“Neither do I,” I said, my mind racing to catch up to what was going on beneath the surface.
Slade, Keres, Thorne, Daegel—they all shifted nervously now. Like they were ready to bolt. Or to fight.
Amanti wouldn’t meet my eyes, and I realized I was the only one of us who didn’t know what was happening and why. My own temper coursed through me, heating me until my furyfire rose to the surface. I shoved it down again.
Patamoi’s eyes flashed. “And will you?” he demanded.
Rydian’s gaze flicked toward me. His face stayed still, but I felt the tension radiate off him like a held breath.
Amanti stepped forward. “Patamoi?—”
He silenced her with a gesture. “If you would have my rivers at your back, Summer’s child, then you must prove your allegiance belongs to no shadow.”
I could feel every eye in the chamber on me. My pulse thudded in my ears.
Rydian said quietly, “You don’t have to?—”
“I won’t,” I interrupted, keeping my voice steady. “The Midnight Court has already proven to me that they will fight for me and for all fae. The river people have done nothing to prove their loyalty.”
“Loyalty is earned,girl?—”
“This isn’t about loyalty. And I am not a girl.”
My magic flashed through me. Not flame. But something like a surge. It shoved at the edges of my skin, and I watched Patamoi blink in surprise. He’d felt it too.
A murmur rippled through the hall.
Patamoi’s expression didn’t change, but the currents around him slowed.
“You speak boldly,” he said. “Perhaps unwisely.”
“I’ve learned polite words don’t change minds,” I said. “You said I’m my father’s daughter. Then you already know I’m stubborn as hell.”
That earned a small sound—almost amusement—from the naiad.
Patamoi leaned back, his gaze moving over our group like a tide measuring the shore. Finally, he said, “You may think on who your true allies are. We will speak again when the moon rises.”
He turned to Amanti. “Your debt will be measured before the next tide.”
Amanti inclined her head. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”
Patamoi’s attention came back to me one last time. “You and your companions are invited to dine in my hall tonight.”
“That’s generous,” I said, my tone slightly sharper than I’d intended.
He smiled then, faint but not even remotely nice. “The river’s hospitality is both brutal and bountiful in the same turn.” He looked to someone over my shoulder. “Daughter, show them to their rooms.”
Cerynth approached wordlessly, this time on two legs and wearing a slip of a gown over her pale skin. Her eyes bore holes in me as she motioned for us to follow her out.
The meeting was over. Patamoi had already gone back to his conversation with his advisors and court. The guards moved in silent coordination, ushering us out of the chamber.
I shook the tension from my shoulders only once we were clear of the hall. None of the others said a word as we all fell into step behind Cerynth. She led us through a series of hallways, never speaking a word to us or any naiad she passed.
Amanti caught my arm as the others moved ahead. “You did well,” she said quietly. “Patamoi isn’t easily swayed. But you showed him strength. He respects that.”
“Respect doesn’t win wars.”
“No,” she agreed. “But it keeps you alive long enough to fight them.”
