“You’re trapped between two worlds. Your own fault, and your uncle’s for not keeping a better eye on you as a child. Someone as long-lived as you has no business making friends with humans. And yet, I think it’s made you a better person.”
I met his eyes. “It has. You have.”
He smiled. “Death is the one adventure I’ll have before you. It’s my turn to enter the unknown and your turn to wonder. There’s something almost poetic about that.”
I had to look away, and he heaved an impatient sigh.
“You ever think maybe I’m ready to go?”
I shook my head. He laughed.
“I’m an old man, Vas. I can’t walk. My bladder hasn’t worked right in years. Everything hurts, every day. I’ve lived a long, full life. I played with a demon as a child and called him friend for the rest of my life. I saw my children have children, and I loved a woman with everything in me. Now she’s gone, and I’m looking forward to the day I can be in her arms again. If I thought you’d do it, I’d ask you to snap my neck right now.”
I tensed. Fury burned through me, and I glowered at him.
He laughed at me. “Yeah, didn’t think you’d go for it.” He sighed. “Everything that lives dies eventually, Vas. I’m sorry you’ve seen so much of that firsthand, but I’m not sorry to count myself your friend for all these years.”
He grinned at me. “Now, how about you take me into the sky?”
Despite my anguish, my chest lightened. Then I glanced in the direction of the building. “They’re not going to like it.”
His grin widened. “I know.”
4
MEREDITH
Nelson straightened his tie as we all stared at the unseelie king. “I forgot to tell you. He’s been checking in.”
Of course he was. Because high fae had been killed. This explained why the road was still closed and why so many cops were still here, busily examining the crime scene.
No one wanted to piss off Finvarra.
The king was a scary son of a bitch. And since I’d somehow managed to get involved with some of the most dangerous paranormals in any of the realms, I didn’t say that lightly.
He strolled down the road toward us, dressed—as usual—in black. His eyes were a strange shade of gold, but he was so beautiful, they merely complemented an already perfect face.
Kyla leaned against my legs, and I realized I was gaping at him. I closed my mouth.
It wasn’t the power that seethed around him. It wasn’t even the fact that he was the king of the strange, dangerous unseelie. No, it was the cold rage I could sense, barely disguised beneath the charm he wore like a mask.
He’d recently fought beside us. He’d allied with the demons and was currently at war with the light fae. He’d never done anything to hurt me—I wasn’t even sure he knew my name.
He still scared the shit out of me.
We moved away from the crime scene and walked toward the king.
Finvarra nodded at Nelson. Nelson managed to meet his gaze.
Finvarra gave Kyla one sweeping glance. “Why aren’t you in human form? Do youwantto go feral?”
She showed him her teeth and crouched low. Her whole body trembled, as if she was barely restraining herself from launching herself at him and tearing out his throat.
He ignored that, turning back to Nelson. “You assured me your human technology would be able to find what happened to my people.”
“Actually, Kyla, Evie, and Meredith found something we had missed.”
Nelson filled Finvarra in, and he nodded. It wasn’t difficult to see the fury in his gaze as he surveyed the crime scene.
