Relief shuddered through Thane, even as doubt still rang in his mind. As much as Thane wanted this entire premise to be false, a portrait was beginning to form in his mind. Lorcan, the heir to the shadow kingdom, sent to undermine the strongest court on the continent. The prince, hiding in plain sight, plotting to take back his power, to end the exile from the rest of the fae. A fae who could lie, a fae who could get close to Thane, lying in wait for years until the day his kingly father made his move.
The shadow fae had been causing skirmishes near Findius these past weeks. They were on the forward assault now, desperate to reclaim their castle and their Seat of Power.
Thane’s own mother and father had been the ones to banish the Shadow Court. And now they were seeking their revenge.
“We are not mistaken, my liege,” the warrior said, still kneeling. “We know the truth of you. There is a mark on your arm, one that brands you as the king’s own son.”
Thane could not help but gasp, and his hand fell onto the comforting hilt of his sword. He had seen Lorcan’s mark a few times over the years, always briefly. A tattoo, he had called it, one to remind him of where he had come.
That part must have at least been true. Because he had come from the shadow lands.
“Lorcan,” Thane said quietly, taking a few slow steps back. “Tell me this isn’t true. Yes or no. Answer it honestly, even if you can lie.”
Lorcan turned toward him, and Thane could clearly see the pain flickering in his dark eyes. “I am a shadow fae, and I am the king’s son.”
Thane’s eyes widened, and he continued to back away through the trees. Now out of reach of their weapons, he drew his sword, the steel ringing in the dead silence of the night. In response, all of the warriors stood, their own swords rising into the air.
Lorcan stepped between Thane and the shadow fae, his arms outstretched. “Whoa now. No need for weapons. Your sudden arrival has startled Thane, as surely you can understand. Please put down your weapons, and tell me why you’ve come.”
“We have come for you.” The nearest warrior motioned for the others to sheathe their weapons, but he kept his sword by his side. He lowered the tip to the ground but kept a firm grip on the antler hilt. “And we have come for the air fae king.”
Thane, however, did not sheathe his weapon. He kept it held before him, body tense. Lorcan’s back was facing him. He could see the slick sweat on the back of his neck from where he had pulled his hair into a bun. All it would take was one slice of Thane’s sword, and the Prince of the Shadow Court would be dead.
Lorcan.Thane’s gut felt like writhing snakes, twisting around each other, ready to bite.
He couldn’t do it. No matter the betrayal, Thane loved Lorcan like a brother. He could not find hatred in his heart for his oldest friend. Only sadness and pain. All this time, his friendship had been nothing but a lie. He’d been the only person in the entire realm Thane had ever fully trusted.
How many of his confidential mutterings had Lorcan passed along?
“Explain yourself,” Lorcan said in a growl, still facing the shadow fae warrior.
“Now that your father has retaken Findius, he has insisted you return to his side to prepare for the coming war,” the warrior said. “But we must take care of something else first. Him.”
The warrior lifted his long sword and pointed it right at Thane.
Lorcan shifted to the side to block it. “You will leave Thane out of this.”
The warrior snorted with a laugh. “We cannot leave the High King of the Air Court out of this, nor his betrothed. With no heir in sight, their absence will be felt throughout the realm like a groundquake. The air fae will tear themselves apart, every noble grappling to claim power, while we build up for the war. They will not worry about attempting to retake Findius, not while their nobles kill each other. It is the only way forward, and it is an order from our king.”
“Thane,” Lorcan said through gritted teeth, his body trembling. “Run.”
Thane blinked at the warrior’s back, confusion and fear rippling through him. “What?”
Lorcan whirled, his face screwed up in pain. He clasped his right shoulder, and his nails dug into his armor. “You need to get out of here now or they will kill you. I might not be able to stop them. Run! Go! Now!”
Thane stumbled back, his eyes wide as he glanced from the fury on Lorcan’s face to the warriors now drawing their swords once again. Was this some sort of trick? Another lie?
No, he thought, as he turned his gaze back on Lorcan. There was no deceit there. Nothing but pure, unadulterated fear. Fear for Thane’s life.
Understanding passed between the two friends, and memories rushed through Thane’s mind. Lorcan protecting his life. Lorcan’s strange veiled warnings. The shadow fae before him might have been sent to spy on Thane, but at some point, their friendship had become real.
Thane did not want to abandon him here to fight these shadow fae alone, but Lorcan was their prince. They might be angry at his protection of Thane, but they would not kill him. He was their liege. With a nod in Lorcan’s direction, Thane twisted on his heels and ran.
Even without Lorcan’s help, he had to go to Eislyn. If he didn’t, she would die.
58
Reyna
