All morning, I’d wondered over Berk’s reaction to Aster last night, and of all I knew she still hadn’t divulged to me. It sat beneath the surface of her every look and touch—a trepidation she felt she couldn’t yet give voice to.

I was far from patient. But I was so far out of my element that I would accept whatever she was most comfortable giving in hopes of not making her anxieties any worse than they clearly already were.

Dade slurped his tea, and I gnashed my teeth.

Fang chuckled.

Opal’s gaze burned, and I finally looked over to find she’d been waiting. “What?”

Dade’s teacup nearly cracked when he dumped it back into his saucer and said, “Manners, you miserable fuck.”

“He’s no longer so miserable, king,” Fang supplied.

Dade’s annoyance fell into a smirk. “And how is our captive?”

To better ignore and annoy him, I said to Opal, “You said something I missed, my queen?” Last I knew from when I’d been paying attention, they’d all been discussing Queen Nikaya—Opal’s mother. Apparently, Sinshell’s queen and her new lover, Silver, had gleaned little of use from a meeting with Errin’s human queen.

Of course, Queen Sabrina could be lying through her teeth, especially after losing her son to the war he helped to create. But it was in her best interest not to if she wished to continue breathing after all she’d done.

Errin, the human kingdom of Nodoya, had sent out a call for aid to end Dade’s attacks upon their half of the continent, and the gold-touched clothing had been used to gain that help. Sabrina had since admitted to Nikaya and Silver that no one had been interested in risking their lives.

No one except for King Marvis, from the Isle of Emerald.

Dead giveaway… that scar.

Unsure what to do with the knowledge I’d discovered during the battle with those who’d been sent to kill not just any faerie they happened upon—but to kill me—I had no choice but to keep quiet for now. Dishonest, most certainly, but after all these years, also extremely necessary. Even so, I’d made a mental note to talk to Berk about it as soon as I could catch him alone.

Yet I was also never more certain that I was not the sole reason all those soldiers had ventured across the sea.

Opal asked me, “She still hasn’t talked?”

I gave my gaze back to my pastry and tore it in two, feigning a lewd drawl, “Define talking, Majesty.”

Dade cursed viciously.

“No.” My chair creaked as I sat back and smirked. “Not about anything that would be of use to any of you. Your gold,” I said to Opal, to change the subject—and because a tiny part of me was reluctantly curious. “Can you still weave it or not?”