I moved my knees to feel they’d stiffened. My eyes opened, and I stared at the new rings of dust under the chandeliers. I couldn’t even smell the burnt amber on me anymore, and that bothered me. I jumped when Trent sat down beside me. I had forgotten he was here. Pulse pounding, I shifted down an inch or two, wondering what he wanted. Getting antsy, was he?

“I, uh, want to thank you,” he said, when it was obvious I wasn’t going to break the awkward silence.

Surprised, I glanced at Ivy’s watch. Tickity-tock, Jenks. “You’re welcome.”

He pulled his knees up, which made him look odd in his black jumpsuit. “Don’t you want to know what for?”

Expression neutral to maintain the facade that everything was going according to plan, I gestured at the broken cathedral. “For keeping you alive on this magic carpet ride?”

He looked at the shattered room. “For stopping my wedding.”

Blinking, I cautiously offered, “You didn’t love her.”

His gaze had dulled, and his hair was white with dust. “I didn’t have the chance to find out.”

Trent wants to love someone. Curious. “Ceri—”

“Ceri wants nothing to do with me,” he stated. He let his knees fall to stretch his legs down the stairs, his usually collected features scrunched up. “Why do I need to marry someone anyway? It’s politics, that’s all.”

I stared, seeing him as a young man in a position of power being asked to marry, have children, live a nice quiet life of hidden intrigue and public showmanship. Poor, poor Mr. Trent. “That didn’t stop you with Ellasbeth,” I said, pushing for more.

“I don’t respect Ellasbeth.”

Don’t respect or don’t fear her? I ran my gaze up from his boots to his cap. “You’re welcome,” I said. “But I arrested you to put you in jail, not to save you from Ellasbeth.” Jenks had helped Quen steal the evidence that Trent had murdered the Weres, and the FIB had to let him go. And yet Trent was taking the last ride out of the ever-after instead of sticking around and helping us bargain for two more trips. Ah, well. It really wasn’t his problem, was it.

A faint smile quirked his lips. “Don’t tell Quen, but the jail time was worth it.”

My smile grew to match his, then faded. “Thank you for bringing Jenks home,” I said, then added, “And my shoes. Those are my favorite pair.”

Looking askance at me, he almost smiled. “No problem.”

“But I don’t appreciate you putting my future kids on the demon radar,” I said, and his expression became questioning. God, he didn’t even know he had done it. I don’t know if that made it better or worse. Jaw tight, I added, “Telling Minias my kids will be healthy and possibly able to kindle demon magic?”