“It will grant him passage to the Otherworld, but only for short periods at a time,” Zadok explained. “As he is mated to Teighan, the magic of their bond will slightly weaken the strength of the ward on the Veil, but still not enough to allow him through. This band is enchanted with a counter spell, and it will give him a boost. As soon as it is on his wrist, he will have three days before he must return to the human realm.”

“What happens after three days?”

“He will be dragged back, and depending on where he is, it might not be pretty.”

My mate’s eyes widened. “Right. Three days.”

“Once he returns, tell him to bury it under soil from the Fae side of the city and leave it for at least a month to let the magic refill before visiting again. That’s important.”

Luca nodded along, absorbing the instructions. “Got it. I’ll tell him.” He slipped the band safely into the front of his pack before returning his attention to his father, a grateful smile on his lips. “Thank you. This will mean the world to him, and Tee.”

“I am glad that your brother has found his mate,” Zadok addressed me once again, his expression soft. “He deserves it after everything he went through. It may not be much of a grand gesture, but this is partly my apology for not telling him of his mother sooner.”

“You knew her?” I said, and the light in his eyes dimmed slightly.

“Yes. Eleri was an extraordinary woman—strong, generous, and fair—but fate dealt her the cruelest hand.” He gazed off to the side as if recalling a troubling memory. “When she died, the king ordered all mention of her to be wiped off the face of the earth. I obeyed, but per her final request to me, I drafted a contract in blood ink, ensuring that her journal could never be destroyed or modified. It was the least I could do to protect even a fraction of Teighan’s legacy. The king found out and... punished me severely for it, then had me hide the documents in my office, so only he and I would have access to them. I should have tried harder to tell the boy of his birthright when he grew up, but I was… terrified.”

“He’s such a bastard,” Luca growled, a spark of magic igniting at the tips of his fingers before disappearing. “Teighan wouldn’t blame you for it. You did what you had to do to survive, as everyone does within that dickhead’s orbit. I swear, every time he’s brought up, I’m given more and more cause to despise him, and then I end up hating him even more for bringing it out in me.”

I rested my hand on the boy’s nape, squeezing gently. “Breathe, sweetheart.”