My senses prickled like sleet pelting skin, snapping my awareness back to my immediate surroundings. Endymion and I both stopped, my hand flying up in search of steel it wouldn’t find.
A heartbeat later, Artton appeared.
“There you ar—” He cut himself off as he took us in, his crisp white shirt at odds with our current state. “What in the seven hells happened?” he said, eyes darting between us.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Endymion said, the soft tone he’d used with me traded for a low, biting reproach.
“Sorry, Your Royal Majesty,” Artton said with a lazy mock bow, arms to the sides. “Did your chariot not arrive on time?”
I snorted despite myself, hand flying up to cover my mouth. The autumn commander shot me a glare, which had me lowering my hand but biting back a smile.
With what looked like great effort, Endymion took in a slow breath as if counting to ten to find his patience before calmly reaching a hand to Artton, indicating he was done talking and just wanted to valen back—even if that meant swallowing words, for now.
Caius’ second made to oblige, then abruptly pulled back. “You know what?” he said, shifting behind me so that I was between them. “I think maybe you can make your own way back.”
A deadly promise filled Endymion’s eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”
The summer fae folded his well-defined, tawny arms and dug into a silent standoff. I shifted to look between them, trying to work out if I should be amused or worried.
“I—” Endymion began.
“What, order me?” Artton drawled. “Sorry, but I don’t answer to Autumn’s Second.” Endymion’s jaw worked, and I could damn near feel fury pulse off of him in steady, hot waves.
Caius’ commander held a hand out to me, spurring Endymion to take a half-step forward, eyes narrowed in warning.
Not wanting to get in the middle of whatever this was, I kept my hands to my side.
“Remember this before you recklessly spend so much time in the human realm,” Artton said, then laid a hand on my shoulder before I could object. “If you’re not back by dusk, I’ll send a first-year recruit to fetch you.”
A heartbeat later we appeared before the tunneled archway to my residence.
I whirled on Artton. “Was that necessary?”
He raised an infuriatingly cocky brow.
“Seriously, he’s wounded. And saved my life.” How I’d gone from telling him to leave me alone to defending him, I had no idea.
Artton’s teak eyes looked down his slightly crooked nose at me, all mischief gone. “Neither of you would have been in that position if he hadn’t allowed himself to become tapped, and he knows it.”
“But I’m the one that shattered the wards, not him.” I gestured around us.
“One day, Nyleeria, you’ll understand the consequences of our magic, and when you do, you can let me know if you still think I was too harsh.”
I blinked up at him surprised and not quite sure how to respond.
“May I?” he said, indicating the makeshift bandage over my wound as he began to reach for it.
“I’ll do it,” I said before he could touch me again, wincing as I peeled it away.
He sucked in a breath, nose crinkling as he leaned in closer.
“Is it…bad?” I asked, feeling the weight of his silent scrutiny.
Sighing, he stood to his full height again. “It’s nothing a healer can’t mend. But you’re both lucky—this could have ended verydifferently. Get yourself cleaned up. I’ll send for a healer and let Kai know you’re back.”
Before I could respond, he turned and walked down the hall. I waited until the echo of his footsteps faded before entering the magical archway of my residence, noting how, in that moment, its beauty didn’t seem to belong.
Hours later I stirred, lifting my head in search of the sun beyond the wall of glass framing my bedchamber, noting it was only just past high noon. I sighed loudly, flopping back into the mountain of pillows that cradled me.
