Magda let her head fall back. She should’ve predicted this.
“I’d like to go,” Honey said. “I’d love an adventure.”
“You’re not invited,” Damion said to her. Then he turned back to Kaelan. “And you have to come.”
Kaelan scowled. “No, I don’t.”
Magda pushed up to her feet. “Well, if he’s not coming, then we definitely need the Enneahedron. Otherwise, I have no leverage against Lavana at all.”
Damion held up his hands between her and Kaelan. “Have we all gone mad?” He faced her fully. “Sailing to the Elf King’s Realms is certain death.” He spun and pointed at Honey. “You are a nymph and no use to anyone.” He moved her aside and seized the front of Kaelan’s tunic. “And you are a fool and a coward.”
Kaelan’s face contorted. His fist slammed against Damion’s jaw. Magda was sure it hurt the Prince more than it did the warrior. Damion plowed into Kaelan, knocking him onto his back.
Honey sidestepped away from them, a serene expression on her face as Damion and Kaelan rolled across the hard-packed earth. Magda sighed, dropped down again, and sprawled out on her back, her eyes begging for sleep.
“I can help, you know,” Honey said. “I am friends with a roc.”
Magda sat up. “Say that again?”
“A roc. It’s a very large bird—”
Magda held up her hand, stopping Honey. “I know what it is. I just... you’re friends with a roc? Don’t they eat people?”
“Oh, yes,” Honey said with a bright smile. “But I am sure she won’t eat you if I ask her not to.”
Pushing up to her feet, Magda barked, “Damion, enough!”
Damion shoved away from Kaelan, who had been turning blue under the pressure of Damion’s forearm against his throat. Kaelan glowered after Damion, rubbing his neck.
“Kaelan,” Magda said. “What is this about a roc?”
His gaze flicked up to her and then quickly away. It would be very difficult for them to pretend that nothing had happened in Ouda’s tree if he continued to act as though something had happened. Of course, the situation wasn’t helped by the fact that she was still picking up on stray feelings of lust wafting off of him.
But that sort of thing was par for the course between Raes and Princes. Although she had to admit she was receiving his emotions more easily than she had with any other Prince, even Endreas, even Cae, who she’d been close to as a child and had been expected to claim—before his death. But her connection to Kaelan had probably sprung from when he’d healed her and saved her life. That was bound to create a bond between anyone. As for the rest, it had just been an accident. She’d forgotten how hard it was to resist the pull of her instincts, both with Kaelan and Endreas. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
“Honey raised the roc,” Kaelan said, licking a bit of blood off his lip from a small cut there.
“Yes.” Honey clasped her hands at her breasts. “My sweet Anqa. I found her egg about to be eaten by a cockatrice.”
“A cockatrice?” Damion sneered. “You have those bird-beasts in this forest?”
“No longer. The last was slain some years ago by the centaurs,” Kaelan said as he stood. “But you have not heard from her in years,” he said to Honey.
“But she will come if I call,” Honey stated.
Kaelan straightened out his tunic and approached Honey. She gazed at him in the same pleasantly blank way that she looked at Magda and Damion.
“You don’t need to help them,” he said tightly.
Damion crossed his arms over his chest, harrumphing.
“Oh, but I want to,” Honey said. “I want to go with them.”
“Why?” Kaelan asked.
Honey twined her hair around her finger, head cocked, as if listening to a far-off sound.
Magda stepped closer, not failing to notice that Kaelan stepped back.
