Epilogue #3
I took it out, looked at the display, then pulled up and read the text comm.
At the ready.
That was Bain.
I moved out of the solar and down the stairs, descended the next flight, and I might have sneaked a peek into the lounge.
Gayliliel and Cormac were watching a vid on screen.
Gayle was twirling her hair, her eyes aimed to the action playing before her.
Mac was scowling at it.
She’d taken another potion, against Mac’s wishes.
You had to admire her loyalty to the mission.
Even if it was frustrating as all hells.
I had not asked if she’d talked to him about Selediel.
I was dying to know.
But I’d told her about the ancient fae.
Now I was taking a page out of Tanyn’s book (or trying) and giving them space so whatever was going to happen would happen.
I just hoped whatever that was, it brought them together and made them both happy.
As I moved through the back hall to get to the back door, I heard Aleece’s laughter drifting up from the kitchen. It was mingled with Manny’s deep chuckles.
I’d always really liked her, even admired her.
Now, this had grown because she was who she was, Princess Royal to a mighty realm, and still, she treated Zyr and Manny like family.
This wasn’t only because they were.
She could turn on and off the airs and graces depending on if she was doing royal duties, or if she was just communing with her beings.
This meant she was just Aleece Starknight, who just happened to be a princess.
It was mega cool.
It wasn’t lost on me that Bainon felt the same.
Alas, for him, since she was still dead set against him dropping the spell (another female devoted to her mission), they were living together but sleeping in separate bedrooms.
I was hoping what happened between Tanyn and me happened to all of them.
That being, with the pull of their fated mate muted, they fell in love with each other because they fell in love.
And then they could let their fate bind them forever.
I knew how that felt, and it was highly recommended.
I stopped at the box shelves and hooks at the back door.
I wound my scarf around my neck, slipped off my slippers and slid my feet into a new pair of boots (yes, I bought the other pair that caught my eye the first time I was here—I was me, I did this kind of thing), and bent over to tie the laces.
Next came the snow goggles I pulled over my head and all the way down to my neck.
Only after they were in place did I don my knit hat, tucking my hair in it to keep it away from my face.
I ended this with tugging on the beige below-the-knee puffy jacket with the thick collar of fake fur, zipping it up, and finally, there were my mittens.
I headed out to see Bain standing beside the SnowSprint he’d pulled up. He was holding the bouquet of flowers I’d secreted into the storage compartment on the jet we took from the mainland.
Before we arrived, Tanyn had offered to teach me how to pilot one.
I’d refused.
Eventually, I’d get there.
But for now, if I didn’t know how, it meant I had to press close and hold him tight, because if we headed into the tundra, he’d have to pilot.
“Ready?” Bain asked.
I’d noticed in the very brief time we’d been there that Bainon was a huge fan of the SnowSprint. He took one out immediately, doing daredevil shit that I hoped didn’t give Tanyn any ideas.
“Just to note, I’d like to get there in one piece,” I told him.
His white smile spread against his tan skin.
Seriously.
How Aleece could hold herself back was a total mystery.
“I’ll pilot like a grandma,” he assured.
“See that you do,” I harumphed.
He handed me the flowers, pulled up his goggles then tugged the gator over his mouth.
I gave them back, positioned my goggles, and readjusted my scarf to cover the lower half of my face.
See?
I was learning.
Again with the switch of the flowers so he could get on.
Juggling the bouquet, I got on behind him.
And off we went.
It was still a rush to speed across the snow.
It was just less of a rush because I was doing it with Bain and not my Tanny.
Bain didn’t maneuver any tail flips or launch us over any tall drifts.
He just jetted us to the lynx pen.
When we got there, I spied Hurley and Avie loping beside Tanyn as he headed toward the gate of the pen.
He lifted a gloved hand to hail us.
I was glad to see the male put on gloves.
I was getting used to the SnowSprint, but not enough to let go of Bain to lift my own hand to return his greeting.
Bain stopped us just beyond the gate, next to Tanyn’s Sprint, and shouted over the engine, “Yo!”
As a reply, Tanyn jerked up his chin.
I swung off the Sprint.
“Thanks, Bain!” I yelled over the noise.
Another jerk of a male’s chin (yeesh), and when I stepped away, he rounded Tanyn’s Sprint, I turned and watched him launch himself over a tall drift, the Sprint shooting up in the air, before aiming itself down the other side and disappearing.
Again, yeesh.
By the time I turned back to Tanyn, he was outside the gate.
Hurley raced to me.
Avie stayed close to Tanyn.
He’d come to greet us when we arrived at Sigil that morning, but although he tolerated me, he was Tanyn’s cat.
When Tanyn arrived at me, he put one hand to my waist and touched his bare nose to my covered one.
“All good?” I asked after he pulled his face away.
My voice was muffled by wool.
“The new placement is getting his bearings,” he replied.
He was referring to an injured lynx that had been placed there only a couple of days ago.
I smiled through my scarf, something Tanyn couldn’t even see in my eyes due to the goggles covering them, so I said, “Excellent.”
“Uly commed,” he told me.
Oh boy.
“What did he have to say?” I asked.
“The latest blood tests of our prisoners still show the agent is present,” he replied.
Damn.
Would that stuff never leave their systems?
“That’s incredibly long lasting,” I bitched.
“The chemists aren’t surprised by that. They said there were properties in it where they hypothesized this would be the case.”
They did say that.
It was still irritating.
“Though, they think they might be closing in on something that would counteract it,” Tanyn carried on.
Finally, some good news.
Another hidden smile, but this one he could hear in my repeat of, “Excellent.”
“More good news, the extradition orders for Arnaud’s advisers have all come through. They’ll be returned to the Edge soon. The one from the Break on Wednesday, the two from the End on Friday.”
“That is good news. And maybe some answers.”
“Maybe,” he allowed. “But still no sign of Tatra and Arnaud. However, the inter-realm task force we’ve set on this is using the intel gathered on those we know were involved, are involved, and who we suspect involvement, and they’re painting a picture of what we’re up against.”
“Let me guess. A return to the old ways.”
He nodded once. “Deep traditionalist ties. We’ve always kept watch on these groups, but we’re keeping a closer watch and making moves to infiltrate as many of them as we can.”
He also couldn’t see my grouchy face, but I knew he could feel my vibe when he went on.
“Slow and steady, Catty.”
Whatever.
“Any news on Monique?” I asked.
His hand at my waist slid around to my back so he could pull me closer.
“None. No sightings. Nothing,” he said carefully. “But we have thoroughly investigated her and her spa.”
“And?”
“What you knew of her personally, all of that was true. But her spa isn’t owned by her, at least not outright. She has a partner.”
“She does?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
His arm grew tighter. “Princess Felenia.”
Holy Hecate.
“Mac’s aunt?”
“I talked to Mac about it. He’s already commed her.
She said it’s in her portfolio, but outside of noting it offered steady and healthy profits, she really didn’t know much about it.
It was recommended she invest in it by one of her advisors.
It’s a much smaller endeavor than the ones she normally invests in, but it’s also one of several of that size, so it isn’t unheard of she’d make such an investment. ”
It wouldn’t be.
Felenia was known as a very savvy entrepreneur.
Still.
“This is a weird coincidence.”
“It is. We’ll be keeping our eyes on it. Though, I have another weird coincidence to share.”
“That is?”
“Uly said Dinyn Climbright has introduced a piece of legislation in the Center.”
“It is his job to do that, honey,” I pointed out.
“This one is highly controversial.”
“There are some that are.”
“Not from him,” Tanyn continued. “He’s always been middle of the road. Make no waves. Do just enough to keep your seat all the while being wined and dined by lobbyists and getting paid astronomical fees to do a lecture somewhere.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “So what is this legislation?”
“Any attempt on any royal’s life will be punished as in ancient times, according to their realm.”
By Beelzebub.
I stared.
“That would be burned alive in Sky’s Edge. Flayed and eagled in Night’s Fall. Drawn and quartered in Land’s End. Pegged for live carrion in Dawn’s Break. And hung from the neck in the Center,” Tanyn clarified what I’d learned way back in history class.
“I can see this would be controversial,” I forced out through my shock.
“He has support,” Tanyn shocked me further.
“After the troll attack, the news Mom and Dad were murdered. And they don’t even know of the incidents here or at Berg.
You know it hasn’t been missed that Mac and Gayle are always together.
Everyone thinks they’re a couple, they just haven’t announced it officially yet.
And there are murmurings about Aleece and Bain.
They’ve tried to be surreptitious, but since they’re together all the time, and not simply around those in our inner circle, they were bound to be found out and beings would talk. ”
“Well, those couples are together, so that’s no big thing.”
His lips hitched before he kept going.
“Beings are putting together there are further links, specifically you three being longtime friends and ending up with a king or future kings, and Aleece’s relation to Aleksei drawing her into the quartet.”