“Death is suitable, although I’m sure you will deem such a punishment too kind.”
My breath hitches at that, at the raw yearning in his eyes. “Do you truly find life so unbearable?”
“I have lived long and have lost much of what most consider a good and proper life.” He states it not to evoke pity, but as a fact.
“What do you mean? Don’t you have friends? Lovers?”
His expression softens, but only for a moment. “I can have no lovers without permission, and King Ustrin forbade me from getting too close to anyone, friend, foe, lover, or stranger.”
My heart clenches, remembering the joy I saw on his face when he was chatting with Foxglove. As much as Fehr’s disdain for me irks me, it probably isn’t too different from how I felt about any of the fae when I first came to Faerwyvae. And despite the betrayal against his people, does he deserve an immortal life devoid of comfort and friendship?
The question sends my heart racing, as it evokes thoughts of my sister.That’s different,I tell myself. She betrayed me personally.
I clasp my hands before me. “Fehr, I give you my permission to take however many friends and lovers you desire.”
His eyes go wide, then harden with suspicion. “Aren’t you afraid?”
“Afraid of what? That you’ll actually enjoy your life beneath my rule and serve me out of respect rather than duty? Why, yes, what a terrifying thought.”
He squints, studying me for a few moments. “King Ustrin ruled through fear.”
“If you haven’t noticed, I am not King Ustrin,” I say, my inner fire heating my words. “I am not even my grandfather. That doesn’t mean I am soft, however. I may be part human, but fire roars through my veins as hot as it did in my predecessors. I am my own queen, and I am dedicated to the Fire Court and the fae I now serve to protect. That includes you, Fehr. You’d do well to remember that.”
He furrows his brow, as if puzzling over me and my words. “I will, Your Majesty,” he finally says. His gaze moves to the bucket in his hand before returning to me. “I should inform you that this man has not been the first to try and invade Irridae Palace since Ustrin’s death.”
My pulse quickens, surprised at the sudden admission. “He isn’t?”
“There were four other occurrences, all of them human, all using a Chariot. None were able to enter the palace, for its magic sealed it shut. Last night’s assailant was the first who was able to enter.”
“Because you opened the palace to me,” I say under my breath. “Was it always the same man?”
“I believe so. The first time, however, he came with another, but they both disappeared almost as fast as they arrived. Ever since, there has been only one. We would battle in the courtyard, but he would always disappear before I could severely wound him.”
I suppress a shiver as I prepare to ask the next question. “The first time, when two arrived…was it Queen Estel who brought the attacker?”
He shakes his head. “Both human.”
I let out a sigh of relief. Even though the Chariot is clearly one of the Star Queen’s devices, it makes me sick to consider she could be involved, that she could have been behind the attack to begin with. Not to mention, the chilling similarity the orb has to the much smaller light held within the Chariot. Until she explains how a human could have gotten one of her devices, my suspicion only hardens. Especially since she has yet to arrive with more of Aspen’s guards like she promised.
“So long as you have the Chariot,” Fehr says, stealing me away from my frantic thoughts, “the humans can’t return.”
“Unless there are more devices.”
“They are rare, as far as I know,” he says. “Only Queen Estel has access to them.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I mutter.
Fehr grimaces. “I should also add that, should the humans have more Chariots, and should any assailant manage to make it inside the palace without being apprehended, they will have the ability to return to any place they have already been in person. That is how the devices work.”
A chill runs up my spine. Is that what would have happened if the attacker had gotten away? Would he have returned directly to the weapons room with a host of companions, only to storm the palace and turn their iron blades on everyone inside?
“We should destroy the iron,” Fehr says, tone darkening. “So long as it remains, I cannot properly protect the palace.”
I open my mouth to reply, but before I can consider his suggestion, a flash of red streams into the atrium and circles around my head before appearing as Breeda. She folds into a bow as she floats in front of me. “Your Most Beautiful Majesty,” she says, sounding somewhat out of breath. “I have returned from my very important mission.”
“You delivered the message to Queen Nyxia?”
“Yes! I told her exactly what you ordered me to. Then I rushed right back. Well, first I stumbled upon your retinue of loyal subjects on their journey here through Star. So, of course I had to make sure Dune was doing his job, for their progress seemed terribly slow. IfI’dled them, they’d be here by now, but—”
