted on the hardwood floor, ready to throw myself inside.
“You have to know by now I won’t let you fall.”
“Won’t you? It’s hard to imagine how this all ends well.”
“With you as queen?”
I let out a laugh. “Oh, of course.”
“A queen, winged and fierce and even more fearless than you already are.”
“I spent most of my day cold and terrified, Fieran.”
“You changed the world a little today, Cara. For every mortal who watched you fight for them.”
The flash of emotion on his face might have been pride, or something even more tender, and either way, I shook my head before I could even make sense of my feelings. I didn’t want him to look at me like that, like headmiredme.
Because that look had sent warmth rushing through me, a glow of joy at having pleased him, and that was a road that would damn me.
I cared about Lidi and Tay and our farm. Not this maddening man and this beautiful, twisted city. “Stop sweet-talking me.”
His smile was a flash like the sun coming out. “Sorry. Only barbs from here on out. I know you’re much more comfortable with insults.”
