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Annalise stretched one of her long, slim fingers and tucked a lock of his hair behind his head. He cringed, but she ignored his faux pax. “Can I get a glass of that? Please?” Zaynan asked.

She snapped her fingers, and her slave stumbled into the room and followed her command before retreating back to wherever he’d gone. I’d sensed him lurking around behind the wall, trying to eavesdrop. Pointless, as she told him everything.

“It's so good to have you here,” she cooed, reaching for the other side of his head. He batted her arm away and she smiled at him.

“So, basically, you ignored me for hundreds of years and then had me kidnapped by some goon. Great job, mom.” He took two long swallows of his drink.

“Have you seen this place?” Annalise waved her hand. “This is no place to raise a child.”

“Ha. You’re fucking loaded. Don’t tell me you can’t afford a nanny. You’re here hanging out with your tits out. It's not like you work in a warehouse. And Lukas said you’re a Queen. Queen of what? Where’s my father?”

Annalise’s back stiffened. “I am Queen of this kingdom, the southern Kingdom. Trust me when I say this is no place for a child. What if I’d eaten you?”

Zaynan’s head jolted forward. “Nobody does that.” He stood. “You know, I don’t think I’m going to stay here. You could have left well enough alone.”

A tear ran down her cheek and Zaynan’s face fell. “You’re all I have. Lukas has forsaken me.” He glanced at me incredulously.

She continued, “I’m all alone. Your father left me and our King slumbers. Stay with your mother, please.”

He turned toward me. “She’s your mom, too?”

Annalise sprang up from the couch with her nails extended she and gripped his face. “Your father was an emperor of the Seventh Realm. I killed him. You’ll never meet him. I’m all you have in this world.”

Her voice was soft, but it dripped with poison. “It’s you and me, baby.” Zaynan likely didn’t realize it, but she was threatening him. “You’re a prince—my prince. Take your seat at my side.”

“What was my dad’s name?” He asked softly.

Her nails retracted as she answered, “Zachariah. He was a beautiful man like you. Very talented.”

Zaynan backed away a step. “Did you combine his name and yours to make mine?”

“You’re looking for any little thing to give yourself a sense of where you came from. I can give you that here. Show you what has been denied you all these years.”

He set his glass down on the low table. “Maybe we can hang out some time.” He shrugged his shoulder. “If you want. I’ve got some stuff I gotta do though.”

“Don’t look to him for help, he’ll do nothing but mislead you,” her gaze burned into me.

Keeping my face blank, I took another sip of my beverage.

“Lukas, you are dismissed,” she ordered. Standing, I gave Zaynan a nod and then I bowed my head to my Queen.

There was nothing I could do for him, not at the moment, but I determined I’d teach him what I could when I had the opportunity. If I didn’t, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

* * *

Zaynan’s eyes held a small flicker of concern as I walked away before he quickly schooled his expression. Maybe the man would survive Annalise.

As I strode down the hallway, giving myself time to think, I considered all the changes that had taken place recently.

Besides the chaos in the Second Realm and the discontent in the Fourth—which bore minimal, if any, consequence for my own other than a minor interest, things were moving quickly here.

I had a woman to marry. Kalix was leaving for the northern kingdom, given the title of King himself, by our Queen.

I’d displeased her by turning her down. That act of defiance from me, along with bringing a human fiancé here, would not go unpunished. She was a master manipulator as well as cunning and patient. On the one hand, I was curious what she would attempt but on the other, I was worried.

Letting myself into what had become Cassia’s room, I found her painting by the window. Katarina hovered nearby, dusting a gleamingly clean table. She took one look at me and jogged out the door.

“I should probably talk to her about that.” Cassia frowned. “But it's also kinda cute. Her hands are healed, did you see?”