I was right. I didn’t like this at all.
“You want us to steal it from the seelie palace? How the hell are we supposed to do that?”
Finvarra shook his head at me. “You misunderstand. This bargain does not involve you in any way.”
“Excuse me?”
“If Samael’s bondmate is caught stealing from the seelie, it will start a war. A war that would prevent Samael from taking back his throne, and impact my own plans. No, this bargain is for the wolf.”
I glowered at him. “And you think Nathaniel won’t be a threat if Kyla ends up dead?”
He shrugged. “The werewolf Alpha will have to accept that one of his wolves chose to operate without his permission.”
“That could get Kyla killed.” I didn’t think Nathaniel would kill her, but we all knew many Alphas would at least maim a wolf who made a deal with an enemy faction.
Finvarra sent me a look. “We both know the Alpha would never kill such a rare, female wolf,” he purred, his eyes returning to Kyla’s face.
Shit.
I’d told Kyla to be interesting, but all she’d needed to do was walk in here to draw Finvarra’s attention.
Kyla gave the unseelie king a cool look. “How long do I have to collect the sword once it’s in Taraghlan’s possession?”
“Three months. However, if Taraghlan strikes at me with the sword before this time, and you do not prevent it, I will consider our bargain to be broken. Three months from now, if the sword is not in my possession, I will consider—”
“Our bargain to be broken,” Kyla finished with a roll of her eyes.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. It was longer than I’d thought we’d have. Once again, I’d underestimated how differently time passed for the fae.
Kyla’s face was carefully blank. “And if I fail?”
“You will leave your pack and join my people.”
We all stared at the king in shocked silence. Vas stepped closer to us, and I felt the fine tremble of fury that rolled through his body.
I managed to speak through my suddenly dry mouth. “You’d risk war with the wolves?”
“One pack is no threat to me or mine.”
This was spiraling out of control. Bringing Kyla here was a mistake. Finvarra had obviously decided that taking a wolf from one of the most powerful Alphas in our world would be a nice little power move.
Finvarra and Kyla were staring at each other, animosity thick in the air.
“Fine,” Kyla said. I jolted.
“Hold on.”
Finvarra shot me a look that was so saturated in amused arrogance, my hand itched for my blades. Then he turned his attention back to Kyla.
I elbowed her. “We’ll negotiate,” I started, and she shook her head.
“Everyone in this room knows we don’t have time,” she said, narrowing her eyes at Finvarra. Panic fluttered in my chest. There was no way Kyla could break into the seelie king’s palace. Period.
“Twelve months,” Kyla said, and Finvarra gave her a slow smile.
“Six. And that is my final offer. But keep in mind, that you will need to watch the seelie king carefully. If he strikes at me before this time, our agreement is null and void.”
“Fine.”
