“Yes.”
A silent battle of wills ensued, broken only when Érebo gave a soft cough.
“My queen, perhaps you do not know this, but your husband and I have a long history. From the rebellion days. We have much to catch up on, and clearly, I’ve caught him off guard.”
Inga’s eyes softened, buying the lie because she had no way of knowing that a Shadow Fae stood before her.
That Érebo, like Inga herself, could lie.
The queen nodded, and left, giving her husband one last long look before she shut the door to the throne room behind her.
“How are you here?” Magnus asked, sweeping down the steps.
“They came. A fight ensued, and incidentally I was freed.”
“By they you mean Vale and Isolde?”
“And her twin. Thyra. Both bore shadow magic, as I thought they would. I have released it.”
Magnus’s stomach tightened. So the twin lived. He’d believed the rebellion against him was led by some pretender, or another Falk bastard. Had it been her all along?
Then the second part hit him.
The Falks had shadow magic. Just like the dangerous fae before him.
“They will seek allies,” Érebo said. “In fact, they already found some. Their allies are how they escaped my cavern.”
Magnus had an idea who the Falks would turn to for help. “Then we must discuss calling our own allies. And our own alliance.”
The Shadow King had already given Magnus the Scepter. He’d held up his end of the bargain—and somehow he’d even gotten free of that blasted tree. The King of Winter didn’t trust Érebo yet, but he knew this fae was a force to be reckoned with, and he wanted that kind of force on his side.
Chapter 9
ISOLDE
“Bleeding skies!” Sian’s exclamation resonated through a room so silent you could have heard a sewing needle drop. High Lady Balik shot her eldest son a warning look, which he blatantly ignored. “Another Riis! You’ve got to be joking.”
“Afraid not,” Vale replied.
The high lord stood from his seat. “How did this stay hidden?”
Vale opened his mouth to respond, but Lord Balik shook his head. “I wish to hear it from Leyv.”
I stiffened as Lord Riis came to stand beside my husband.
“It’s as Vale says,” Lord Riis stated, loud and clear. “I’m his birth father.”
Lord Balik’s lips parted. “And the Crown Prince’s?”
“Theyaretwins, Tadgh.”
“It seems one can’t be too sure about much of anything these days.”
A soft snort left Sian.
“How was this hidden from the kingdom?”
I’d wondered this too, at first. The vast majority of fae couldn’t lie, although, as a whisperer, Queen Inga was able to utter untruths. But the answer was far simpler than that.
