Bentley spoke in a language I did not know but recognized as Seelie. Thorne and Sage spoke it back in hushed, rushed tones. None of those vibes were calm or easy. Something was not right. Thorne snarled and pressed his hands to Bentley’s wound. Sage took both of his arms in hers. Golden-white light spilled out of the angel’s hands for a moment. When Sage pulled her hands back, Bentley’s had returned to their normal fair, very human complexion. He sighed and the tension left his shoulders.

Thorne cursed and stepped back. He turned to the group. “Unseelie magic is . . .” He let his words fade as he just shook his head, his gaze locked on nothing.

Sage reached up and put her hand on her brother’s shoulder. Then her purple eyes landed on me with a darkness in them. “Let us hope Everest has answers for us.”

My heart sank like an anchor in the sea, causing a wake that rippled through the rest of my body. I shivered against the cold chill slithering down my spine.

Tegan watched me for a moment, wringing her hands together. “May I ask a question . . . that might offend you?”

My pulse quickened. “Me?”

“Sorry, Frankie, no.” She shook her head and turned to the angels. “You two.”

Thorne arched one fiery eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. “The fact you feel the need to preface your question concerns me.”

“That means yes, you may ask.” Sage rolled her eyes. Her mouth was set in a firm line.

Tegan smirked but the humor did not reach her eyes. “Why is it you two don’t know? I mean, you’re King Fuckface’s children. The children of the very male who banished half of Seelie from Seelie . . . I am not judging, I am just curious why you don’t know. Or perhaps I should say, curious as to why you think Everest would know more? Aren’t you much older than him?”

Sage’s face fell. She closed her eyes and turned away from us.

Thorne stared for a long moment, long enough I was wondering if he was offended, or if he was even going to answer at all. Finally, he just hung his head. “That is a fair question, queen of darkness. We are not offended that you asked it.”

“But you’re not going to answer it,” I heard myself say. When everyone looked to me, I just shrugged. “Every time I asked Everest a question he couldn’t or wouldn’t answer, he made that same face. The aura was the same.”

“Everest is a child in our eyes, in terms of age. He is significantly younger than us.” Thorne rubbed the back of his neck. “When Everest joins our side, there will be things we will be free to discuss. Until then we must protect him in any way we can.”