Chapter 13
HOME. RIGHT. I’D told him I was staying with Soren.
I couldn’t tell him I wasn’t really a guest there without revealing my lie. “I don’t think he’s going to be home to let us in.” I dug in my heels to stop. “He’s probably still back there at the party . . .”
“Nonsense. Soren never stays at a revel long.” Caius tugged my arm to get me moving again. As we turned a corner, my mind raced for another excuse, but I came up empty.
Memorizing the tunnels on this side wasn’t as hard as I’d expected, though, because unlike Soren, the prince took a very direct route. And when he paused to glance up at the wall the first time, I followed his gaze and barely stopped a gasp.
The tunnels had signs!
At the top of this one was a wooden inscription: Toadspit Trail. And at the crossing, Echo Alley on the left and Thistle Burrow on the right.
Earlier, I’d been so focused on those fae doors, wondering who lived behind each one, that my eyes had never drifted high enough to notice!
Fae crossed our path frequently. Each time, they’d bow to the prince, who greeted them warmly as we swept past. He seemed well-liked.
Soren’s earlier description of him was completely off.
I hadn’t had a bad impression all night.
If anything, Caius’s help in the last hour had made Soren’s deal look lousy.
He turned once at Mothkiss, then again at Rotwood, but otherwise continued on straight until I began to recognize the tunnels ahead.
That certainly made my job easier.
“You should know, I barely know Soren,” I said after we’d passed yet another group of fae. “I don’t have any loyalties to him, if that helps . . .”
“Helps me trust you?” he asked with a cheeky grin. “Much appreciated. But I still can’t share our business with an Unseelie.”
I wanted to ask if fae ever switched courts, like some permanent-visa-type situation, but I had a feeling that question would be too weird, even for a supposed Unseelie.
Caius’s thoughts had gone down a different path. “I’m glad to hear you’re not close with Soren. I’d advise you to keep it that way.”
Curiosity rose. “Can I ask why?”
“Haven’t you noticed he isn’t fully . . . himself anymore?” Caius raised a single brow at me, shaking his head. “Didn’t you wonder what he might’ve done to receive such a punishment?”
I frowned. Then it hit me: He meant Soren’s missing wings. My eyes widened. That was a punishment? No wonder Soren hadn’t wanted to talk about it. He must’ve done something truly awful to deserve something so cruel.
Lost in thought, I almost bumped into Caius when we stopped.
He let go of my arm to pound on Soren’s front door.
I expected Lore or one of the others to answer, but instead, Soren himself opened it with his usual calm unreadable expression.
“I’m back,” I said in a flat tone, scowling. I can’t believe I thought he’d wait for me. “The prince wanted to make sure I got home safely.”
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Caius asked before Soren could respond. “I came all this way, after all.”
“Of course.” Soren’s entire demeanor stiffened. “Come in.”
As soon as we entered, the prince left my side, circling the room casually, studying the books lining the walls. “I haven’t visited here in some time.”
I didn’t know if he was telling me or reminding Soren, but neither of us answered.
The tension in the room was palpable.
If I could’ve disappeared somehow, I would’ve.
“I didn’t expect you to bring him here.” Soren’s harsh whisper reached me from a few feet away. Caius had to have heard as well, but he didn’t show any sign of it. He was too busy picking through Soren’s desk like he belonged there.
“Yeah?” I was ticked enough to retort, “Well, I didn’t expect you to just abandon me back there either.”
But I should’ve.
He was fae, after all. He couldn’t be trusted and had proved it yet again.
A twinge of something crossed Soren’s face before he smoothed it out. I wanted to call it guilt, but that was wishful thinking.
“I should be going,” Caius said abruptly from the door. “In all the fun with Brynn, I nearly lost track of time, but I'm expected elsewhere.”
Soren didn’t respond.
Caius was halfway through the door when I realized I should say goodbye. “Oh, thank—”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” Soren interrupted, quietly this time so Caius wouldn’t hear.
The door clicked shut. I turned to face him, crossing my arms. “I . . .” I trailed off, confused, and finally just said a deeply uncertain, “What?”
“Don’t thank anyone here. The fae treat ‘thanks’ as a debt to be paid.”
When I just blinked at him, his hand twitched like he was trying to keep it still and failing. “Unless you want to owe the prince and have him call in the favor unexpectedly—”
“No,” I interrupted. Swallowing hard, I shook my head. “I don’t want that. Got it. Thank—”
“Break the habit.” Soren cut me off a second time, scooping up the logbook from his desk, where it’d lain open. He put it inside his jacket pocket.
Why had he stopped me that time, when it was in his favor? You’d think a bargainer like him would take every opportunity he could get.
He moved to sit on the couch by the fireplace. A steaming pot of something rested on the coffee table.
“Tea?” he asked abruptly, breaking into my thoughts.
I still stood in the middle of the library. Slowly, I crossed the space and lowered myself to perch on the edge of the couch opposite him. “Um, no, I’m more of a hot chocolate person, thank—that’s okay.” I expected another lecture over my slip, but he just took a sip of his hot drink.
“Nice work,” he said after swallowing the liquid.
My lips parted. “Wait, what—” I didn’t know what to say, which was more my speed and to be expected, but terrible timing. “I thought you were upset?”
“Why would I be upset? Everything went exactly as planned.”
I squinted at him. “You said you didn’t expect me to bring him here. I thought you couldn’t lie?”
“I didn’t. That was entirely true, since I wouldn’t expect you to personally invite anyone into my home. However, I absolutely expected him to use the opportunity to bring himself here, under the guise of helping you. He’s been trying to glean information from me for a while now.”
“And you . . . wanted that?”
He laughed softly. “It was a good opportunity to avert his growing suspicions. Which is also why I asked you to make him believe I was home all day yesterday. He only found information I wanted him to find. Speaking of, I assume you managed to complete your task?”
“Yep, I told him exactly what you asked. He seemed to buy it.” My jaw dropped as his words sank in. “Are you saying you planted things for him to find? What things?”
“Brynn, you have a very trustworthy face, but even that isn’t going to make me tell you more.”
I touched my cheeks, feeling them heat, unsure how to take that.
So, I’d helped him hide something from the prince. That didn’t sit right with me now that I’d met Caius. But I should’ve expected Soren’s deal would lead to something crooked. That was what I got for trusting him.
“Well.” I stood. “If I could just get my coat and boots.” I wasn’t totally sure I’d remember the way back to those people, but I was determined to try.
“Your end of the deal isn’t complete.”
I huffed a laugh. “It is too! It’s not my fault your first request took up the whole two—”
“Check the time.” He averted his eyes so I could pull my phone from its hiding place, making me blush that he’d noticed where I’d put it.
Grumbling under my breath as I pulled it out from the waistband just beneath my bra, I tapped the screen to turn it on. It was 8:53 p.m. Seven more minutes left in our deal.
Shoot.
Could he ask me to do something else in the remaining time? I tried to glide past it. “You obviously don’t want me staying here, so I’ll just get out of your way.” Forget the coat and boots. It’d be weird to carry them through the tunnels anyway.
Soren cleared his throat, still not looking at me. “The prince may have someone watching the door. He’ll know you’re not really staying here if they see you leave. You should stay the night, at the very least.”
I stiffened. “I don’t owe you anything except the next few minutes.” I rounded the couch, heading for the door. “You can’t ask for anything longer than that.”
“Do what you will. But I’d intended to keep my promise and tell you what I discovered about your family.”
I froze.
Earlier, all he’d said was that he’d learned “something.” A large part of me knew it was probably another useless fact, like, “Yes, I confirmed they were presented at court.”
But it turned out I still needed to hear it.
Turning slowly, I met his gaze.
The front door burst open.
Voices poured in from the hall: Lore, Julian, Gwen, and that guy with the ram horns who cooked incredible food but whose name kept escaping me.
“Did you see how she flirted with me?” he asked the others.
“Oh, Perry.” Gwen patted him on the shoulder. Ah, that’s right. Peregrin. “Sorry to tell you this, but saying hello doesn’t qualify as flirting.”
“I know,” he protested, wiping his feet on the entrance rug.
My eyes widened. How had I missed that he had hooves? It made sense. They matched his curling horns.
“It was the way she said it,” he continued as they moved into the library. “You have to listen for the nuance.”
Julian deviated from the group and headed toward a drink table, looking like Captain America with that perfect blond hair and chiseled jaw. “You’re a hopeless romantic. There was no nuance. Unless she was flirting with all of us.”
“Oh, yay, you’re still here!” Lore clapped when she saw me.
I gave her a weak smile.
They didn’t know their timing was terrible.
Soren gave me an unreadable look, then cleared his throat again. “Peregrin, did you mention a late-night snack of some sort?”
Forehead wrinkling, Peregrin tugged on the curly hair by one of his horns. “I don’t remember saying—”