After a grateful smile at him, Rika looked back at Keenan and announced, “We have nothing to discuss.”

As Keenan glared at Sionnach, heat wafted toward them. The Summer King said bluntly, “Maili has approached me.”

“Rule of might, sweetheart.” Sionnach gestured in the air with one arm, pointing toward Keenan. He smiled sweetly and added, “Maili can’t act as liaison unless she’s the Alpha, the top. She’s not. Rika’s the strongest faery here. Aren’t you, princess?”

“I am.” She nodded her head and straightened her shoulders. “This is solitary territory, not court territory. You have no rights unless the Alpha allows it . . . and since Shy and I are the strongest faeries here, and I’m telling you again that you are not welcome here, you need to go away.”

Sionnach made an agreeing murmur, once more trying to seem unconcerned that Keenan was there, but inside he was rejoicing. Rika was acting as if she was already Alpha, as if she was the one in power here. This was what he’d been trying to convince Rika to notice for years: she was strong. She could rule the desert. It was unfortunate that it took him getting stabbed and taunting the Summer King to get her near the point of accepting the truth, but that mattered little in the big scheme of things. Rika was declaring herself.

“Leave, Keenan,” Rika demanded.

“Good idea, princess. Make the distraction go away.” Sionnach released Rika’s hand.

Rika’s voice sounded like laughter was about to replace words as she told Keenan, “It’s past time for you to go, Keenan.”

Then, she stood, walked over and took Keenan’s arm, and led him to the mouth of the cave. “Go. And don’t walk into my home again without my permission. You have no authority over me—or right to walk into my sleeping chamber.”

“Ashamed of your choices?” Keenan asked.

After a quiet moment, Rika answered, “Only the one, but that was a long time ago.”

Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

Keenan stared at the faery he’d once hoped would be his queen. “You’re ashamed of loving me?”

Rika laughed. It was painfully different from the soft sound that he’d once found so enchanting. When she was a mortal, she was sweet. She’d trusted him, looked at him with such hope in her eyes, smiled at him with love. He still remembered her that way. He remembered all of the formerly mortal girls he’d wooed. Most of all, though, he remembered those rare girls who had been brave enough or in love enough to take the test to be his queen. Until this year, they’d all failed, but they were special. Rika was special.

“I’m not ashamed of it,” he said quietly. “You were br—”

“No,” she interrupted. “I don’t want to hear your flattery, Keenan.”