She cursed under her breath. Poor Riker. Then again, he was probably content enough. Lavana had the wealth to pamper him.
Chewing her lip, she debated whether or not to tip Endreas off that she had a line on another Prince. If so, it might buy her some time by preventing the Crown from closing the selection window early at Lavana’s behest. Clearly, he was in contact with Lavana, and possibly others at court as well. Were Elf spies embedded at the Spire? Or even worse, were there Pixies working for the Throne? She hated to think it, but had to acknowledge it was possible.
Cae had always told her she needed to be more of a risk taker. Of course, he’d been killed for his bravado.
“I might have a Prince after all,” she ventured.
Kaelan’s chest tensed under her palm.
Endreas’s eyebrow rose. “Is that so? Who?”
“None of your damned business, Elf,” she said.
He touched his chest as if wounded. “Well, I look forward to meeting him. Just remember, if you want him to live, don’t claim him.” He took a step closer, but Kaelan seized her arm and drew her alongside him.
Endreas froze. “You may feel fine now, but if anything changes, if you have any thoughts... of harming yourself. Find me, please.”
“So you can give me a piece of your heart? Wouldn’t that put me right back in the same position I’m already in? You just want me to go mad when you die instead?”
“Once you take the Crown and we are joined, our fates will be tied. We will die together anyway, you see?”
Kaelan’s fingers dug painfully into the underside of her arms. His rage strafed over her in broad burning swaths.
“Yes, I see that you are one cocky son of a bitch. Now get the hell out of here.”
Endreas bowed. “Until we meet again, Magpie, I’ll miss you.” He winked and was swallowed by the shadows.
Kaelan’s hand dropped from her as though he’d been holding on to her for her own sake.
He stalked through the place where Endreas had stood.
She bit the inside of her cheek, not sure what to say.
When he turned, his face was his own again, his eyes blazed. “He’s in love with you.”
She frowned. Of all the things he could’ve said, that wasn’t what she’d expected.
“I—”
“I knew you had feelings for him, but—” His gaze swept the cave as if he were afraid Endreas lingered still.
She crossed her arms. “But what? You didn’t think they were mutual?”
He scowled. “Have you kissed him?”
“You’re not at all interested in anything else he said? You want to know if I kissed him? Do you want to know if I fucked him too?”
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what that means.”
“I think you do. But I’ll tell you the same thing I told him. It’s none of your damned business.”
“It is my business!” he erupted, causing Gur to lift his head and open his eyes wide. Kaelan moved closer, lowering his voice to a growl. “If you’re in love with him, then I can’t trust you. He wants me dead, Magda. Or would you like it better if I called you Magpie?”
She shoved him hard. He stumbled back, but the stony set of his face never wavered. The fire in his eyes only grew hotter.
“I already told you I had feelings for him. And I told you that those feelings didn’t matter because I wasn’t going to join with him, ever. BecauseIdon’t trusthim.”
“How did he find you?”
