“Right, she’s here. Now what do you want?” Lina snarled, pushing off the wall to stare at her cousin.

Delta looked worse than she had at breakfast. The beams of daylight streaming through the window revealed the severity of her injuries, the wounds festering. The urgency of this procedure seemed to press in on the room.

Delta craned her neck up to Cole. “How long again until I’m back on my feet?”

“If you let me get the infection out today,” he said in a carefully even tone, “your fae healing will take over, and you should be recovered within a few weeks.”

Saika gripped her wife’s hand tighter, rubbing her arm up and down in soothing strokes. “No time at all.”

Delta looked at Bri. “I want you to swear your sword to Lina until I am recovered.”

“Del—” Lina began but was cut off by Delta’s stern look.

“I need this assurance that she stays true to her word,” Delta hissed. “And that you won’t try to evade her.” She gave her cousin a knowing look. “Please, or my ghost will haunt you forever.”

“The only thing you’re going to die from is stubbornness, you fool,” Lina jeered. “Now let Cole put you under.”

“Not until she swears it,” Delta insisted.

All eyes turned to Bri.

“I’m already here, Del,” Bri said, glancing to Lina, who stared at her with brilliant, unyielding eyes. “I will protect her.”

“Swear it,” Delta pushed.

“Gods, it shouldn’t even matter,” Carys said, stepping further into the room. “I’m here too, for Gods’ sake.”

“I know you take vows seriously,” Delta said, her eyes dropping to Bri’s waist. “I want you to swear on that dagger on your hip.”

Carys curled her lip as Bri hardened a look at Delta. She should have never told Delta who the amber dagger had belonged to, the sentiment behind it. Delta knew a promise made with that dagger would be worth more than anything else.

“That is low, Delta,” Carys said. “Even for you.”

“Enough of this.” Lina stormed over to the countertop of elixirs, her voice cracking as she muttered, “I won’t let you die too, Delta. So help me.”

Delta stared at Bri with wide, imploring eyes. “Please,” she begged, scrunching her face to keep her tears from welling.

Please. She didn’t know who this broken person was. Gone was the lover with the cavalier smile. The fear in Delta’s eyes was like nothing she had ever seen before. Delta was so certain her cousin would be killed while she recovered. The desperation made them all uneasy.

“Damn it.” Bri scowled, unsheathing her dagger. “Knowing you, you’ll be better in a week, anyway.”

Delta’s whole body sagged, lying back down as Bri stepped up to Lina. Those dark eyes held hers, a wary look in them as Bri knelt before Lina, holding up her dagger.

As Bri stared at the amber stone on the hilt, her chest seized. “Abalina Thorne, Crown Princess of the Western Court, I pledge my blade to you for so long as you need.”