“He consumed resources from Seelie. Drank the water, fed on the plants, consumed blood of the vein—all of which returned him to the genetic state his bloodline awarded him. Come, let us see what he has to say here.” I gestured for him to follow me as I headed across the street. If the Prince was in there, then I needed to witness what was happening. “Where are our friends?”

“Sam and Libby went . . . I don’t even know where. Malik and Pierce are around the corner, standing near the locked bathroom in case they need to be sick.” He shuddered. “I’m not sure where Saber went.”

“Is this all you’ve collected?” The Unseelie Prince shouted, his voice echoing down the empty corridor. “I gave you all that time to work and you’ve wasted it?”

Sweyn’s red eyes narrowed. She snarled and her upper lip curled up to reveal a fang. But then her gaze shot over to me. “Everest. Where the hell have you been?”

I arched one eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest. “Mother required my attention and services.”

They wouldn’t dare question Lilith.

The Prince smashed a window next to him with his bare hand. “You are a waste of space. I gave you a window. I told you that window would be short and you needed to act, but what did you do? Please, tell me, Your Majesty, what good wasting that window of distraction did for us?”

Sweyn crossed arms over her chest and held her chin high. “I was waiting to make a bold move⁠—”

“FOR WHAT, DEAR SISTER? WHAT WERE YOU WAITING FOR?” The Prince shouted. “I warned you The Coven would be alerted we’d entered Seelie and they’d react even faster. I warned you. I told you to be prepared!”

“We are clear across the country, Brother dearest⁠—”

“And the Aether Witch can be here in the flash of a moment⁠—”

“She’s down⁠—”

“NOT ANYMORE!” he bellowed.

Braison’s gaze shot to me, and I saw the question in it. I gave a small smile and nodded. He relaxed. I did not like that the Prince was aware Tegan had awoken from her Witch’s Shock.

Sweyn stomped one white stiletto-clad foot and flung one arm out. “The arcana are not ignorant fools like the humans. Perhaps if your group hadn’t been so sloppy and savage in your kidnappings, the arcana wouldn’t have gone into hiding.”

“Your incompetence knows no bounds,” he growled, those yellow cat-like eyes blazing with rage and power. “I did not lose dozens of my men to succeed in my task just for you to fail at all of yours.”

Sweyn growled so loud the walls trembled.