Page 155 of The Robin on the Oak Throne

“Yes. The wedding is in a few weeks,” Gen said. “After your boot camp thing is finished. We thought you’d want to come to the party tonight.”

“I do,” he said automatically. Then he wavered. “But…”

“What’s the worst they can do to you?” Kierse pushed.

Ethan’s eyes lifted to Niamh’s. “Well? Would they kick me out?”

“Maybe,” she conceded. “But you’re a strong talent. And you’re kind of essential in several ways.”

“The triskel magic,” Ethan conceded, looking between them. “Which we should be training.”

Kierse wrinkled her nose. “Yeah.”

“But also because you’re important,” Niamh said, pointing at Kierse, “to her.”

“What does she have to do with it?” Ethan asked, still sullen.

Kierse sighed. “I’m Lorcan’s ‘soulmate.’” She mimed the quotes around the word.

Ethan’s stunned expression was almost satisfying. Hisreligious-like fervor for Lorcan, however, far from pleased Kierse. Lorcan was charismatic and beguiling in many ways. She wasn’t sure how to keep Ethan from falling any farther under his spell.

“You can get out for a night,” Niamh promised.

“Come with us,” Gen said, grabbing his hand. “Just for tonight. We’ll have you back in the morning.”

“Like Cinderella,” he mused.

Kierse could already see him bending. He’d always been persuadable. It was both an advantage and a flaw. Much like Kierse’s own cynicism.

“Please,” Gen said softly.

“Fuck,” Kierse said, eyeing the door. “He’s on the move. I need to go.”

“Go?” Ethan asked.

“Please come with us,” Kierse said as she headed toward the door. “I’m sorry about what happened last time, but I miss you. We both miss you. We want you there.”

“Plus, Corey is going to be in attendance,” Gen dropped casually.

Ethan’s eyes widened further. “Really?”

“Yes,” Kierse confirmed. “I’ll see you on the other side. I hope, at least. Because I’m about to brave Lorcan to let you sneak out.”

Then she was through the door, crossing her fingers and toes that Ethan would bend and join them for a night. Maybe then the fissure that had appeared between them wouldn’t turn into a chasm.

Kierse rounded the corner, jogging to get out of the building. It had been Gen’s idea to use Lorcan’s connection to her against him. After she’d heard Graves mention it,she’d thought maybe Kierse could be bait, luring him on a wild goose chase away from Ethan so that they could sneak him away.

She wasn’t sure it had worked until she’d dropped out onto Broadway a fair distance from Ethan’s building to find Lorcan loitering against the brick wall next to the door. Her traitorous heart skipped a beat at the sight of him.

He smiled, broad and predatory, as if he felt it. “Hello, little songbird.”

“Lorcan,” she said softly.

He dazzled in a summer gray suit. The jacket open to reveal a crisp white button-up with the top two buttons undone, his dark hair was windswept off his forehead. Those glittering blue eyes traveled over her like sunlight kissing across her exposed skin.

When Gen had suggested this, Kierse had thought this would be easy. Thatknowingshe could manipulate him the way he had been manipulating her would make it so. Standing in the presence of the Oak King, she was less certain.

“You dressed up for me,” he said with a smirk as he eyed the short black dress and knee-high boots.

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