Page 45 of To Wake a Kingdom

“What wereyoudoing?” I snapped. Guilt and defeat sagged in her shoulders as she said nothing, unable to meet my eyes. I wrapped my arms around Kianna and helped her stand. “Let’s get you inside.” I wondered what had happened to the man from earlier this evening and why she was out here with Em.

Ronan tried to help, but I waved him off. “Thank you for yourassistance, but as you can see, I had everything under control.”

“I can see that.” Brows knitted, he stared down the alley in the direction the Fae had gone. “I’ll kill those bastards.”

“Commander Goldraven,” I said, my eyes drifting down to his hips while I lifted an imperious brow. “Your pants appear to be undone.”

With that, I dragged Kianna away, leaving him standing there, watching after us.

Chapter Twenty

18 days left

Afterafewmorehours of sleep, I slipped off the bed, taking care not to disturb Kianna. She’d been too shaken after her encounter with Maida and Alban to return to her room alone, so I’d brought her here to get some rest. I changed into a black tunic and leggings, tied my hair back, and scrubbed off the makeup from last night. Some of the cherry-red lipstick stained my fingers, and I thought longingly of the kiss with Ronan that almost had been and now would never be.

Smothering that notion, I found Noah and Em eating breakfast in the common room, both looking like they could use three more days bent over a bucket.

“Good night?” I asked Noah, sitting down across from them. Verna hustled over with a mug of tea and a stack of pancakes dripping in syrup and butter. In response to my question, Noah groaned, his forehead hitting the table.

“My head is going to explode,” he mumbled into the wood.

“I guess Grandma was wilder than you expected?” I suppressed a smile, remembering the look on his face when he’d been matched. His eyes bloodshot, he raised them to me.

“She is a witch.” The words were uttered with a small bit of wonder, and then he flopped his head back down. I wasn’t sure what to make of that statement.

I glared at Em, annoyed she’d done such a poor job of protecting Kianna. “And you?”

“How is she?” she asked.

“Sleeping.” My tone softened when Em propped her elbows on the table, cradling her head in her hands in misery. This wasn’t her fault. The only ones to blame for any of this were Maida and Alban. “She’ll be okay, I think. She’s been through a lot lately.”

Em offered me a grateful nod before she ventured a bite of her breakfast.

We all fell silent, Noah and Em nursing their aching heads while I polished off my stack of pancakes, grateful I’d gone to bed before I’d had too much wine. “I’ll meet you here in an hour to return to the castle, so you can gather your things, and then it’s time for you to leave. Tell your commander your welcome has been overstayed, and I don’t want you in my home any longer.”

Their expressions wary, they watched me as if they weren’t sure how their commander would respond to that news, but I didn’t care. Ronan’s feelings were no longer my concern.

Something Maida had said this morning had been weighing on my mind, sparking the seeds of an idea. He’d known who I was and known my history. Maybe he knew other useful things, too.

“Verna?” I asked, knocking on the bar to get her attention.

“What can I do for you?” She tucked her hands into her apron and wandered closer.

I leaned in, not wanting anyone to overhear me. Something told me Noah and Em might try to stop me if they knew what I intended. Or worse, they’d tell Ronan.

“You know the two blood Fae? Maida and Alban?” I asked, and Verna’s eyes widened.

“Of course I do. I’d have to be living in a shoe not to.”

“Do you know where they live?”

Verna threw back her shoulders, her mouth flattening in an arrow-straight line. “You shouldn’t get involved with those two. They are nothing but trouble.”

“I’m not getting involved. I need to speak with them. They might have information I need.”

Verna hesitated, her eyes darting about the room.

“Please,” I said. The desperation on my face must have convinced her because she dropped her shoulders and let out a dragging sigh.

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