"I'll do it," Elçin says quietly, cutting off any protests. "Don't ask questions. Just... accept that this is necessary."
That's when I catch it—the flash of something knowing across Yasar's face. Not quite a smile, but close. Like he's just figured out a puzzle everyone else is missing.
"How noble of you, küçük peri," he says smoothly, his eyes fixed on Elçin with sudden intensity. "Though I wonder what makes you so... willing to serve the Fae Queen specifically."
Elçin's jaw tightens almost imperceptibly. "My reasons are my own."
"Of course they are." Yasar's smile sharpens. "Family secrets often are, küçük peri."
"And the main course?" Nesilhan inquires quickly, clearly sensing the tension.
"Monthly visits from you, Lady Nesilhan. Bound by truth-curse, participating in certain... rituals."
"How delightfully vague," I comment. "Are we talking summoning demons or just recreational torture? I like to know what I'm signing up for."
"Cultural exchanges," Morwenna replies with a smile that suggests the culture in question involves a lot of screaming. "Learning experiences. Nothing that would prevent her from fulfilling her other duties."
Yasar leans toward Elçin, his lips barely moving as he murmurs something too quiet for me to catch. Her posture shifts—subtle, but I notice. A tightening in her shoulders, perhaps. Or maybe I'm imagining it. Whatever he said, she doesn't respond, and neither of them glance my way.
"How reassuring," I say dryly.
"And for dessert?"
"You'll surrender your direct access to the shadow realm."
Now that does make me pause. Not because it's devastating—though it is—but because it's so precisely calculated.
"How exactly do you plan to do that?" I ask, genuinely curious. "The shadow realm isn't something you just... unplug."
"Oh, it's quite simple, really." Morwenna's smile turns razor-sharp. "A binding ritual. Nothing that removes your abilities—you'll still have your shadows, your darkness, all those delightful tricks you're so fond of. But you'll lose direct access to the realm itself."
I feel the pieces clicking into place.
"No shadow portals." "Precisely." "No instantaneous travel. No stepping through darkness from one place to another." I pause, the full weight settling. "You're taking away my escape route."
"Freedom of movement is such a valuable thing," she says pleasantly. "Power is one thing, dear boy, but the ability to simply vanish when things become... inconvenient? That's what's kept you alive this long, isn't it?"
She's not wrong. And she knows it.
"You'll still be formidable," Morwenna continues. "Still dangerous. But you'll be here. Present. Unable to simply disappear into the shadows when the game becomes too difficult." Her eyes gleam. "Consider it, incentive to choose your battles more carefully."
I let my gaze drift around the room, really looking at my companions. Nesilhan is fighting not to speak, her lips pressed into a tight line as she battles the truth-curse that would force her real thoughts into the open. I feel her horror and the exhausting effort it takes to keep silent. Banu is practically vibrating with fairy rage, her glamour flickering like a candle in the wind.
Elçin, though. Elçin is the most interesting. She's not surprised by any of this. If anything, she looks... resigned. Like she's been waiting for this shoe to drop.
And Yasar. Yasar is watching everyone else's reactions with the focused attention of a predator cataloguing weaknesses—though his gaze lingers longest on Elçin, something almost protective flickering across his features when he notices her resignation.
"Fascinating terms," I say finally. "Though I have to ask—why the specific interest in our dear Elçin? Not that she isn't charming company, but you could have any researcher in any realm."
"She has unique qualifications," Morwenna replies with a smile that doesn't reach her eyes.
"Such as?"
"That's between myself and my future researcher."
Banu opens her mouth to press further, but Elçin cuts her off with a slight shake of her head. Another interesting detail.
"You're walking into a trap, küçük peri," Yasar says quietly, his usual smooth charm replaced by something sharper."Whatever she wants from you specifically, it's not just your research skills."
