“The Queen of the Summer Court,” he says, a growl in his voice. “It’s going to be an effort to speak to any of them like they didn’t nearly strip me from my throne.”
Nearly. They had, in fact, stripped himcompletelyfrom his throne. It was only his challenge to Cobalt that won it back, and even that had nearly been thwarted. How would it have gone if I hadn’t forced Aspen to name me his champion? Would Aspen have succeeded in petitioning the All of All? It’s impossible to know.
Only one thing is clear. I betrayed Aspen when I used his true name like that, regardless of how things turned out. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he realized I’d shattered his trust. It showed me something else too; I still don’t trust Aspen. Not fully, at least. If I had, I would have let him make his own decision. I would have believed he had what it took to defeat Cobalt.
“King Aspen,” says a sultry male voice, stealing my attention.
The orange fae with scales stands before us. His body is long and lean, dressed in a modern black suit, neck slightly longer and slimmer than a human neck would be. He has no hair, just more iridescent orange scales. His face is mostly flat with a lipless mouth, slits where his nose should be, and beady black eyes.
“King Ustrin.” Aspen gives the fae a short bow.
The scaly king returns it, bending at the waist. “Congratulations on winning back your throne. It seems your mate here is quite accomplished.”
“I’m very grateful for her,” Aspen says, although the edge in his tone isn’t lost on me.
King Ustrin’s eyes move to me. “Might I have a word, Miss Fairfield?”
I look from Aspen to the orange fae. Would it be rude of me to say no? There’s something unsettling about the lizard-like king that has to do with more than just his odd appearance. I summon my calm. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
Aspen hesitates before pointing at two of his guards then at me. The guards break off from the rest and stand behind me. “We’ll speak later,” he whispers, but I can’t read his tone. “I need to see the council fae off.” Then, without so much as looking at me, he moves on, following the flock of fae.
King Ustrin regards me through slitted lids but says nothing.
Perhaps he’s waiting for me to bow, so I do. After I rise, he remains silent. “Might I ask what court you rule, King Ustrin?”
“Fire,” he says. His eyes slide to the crown on my brow. “A curious crown the All of All gave you. Why did the king gift it to you instead of keeping it for himself?”
Not even I know that answer. Still, I refuse to admit it. “I will be his queen once we’re married, and he already has a crown of his own. He must have wanted to show his appreciation for me winning him back the throne.”
“Yes, yes, that does make sense.” He takes a step forward and sniffs the air, much like Melusine had done. His tongue darts in and out of his mouth. “You’re familiar.”
I recall the fae I encountered in the Twelfth Court, how they sought similar elements between us. “The fire in you is the fire in me.”
He laughs, a low hissing sound, tongue flicking. “I suppose that’s true. But there’s something else. A certain…feel about you. Like that of an old enemy.”
I bristle. This isn’t going anywhere like I hoped. Then again, what else was I expecting? I still know very little about the fae, about their politics and biases. I’m only just now getting to understand the Autumn Court. Other courts are far beyond my familiarity.
Time to take control.
I square my shoulders and adopt Aspen’s bored tone. “King Ustrin, I do thank you for introducing yourself to me, and it’s been a pleasant chat. However, I’ve had a long day. Forgive me for cutting our acquaintance short, but I must get some rest.”
He smirks, narrowing his eyes, but makes no argument. “Of course. How careless of me. You did just win a battle, after all. We’ll speak again, I’m sure.” With a bow, he lowers himself, then turns away.
I let out a heavy breath once he’s at the far end of the hall.
A hand falls on my shoulder, making me jump, but it’s just Lorelei. “Come on. You should clean up and get some sleep.”
I nod, and Lorelei leads the way. The guards follow closely behind. It isn’t far until we reach the door to Aspen’s bedroom, and I can’t help but fear it’s been destroyed. The floor beneath my feet is slick with water, but at least it isn’t flooded. The room itself is on the east side of the palace, so there’s a good chance it might be salvageable.
The guards push open the door, and Lorelei and I step inside. The orb lights burn low in their sconces, but from what I can tell, the room has remained mostly unscathed. Water seems to reach only a quarter of the way across the floor, soaking a few rugs. But the bed, the wardrobe, and everything on the far wall appears dry.
I turn to the guards. “I’ll bathe now.”
“We should leave the doors open,” says one of the guards.
I’m about to argue when I remember the hidden door Amelie had opened. The secret tunnels could very well connect to many other rooms like this one and were likely how Cobalt was able to get to the Holstrom girls, how he was able to sneak Amelie out of the palace the night she disappeared. For all I know, he could be lurking in those tunnels now. Watching. Waiting. I shudder. “Very well.”
“We’ll set up the tub behind the dressing screen,” Lorelei says. I follow her to the tub, help her drag the dressing screen in front of it to hide it from the view of the hall. The tub is empty, and just looking at it makes my muscles hunger for relief. Lorelei takes a step away. “I’ll put in the order—”
