“Hello, mortal.” He matched my tone, then grinned, as if to take away the sting. He was just mocking me and my cold tone.
“I don’t need you to defend me to my new clan.” I met his gaze evenly, choosing words I knew would hurt. “Ander won the right to have me at his side.”
“He did.” Fieran seemed amused, not stung. “With your help.”
I bit my lip, unsure how to answer. He seemed so glib and easy now, but he was always a man wearing many masks.
He had looked at me as if I had betrayed him, just before Ander pummeled him into a streak across the marble. He might be half-smiling now, but I thought maybe I’d glimpsed the real Fieran in his moment of hurt and shock.
“Are you worried I’m mad at you?” he asked.
“No.” My chin jerked up defiantly.
“I’m not angry, Cara. Like I told you before. I understand your loyalty.” A faint smile touched his lips. “Someday, that loyalty will be mine. I only ever admire it, even when it puts me at the tip of a blade.”
The tip of a blade. Or the bottom of Ander’s boot.
“I’m sorry for what happened in the arena,” I said stiffly.
“No need. What happens in the arena doesn’t pass the gates.”
“You melted a crown into Ensmeth’s head due towhat happened in the arena.”
His lips arched. He didn’t try to hide his delight at the memory. “He’s better now.”
I had felt so gutted by the sight of him suffering, by the sense I had betrayed him. I’d been nervous about what it would be like to come face-to-face with him again and with Anayla or Dairen or Asrael.
His calm forgiveness left me unsettled. It didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel true.
As if I’d only been doing what he expected.
My mind reeled, trying to make sense of things I couldn’t yet understand.
I turned away, but he caught my wrist in his hand. I stopped, and our gazes collided. I could’ve pulled away, but we would have caused a scene.
“We still have our ruse.” His gaze on mine felt heated. “Our fates are woven together.”
He sounded so sure.
“No.” I shook my head. “I think the ruse died when I went to another clan, Fear.”
“Ander is going to lie to you.”
“As much as you have?” I asked with a bitter, hard little laugh.
“More. At least I don’t lie about intending to use you. I don’t lie about what I am.”
“And what are you exactly?” Ander reached my side. “Let go of my recruit.”
Fieran raised his hands in a gesture of apology that we all knew wasn’t meant. He was smiling that vicious version of his smile. “Do you think one sabotaged fight makes her yours?”
I resisted the impulse to rub my wrist. His touch still burned on my skin. “Stop it, Fieran. Leave us alone.”
Ander’s stern mouth softened at my defense, but his gaze was still intent on Fieran. I was an afterthought to him in Fear’s presence. “You embarrassed yourself on the field, and you lost her. Why did you return to embarrass yourself again? It’s over.”
“You embarrassed yourself. You’ll never know if you could have taken her from me.” But Fieran could barely even look at Ander to insult him. His gaze was mine, always mine, hot as his eyes tracked across my face despite my best efforts to ignore him.
Ander stepped between us, shielding me. “She’s part of Clan Amber now.”
