“Rae, I’m not disagreeing with you, but I have to ask. What brought this on?” Piper’s gaze flicked between Daemon and Auraelia as worry lines etched into her forehead.
Leaning back on the couch, Daemon let a smirk take over his lips. “You want to tell them, Princess? Or should I?”
“What’s he talking about, Rae?” Xander asked as he narrowed his gaze on his sister.
The look Auraelia gave him was one of sheer annoyance, but she huffed out a breath and explained. “I went to see Kyra today. And before you go off on your tangent about howI should have let you know,you shouldn’t have gone by yourself. You’re not my keeper, and I didn’t go alone.”
“Rae—”
“Xander, I mean it. I don’t want to hear it. Daemon went with me, and look,” she gestured to her body, “I’m in one piece.”
Daemon chuckled from his spot on the couch and muttered, “Kyra can’t really say the same.”
“What the fuck isthatsupposed to mean?” Xander asked, turning his wide-eyed gaze to Daemon.
“Ask your sister.”
“Goddess, dammit, Daemon. Would youstop?”
Xander scrubbed his hand down his face and groaned. “Rae, what happened in the damn dungeon?”
Auraelia blew out a short breath through her nose. “Imayhave shot Kyra with a bolt of lightning—”
“Youkilledher?” Piper asked, surprise filling her tone as her eyebrows attempted to merge with her hairline.
“No, I didn’t kill her. It grazed her leg. Maybe now she will think twice about how she speaks to me.”
Xander and Piper sat in shocked silence, their eyes wide as they stared at their Queen.
“It was more than a graze, and I think you’re leaving out some details, Princess.”
“Fuck,Daemon. Shut.Up.”
When Xander’s and Piper’s gazes didn’t falter, Auraelia threw her hands up and sighed. “Okay, fine. I also siphoned her air…twice.” She turned a hardened glare at Daemon. “Happy now?”
“Extremely.” Daemon raised his glass to her and winked.
He may have hated watching Kyra bait her, but being the one to bring out the fire that had been extinguished all those months ago was quickly becoming his favorite hobby.
Slumping down into his chair, Xander dug his fingers into his temples. “I think I’ll take that drink now.”
The group fell into a tense silence while Auraelia poured everyone a glass of whiskey. When she returned, her gaze fell on Daemon. “How quickly can you get word to Aiden?”
A mischievous smile stretched across his lips. “Drop the wards, and I’ll have him here in a few seconds.”
Auraelia nodded and turned to her brother, who had just downed the entirety of his glass. “Xander?”
“Yeah, I’m on it.”
Sitting up straight in his chair, Xander tilted his head side to side and placed his glass on the table before turning towardDaemon. “I’m going to drop them foroneminute. Is that enough time for you to get there and back?”
Daemon stood from the couch and nodded.
“Rae, I need a piece of parchment and your dagger.”
Auraelia scrunched her brow but got the items and handed them to her brother. Slicing the blade across his palm, Xander dipped his fingers into the swelling crimson liquid and scrawled a symbol onto the parchment. “You have one minute before I destroy this rune, and then they’re back up. I suggest you go.”
Daemon flicked his gaze from the bloody parchment to the prince, then gathered his shadows and left for his ship.
