Sionnach smiled approvingly at him like he was a good pupil, but there was a glint in the fox faery’s eyes that made clear that he realized what Jayce wasn’t saying. Rika, however, was oblivious to the undercurrents in the conversation.

“She has it coming,” Rika muttered.

“You know, I never even said it was Maili.” Sionnach’s eyes widened in false innocence. “Maybe it was—”

“Was it Maili?” Rika interrupted.

“Well, yes.”

“So tell me why I shouldn’t go explain that she best not be so stupid in the future?”

There was an extended pause where the two faeries faced off, and Jayce wasn’t entirely sure what was going on then. Their moods had changed abruptly. It had been a seemingly mild conversation, but suddenly, Rika looked more menacing than he’d seen so far. Her chin was up, her shoulders squared. Sionnach, even though he was in a bed, still looked fierce enough that cowering might be wise.

“Because if you do and she knocks you down, we are without recourse,” Sionnach said gently. His lighter attitude vanished, and Jayce finally glimpsed the faery who was strong enough to keep order in the desert. He and Rika matched each other in subtle ways, looking fierce and projecting a heightened sense of Otherness. They seemed like two animals vying for control, and Jayce realized that to some degree that was exactly what was happening. He was all but invisible to them as they tried to establish which of them was in charge here.

Sionnach held Rika’s gaze and added, “And I really dislike the Summer King . . . almost as much as you do.”

At that, Rika deflated. “She stabbed you, Shy. I can’t just ignore that.”

He held out a hand. Rika went to him, took his hand, and sat on the cave floor.

“And we’ll deal with her, but not now. Not when doing so would leave you, Jayce, me and . . . all the others vulnerable. I cannot be Alpha right now. You can. You could even if I wasn’t injured. Although you back down from me every time you start to challenge me, everyone in this room—most everyone in the desert—knows that you are stronger if you want to be.” He used their combined hands to catch the underside of her chin and forced her to look at him. “You can’t be Alpha if you back down, and I’m injured. We need to be smart about this. Maili’s treacherous. If you fall, she’s the next strongest here. She’s not what we want in power even for a breath. Please?”

“For now. If I’m strong enough—”

“You are beyond strong, but you’re not cruel enough, princess,” Sionnach interrupted.

“You underestimate me, Shy. I think I’m quite able to be cruel.”

“Are you sure enough to risk all of our safety on that belief?”