“Yes, I recall. We both made mistakes then. Afterward, I said I wouldn’t meddle unless I had to.”
“Oh, and now you suddenly have to?” My shoulders tense and my fingers clench into fists. “Is this about mytrainingagain?”
Her tone turns sharp. “Perhaps you should speak plainly too, brother. I can tell you’re holding back.”
A flash of guilt sinks my stomach. Of course she can tell. She’s an even more powerful psy vampire than I am. I run a hand through my hair, forcing my anger to calm. “It’s just…I know I’m your heir, Nyxia, and I’m happy to do my duty. I always have and always will support you in any way you need. But you and I both know I’m never going to be king. So why do you continue to train me like I am? Why have you been pushing me harder and harder into a position you know I’ll likely never have to take?”
Her lips pull into a frown, her energy plummeting. I breathe it in. It’s sharp and cloying and full of unspoken secrets.
A shudder runs down my spine. “What aren’t you telling me?”
She sighs. “There was a time I thought I’d rule forever. For a very long while, I wanted to.”
Her tone has my stomach turning. “Does that mean you no longer want to?”
She glances over at me. “You know I love Lorelei, right?”
I nod. How could I not know the enormity of my sister’s affection for her mate? It’s so strong I can feel it across the room when they so much as look at one another. It’s powerful enough that it terrifies me. How could I ever find what she has?
Nyxia continues. “I ruined my chances with her once before and thought I’d never win her back. Now that we’re together…you know I can’t lose her.”
Although I’ve sensed my sister’s love for Lorelei, I’ve never heard her express her feelings out loud. She and I are the same in that way. We are masters of disguise when it comes to our own internal workings, always keeping a strong outer persona to hide what lurks within. Hearing her words paired with the energy radiating off her is almost enough to overwhelm my senses. My head spins for a moment and I’m forced to widen my stance for stability. “What does your love have to do with me being your heir?”
Her energy contracts with a hint of trepidation. “Lorelei is ready to retire from politics. After two decades working through some of Faerwyvae’s most tumultuous times, she’s eager to live a simple life. And I want to give that to her. Share that with her.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
She folds her hands at her waist, a demure posture for someone who’s normally so fierce. “The reason I’ve been pushing you to find a mate the last few years is because I want you to challenge me to the throne. As soon as your standing is strong in the eyes of Lunar Court’s people—the humans included—I’m ready for you to succeed me.”
My mouth goes dry. No, this can’t be. I was always meant to rule by her side, to be her heir, a safeguard against her unlikely death. I was never meant to rule.
Alone.
Without her.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” she says. “I didn’t want you to feel pressured.”
“Well, thanks for that.” I don’t bother masking the iron in my tone. “Instead of warming me up to the idea, you’re now hitting me with it all at once.”
“I thought I had more time to give you, but I can’t make Lorelei wait any longer. I’ve felt how exhausted she is. She won’t say so, but she doesn’t need to. Even when I shield myself from tasting her energy, I can read it as clear as day.”
My heart clenches as I recall how tired Lorelei looked when she first sat down with me tonight. Now it all makes sense. The realization clears my head, dampening some of my bitterness and fear. Being king might not be what I desire, but I do want to make Nyxia and Lorelei happy. I release a heavy sigh, which only unwinds the merest fraction of my tension. “What do you need me to do?”
Her face brightens, a spark of hope pulsing around her. “I need you to be king, Franco. To do that, you must gain the respect of the people. That way, when you challenge me to the throne, no other contender will dare line up behind you.”
I shift from foot to foot. While the rule of each court is often passed through bloodline, anyone is eligible to make a bid for the throne at any time. The magic that infuses the isle—a force we call theAll of All—makes the final choice, and it isn’t always the heir who is selected. In the end, the best safeguard against losing the right to rule is to prevent anyone from thinking they stand a chance. That’s what has protected my sister’s reign. Being the most powerful lunar alpha in generations has kept anyone from daring to bid for Lunar’s unseelie throne.
But me…I’m not as powerful as she is. I’m not as feared by other fae. When it comes to the humans, I’m certainly not as respected. Not after what happened last time I was in their midst. At least now it makes sense. “That’s why you’ve been pushing me to take a mate.”
“Not just a mate, Franco. You must marry.”
I bristle. “Marry? I thought you’d given up on trying to force me to marry. You and Lorelei only held a mate ceremony, and that’s been deemed good enough.”
“Only because I am feared and my rule has a history of being uncontested. You will face different obstacles that I haven’t had to endure. You’ll have other strengths to prove. The Lunar Court needs us, it needs our unseelie values. We can’t afford to have your reign challenged. The best thing we can do to prevent that is to prove you’re an unshakable king. To the humans, that means royal marriage and the ability to produce heirs. To the fae, it means a respectable political alliance.”
“Hence Princess Maisie of the Sea Court. My potential future wife.” I rub my brow. I’ve never once considered a lover to be my mate, much less thought of making one my wife. In the fae tradition, selecting a mate means deeming someone your committed partner. While mate relationships aren’t always eternal, it’s a significant label, even for the fae who prefer to have multiple mates simultaneously. But marriage…that’s even more significant. With marriage comes vows. And vows are impossible for a fae to break since they are a form of bargain.
“I want you to court her,” Nyxia says, a note of desperation in her voice. “I want you to at leasttry. Show me you’re trying. Show the people you’re trying. Court Princess Maisie publicly during the course of the social season. Be seen with her on your arm. If you find her abhorrent at the end of the month, I’ll find someone else. But damn it, Franco.Try. Promise me.”
