“No. No. And NO.” She sighed and looked away. Tears blurred her vision again, and she wished that she could pretend to be unmoved by Keenan’s visit and her subsequent encounter with Jayce. She’d spoken to Keenan often enough over the years to be beyond her emotions, but knowing that he’d finally found his missing queen had stirred up old hurt. There truly had been a mortal who wouldn’t suffer for having been chosen by him. Rika simply hadn’t been her.

Without knowing the specifics of what she’d been worrying over, Sionnach knew Rika well enough that he caught her face in his hands and made her look at him. “Temper suits you better than self-defeat, princess.”

She couldn’t speak. It wasn’t often that Sionnach was serious. Often, he’d cajole or tease when she was sad, but rarely did the fox resort to seriousness. She’d heard the shift in his tone just now. He continued, “The Summer King doesn’t deserve your tears. He never did.”

“I know,” she said, but she was still crying.

One hand cupped her face. With the other, Sionnach caught a tear on his fingertip as it slid down her cheek and then licked it from his finger. “Not ice. Not now. Not ever again.”

But I’m still cold, she thought.

She couldn’t say those words, couldn’t admit that she could feel the chill too strongly when her memories washed over her, so she said, “I hate it when he comes here.”

“Me too.” Sionnach lowered his hand from her face and scooted back just a little. He teased, but she’d never taken his teasing or his assurances as something more. Tonight was no different. The fox’s seriousness faded, and his smile grew dangerous. “But, it’d be silly of you to be here pouting while irritable faeries break that mortal you keep watching. . . .”

“What?” she gasped.

Sionnach shrugged, but his eyes twinkled with trouble. “They’re mad at pretty boy, mad at you, so they’re in a mood. You know how they get.”

“But—”

“You saved the mortal,” Sionnach reminded her. “You can’t be surprised that they felt petulant about it.”

“Why didn’t you stop—”

“Your mortal shouldn’t be my concern.” He widened his already enormous eyes in a beguiling look. “You should have enough time . . . if you go now. He’s at the railroad tracks.”

“You’re such a pain.” She shoved him backward, any flash of tenderness she felt for him thoroughly quashed.

In that faery-quick way, Sionnach rushed to the mouth of her cave alongside her. Then he stopped, going no farther, but as she raced past him, he murmured, “You needed a distraction, princess.”

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4