“No.” Everest stepped forward and took my chin in his hand. He forced my eyes to his, then watched me close. With his other hand, he brushed the backs of his fingers over my forehead and pressure lifted instantly. “Asmodeus lured you out of Coven Headquarters just as he lured you from your home in Tampa that night Tegan found you.”

“So Sweyn can’t get into our minds?” Tegan’s voice was muffled by Tenn’s chest and arms.

“No, she cannot. The fallen can . . .” Everest took a deep breath and lowered his hand from my face. “And the Prince can. I need to remind you the Prince is a powerful siphon and his power is stronger now that he fed from Seelie. He will continue to get stronger with every day he is here. You have to be careful.”

“We knew it was a trap, but Tegan said we needed to go anyway⁠—”

“Tegan is crazy.” Everest hung his head. “Tegan will have to learn when she can and cannot use her crazy. This is a new game. Enemies of your past could be toyed with. You are no longer free to behave the same way you would have.”

Tegan mumbled but her words were lost to my ears. Everest growled deep in his throat in response.

Tim cleared his throat and stepped forward, stopping next to Tenn. “Thank you for saving us again, Everest. But why are we still here?”

Jackson snapped his fingers. “Oi. What he said.”

“Oi?” Everest smirked. “You are so much like your father it’s uncanny.”

“Right tosser, you are.” Jackson held his hand up and I spotted a single stem red rose tattooed on the side of his thumb. “Out with it, mate.”

“We are waiting to see what the next phase of their trap was, so I’m holding you here to be ready to move.” Everest frowned over to Tenn and Tegan. “Except for you two. Stay home.”

Tenn opened his mouth to protest when the floor opened up beneath their feet and they dropped. Tim flinched. Hunter gasped and leapt forward but Everest caught him and shook his head.

“Nope, don’t like that,” Thiago mumbled. He patted Royce’s chest. “Said that for him.”

“Excuse me.” I pushed up to stand, then tugged my sweater down. I looked to my soulmate. “You can go out in the sunlight.”

He stared at me for a moment. “Yes.”

I threw my hands up. “Like all the time? Any time? Since fucking when? And why didn’t you tell me?”

“Since I was born. Technically you never asked, and it was an important secret to keep from our enemies.” He shrugged one shoulder. “And yes, all the time. Any time. Sunlight has no different effect on me than it does any of you.”

A strangled whimper left my lips. I had no words for this revelation.