“No, I’m not, but if they’ll let me break Sionnach and be independent, convincing the others to offer the Summer King a little obedience here and there isn’t so bad. I’ll become Alpha. Sionnach will either obey or leave. The ones I decide need extra leashing will be forced to swear fealty to the Summer King.”

“He’s not trustworthy,” Rika said mildly.

“Exactly. That’s why I need you to help me get rid of him.” Maili smiled at Rika like she’d given a particularly insightful answer.

Her chains were finally sagging enough that she could punch Maili—so she did. Then she grabbed her and pulled her close, spinning her so that her back was to Rika’s chest. To anyone watching it would look like Rika was embracing her.

“I meant that Keenan isn’t trustworthy,” Rika corrected.

Maili struggled as Rika choked her with the chains until she was unconscious. Then, holding Maili’s limp form in one arm, she used her other hand to go through Maili’s pockets until she found the keys. It was not a quick or easy process, but it worked. She retrieved the key and let Maili slump to the ground, alive but not conscious.

“Of course, Shy isn’t trustworthy either,” Rika told the unconscious faery. “But he also isn’t trying to steal everyone’s freedom.”

She unlocked the manacles, put them on Maili, and left her chained up to the fire escape.

Then Rika pocketed the keys and walked away. When she reached the end of the alley and stepped out, Maili’s helpers stared at her. None of them moved to attack her now. They weren’t malicious. Being a solitary faery meant obeying those stronger; it meant making allegiances that faded when power shifted.

“Don’t be stupid,” she cautioned them. “Scratch that. Don’t be any stupider than you’ve already been. Following Maili or believing her theories about trusting the Summer King would be a bad idea.”

One of them started to attempt to explain. “Maili said . . . but we didn’t want to hurt you. It’s just that Maili said—”

“She’s not the strongest faery in the desert,” Rika interjected. “Neither is Shy. I am.”

They didn’t reply, but there was nothing truthful they could say. Even those who’d never lived among the court fey knew about the curse. Many of the solitary fey in the desert were those who had fled there to escape the cold that had become so pervasive in much of the world because of the curse. Knowing about the curse also meant that they knew that the former Winter Girls were strong, much stronger than fey who’d hidden in the desert.