“No, that was fake.” Tegan sat on the ledge of the hearth next to Emersyn. She rubbed her eyes. “I was doing that and telling her to fake it.”

Tenn’s eyes widened. “You’re scary sometimes, babe.”

“I love you too.” She peeled her hands off her eyes to wink at him, then resumed rubbing her eyes.

Malik leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “So Sam can withstand sunlight like Everest. That’s a Lilith thing then?”

“No, it’s an Everest thing.”

Tegan sat up straight and looked to me. “How do you know? What did he say?”

“That his father was the Seelie King. That he’s Seelie, not Unseelie, and the sun affects him the same way it does us.”

Braison’s jaw dropped.

Tenn stared at me like I’d spoken in another language.

Tegan smacked her knees with her hands. “That’s it. That’s the piece of the puzzle I was missing.”

“Oh, just one piece, babe?”

Malik’s legs bounced until Mei-Ling started rubbing his back. He shook his head. “Everest can go in the sun because he’s Seelie, but Sam isn’t Seelie. So why can⁠—”

“Because Everest turned her,” Braison said softly, his red and green eyes distant as he scratched Albert’s head. Then he narrowed his eyes on Saber. “Everest turned you, didn’t he?”

No. Not quite. But I couldn’t say that out loud.

Malik sat up straight, his wide black and red eyes focusing on her. “Can you go in the sunlight?”

“Yes.” Saber nodded, her expression guarded. “I can go in the sun because Everest can.”

Sneaky, sneaky.

Braison swallowed roughly. “So then . . . does that mean . . . it would stand to reason then⁠—”

“You and Malik can also go in the sun. Just like Sam can.” Saber gestured to the front door. “If it was daylight, I’d tell you to prove it to yourselves, but I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for that.”

“I can go in the sun . . .” Braison’s eyes watered. He shook his head, then plopped down to use Albert as a pillow.

Saber turned to Malik. “This is the sole reason Everest turned you the moment he saw you, Malik. There was no way you were leaving Avolire without being turned, so he made sure your future wouldn’t be so dark.”

Malik paled. Tears pooled in his eyes. “Th-th-thank you.”

“You’ll have to thank him.” She gave him a small smile before turning back to me. “Now, where is Everest?”

Braison sat back up with a scowl. “Why didn’t you two tell us?”

“It was not safe to know while we remained within the walls of Avolire.” Saber began pacing in front of the big front window. “He could not reveal that truth to you before revealing it about himself first. He had been hoping to hang on to that secret a little longer⁠—”