“A moon dragon,” Prince Franco says. “Yet another type of fae that fled Fire to live in Lunar. Many of the fire lizard’s draconian cousins have moved to other courts.” He lowers his voice. “Rest assured, you are far from being the only one who isn’t a fan of King Ustrin.”
I tense. “The more accurate statement is that he isn’t a fan of me. I couldn’t care less about him.”
“Even though he’s responsible for orchestrating the charges against your mother?”
My head whips toward him. “You know about that?”
He nods. “My sister filled me in on the details Lorelei shared.”
A question rises to my mind, another that requires much decorum. “Is your mother the same as Nyxia’s?”
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“Do you know much about Queen Nessina’s involvement with the war? Were you alive back then?”
He shakes his head. “Nyxia and I were born centuries after the war ended and Mother didn’t tell us much.”
That might mean he knows nothing about his mother harboring my grandmother. Did Lorelei share that part with Nyxia? With Franco? I don’t want to ask directly, in case the secret isn’t safe with him. “Where is your mother now?”
“She is no longer with us.”
“She died?”
“Not in the way you’re imagining,” he says. “Fae rulers tend to remain at court until they pass the throne to the next in line. For most unseelie, that means when an heir proves their worth as alpha. It didn’t take long for my sister to demonstrate her alpha status after she reached maturity, and I didn’t dare challenge her. She’s the strongest alpha the Lunar Court has seen in generations. Anyhow, after my sister became the new queen, Mother left court and sort of...reverted to the Old Ways entirely.”
“You mean she took her unseelie form indefinitely?”
He nods. “It is our way.”
My eyes meet Franco’s, and I find myself fascinated by his words. Everything he’s said about the lunar fae, the unseelie, the Old Ways—it’s intriguing.He’sintriguing, when he isn’t being annoying. That alone is worth my awe. Even a day ago, I would have thought befriending an unseelie fae was out of the question. Now, here I am genuinely enjoying my time with an unseelie prince.
A flash of guilt seizes my chest, and I avert my gaze.
A pair of light footsteps approach from the balcony, and Nyxia comes into view. “I thought I might find you here, Miss Fairfield.” She offers me a grin before her gaze moves to her brother. “Thank you for showing our lovely guest such kind hospitality.”
“It was my pleasure,” he says, adding a wink for me.
“I have no doubt about that. May I ask for my turn to speak with her?”
Prince Franco nods, then takes my hand in his. Before I can react, he pulls the back of my hand to his lips, brushing a light kiss over my skin. “I do hope we can speak again soon.” With that, he shudders and shifts into a raven, taking off into the night sky. I follow his silhouette until it’s out of sight. Only then do I force my gaze to return to Nyxia.
Alone with the most powerful lunar alpha in generations, I suppress a shudder.
17
Nyxia approaches me with slow, confident steps. She’s changed out of the elaborate outfit she wore earlier and now has on a pair of black silk slacks and a matching tunic. “Let’s take a stroll,” she says.
Falling into step beside her, we walk the circular balcony ringing the perimeter of the dome. I force my breathing to remain even, natural.
“My brother seems quite taken with you,” the Lunar Queen says.
I let out a bark of laughter before I can stop myself. “We’ve hardly spoken.”
“I think you’ve learned by now that the fae know what they want quite quickly.”
I press my lips tight, refusing to follow the train of thought that I know will lead me to Aspen. To the gaping wound left in his absence.
“Regardless,” Nyxia says, “he wouldn’t be a terrible mate to make an alliance with.”
