For a brief moment, Jayce considered pointing out that he knew that Sionnach had romantic feelings for Rika, but he also realized that since faeries didn’t lie, Sionnach truly wasn’t intending on trying to woo Rika away. Jayce didn’t understand how the faery could have such obviously strong feelings for her, but not act on them. He also knew that Sionnach wouldn’t tell him, so he simply prompted, “So . . .”

“So help me keep her safe.” Sionnach darted a look at the doorway. “Maili is trouble. Rika’s been in her cave so long . . . she’s never really lived around faeries. She’s been near us, but I didn’t let anyone bother her. If she’s in the world with us, she’ll need your love even more. You’ll remind her why keeping peace matters.”

Jayce didn’t respond, but he had a growing suspicion that Sionnach was more involved in Jayce and Rika’s relationship than Jayce had realized. That suspicion was confirmed when Sionnach muttered, “I didn’t mean for things to happen like this when I finally got you two together.”

“You got us together?” Jayce gave the faery a stern look, although he was probably about as intimidating as a tortoise was if it were glaring at a coyote. “What did you mean to have happen?”

The fox faery flashed his teeth at Jayce in an approximation of a smile, but he didn’t admit anything further.

“Jayce? I have fruit, bread, cheese, but”—she stepped in the doorway and paused, her expression uncomfortable—“I can’t give you food.”

“Right. Faery rules: no food from your hand.” Jayce scrambled to his feet. “Sorry.”

Sionnach was silent as Jayce followed Rika to her pantry.

After they were out of his earshot, Jayce asked Rika, “So you talked to Sionnach about me before we met?”

She paused. “How did you . . . ?”

“Something Sionnach said,” Jayce replied. He started heaping food onto the wooden plate that Rika pointed out. “Does he spend a lot of time around humans?”

“Some. He wants everyone to be safe, so he watches out for them. He didn’t used to, but more and more over the years, he has. I’ve been glad; it’s the right thing to do.” She was filling a second plate for Sionnach. “I think it’s smart too. Both the Summer Queen and the Winter Queen used to be mortal.”