Throne of Blood
Date: 2019-12-30 00:00:00+00:00
Description: If she stays beneath the dome, she'll be executed for a crime she didn't commit. But fleeing means that the people she leaves behind will inherit her fate. * WARNING: Spoilers for Throne of Winter and Throne of Fire* The Freelands is a dangerous frozen landscape where fae and shifters roam free. The Dresden clan rules as the first family, and they're leading an uprising to overthrow the casters who've wielded more than their share of power for far too long. As a wanted murderess, Brie isn't surprised to learn the Dresden patriarch is anxious to keep her close and make her a symbol of his revol
Publisher: Independently published

Throne of Fire

Sophie Davis

Copyright © 2019 by Sophie Davis Enterprises

(Dark Court #2)

Talented (Talented Saga #1)

Caged (Talented Saga #2)

Hunted (Talented Saga #3)

Created (Talented Saga #4)

Exiled: Kenly’s Story (Talented Saga #5)

Marked (Talented Saga #6)

Privileged (Talented Saga #7)

Fated (Talented Saga #8)

Fragile Façade (Blind Barriers Trilogy #1)

Platinum Prey (Blind Barriers Trilogy #2)

Vacant Voices (Blind Barriers Trilogy #3)

SHADOW FATE SERIES

Pawn (Shadow Fate #1)

Sacrifice (Shadow Fate #2)

Checkmate (Shadow Fate #3)

Endgame (Shadow Fate #4)

The Syndicate (Timewaves Series #1)

Atlic (Timewaves Series #2)

Legends Untold (Timewaves Series #3)

Dust Into Gold (Timewaves #4)

DARK COURT SERIES

Throne of Winter (Dark Court #1)

Throne of Fire (Dark Court #2)

Throne of Blood (Dark Court #3)

PROJECT SCION WORLD

Alice Anonymous

Blind Barriers Boxed Set

For Shayne—

As always, thank you for your incredible support, friendship, and all the laughs.

Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Acknowledgments

Prologue

My first conscious thought after waking to complete darkness was confusion about the warm, humid air that hung around me like a wet blanket. The cold that permeated the Freelands no longer surrounded me, but that bitter chill still lived in my bones and my soul.

There was a throbbing ache in my neck that pounded in time with the sound of a gong inside my head. My hand automatically moved to rub the source of the pain. I winced on contact. A pale, white face and long, pointy fangs flashed in my mind. My stomach heaved, and I thought for sure I was going to be sick.

Water. I need water, I thought, but in the unforgiving darkness, I could barely see my hands in front of my face, let alone a source of water. Calm down. Clear your head. You need to focus.

But I felt anything but calm. A vampire had bitten me. That fanged bastard had drunk my blood. My blood. The memory inspired both terror and rage. A part of me wanted him to come back so we could go for round two, but another part of me desperately hoped never to see his face again. Never to see any vampire’s face again.

You’re still alive, I reminded myself. Right...but where am I?

I squinted into the darkness, craning my neck as far as the wound would allow. A long, black expanse of nothingness was all around. Clenching my jaw against the pain in my head, I struggled to stand. My knee scraped against the harsh ground. A jolt of pain shot down my calf as the skin tore beneath my black thermal underwear, and I collapsed back to the ground. A coppery sent filled the air.

Blood, fire, and fangs flashed in my mind. I could smell the smoke as the vampire I’d killed burned to ash on the frozen beach. The rattle of my chains sounded distant, but the memory of the vampires’ caravan surfaced clearly.

I shook my head. Focus. You need to figure out where you are. Los Angeles was the closest domed city to Fae Canyon—that was the most likely destination. No, that’s not right. Mat had said something about Queen Lilli wanting a fire fae, which means they brought me to Hawaii.

Tears pricked my eyes for the first time since waking. Hawaii was so far away from Fae Canyon, an ocean away. How could I ever hope to escape a domed island in the middle of a frozen sea? A glimmer of hope poked through the cloud of desperation: What if I’m still in transport?

If we hadn’t reached Hawaii yet, there was still hope. Deep down I knew I was grasping at any far-fetched chance in order to preserve my sanity; the ground was solid and stationary, even the darkness was perfectly still. I wasn’t in the back of a truck or on an airship. So, unless the vampires were keeping me in some sort of holding station on the mainland, it was too late.

Get up. You aren’t dead. There has to be more here than just darkness.

I ran my fingers over the uneven ground, and sharp rocks tore at my fingernails. My arms and legs were leaden, but I managed to struggle to my feet. Bare feet. Where are my boots?

One slow, unsteady step at a time, I stumbled forward with my hands outstretched. A sharp, scraping sound broke the silence. I tripped, and my shoulder slammed into what felt like a brick wall. I had to bite back a scream and blink back tears.

Gaia, that freaking hurt. Why am I not using my magic? I suddenly wondered. Why don’t I feel my magic?

I leaned against the wall gingerly and summoned my elemental fire. The same warm rush that I always felt washed over me. But when I looked down, there wasn’t a fireball in my palm. My hand wasn’t even glowing.

“No, no, no,” I moaned. “This can’t be happening.”

Had the vampire forcibly stolen all my magic? Was I…what was I without my fire magic?

My heart pounded inside my chest, and I suddenly had trouble breathing. You’re hyperventilating. Slow down. Breathe, I coached myself, hearing my father’s voice in my head. Ask yourself, why would they want to steal your magic? I heard him say.

Vampires stole magic for fun a lot of the time, but the fanged assholes who’d taken me were cowboys; they hunted for profit, not sport. I was worthless to the vampires without my magic. Casters wouldn’t pay top dollar for a magic-less fae.

So why can’t I access my magic? I asked the version of my dad inside my head.

That wasn’t quite right, though. I could feel the powers inside of me, I just couldn’t use them. Was I in some sort of magic-deprivation chamber? For good measure, I tried once more to call my fire power. This time, a small flame flickered on the end of my forefinger but blew out on a nonexistent breeze within seconds.

The effort cost me the last of my strength. I slumped against the wall as my eyelids drooped. Sharp stone snagged my shirt when I slid to the ground, collapsing in a pile of limp limbs and tangled hair.

Just before the darkness surrounding me completely took over, I saw the faces of Sienna, Gregory, Ilion, and my father.

They’re safe, I thought. That makes whatever comes next worth it.

*****

In the days that followed, I had my confirmation that I was indeed on the Domed Island of Oahu in the Hawaiian Kingdom, though I would not see the blue skies or breathe the fresh, island air for weeks after my arrival.

“Make it easy on yourself, girl,” the Pit Master growled. “Madame Noelani offered you a spot at her academy.”

Right, because I belong at a prep school for fae wives, I thought bitterly.

I spat bloody saliva at the man’s foot. “Not the right fit for me.”

The fist struck out so fast and so hard that my head snapped back into place before I knew what hit me. It wasn’t the Pit Master, but rather a scrappy, blonde shifter that he wanted to see kick the crap out of me.

“Then take the job with palace janitorial. These are your choices, fae,” the Pit Master yelled.

This time, the shifter landed a kick to my ribs. I doubled over in pain, clutching my injured side.

“I choose to go home,” I grunted.

The shifter literally kicked me while I was down.

“This is your home now!” the Pit Master hollered, his cries reverberating off the high ceilings in the sparring room. “Either you pick your placement, or I will. And if I pick, I promise you won’t like it.”

His smug, gleeful tone set my teeth on edge. Fury liked I’d never known surged within me. Still crouched over, I glared daggers up at the Pit Master. A small, arrogant smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. I’d thought he was trying to break me, to force me to take a position at Madame Noelani’s ridiculous finishing school. But I’d been wrong. He wanted to see me suffer before he broke me, and then stuff me in a hole even worse than the one I’d been living in the past few weeks.

Don’t give him, or anyone else, the satisfaction.

My feet were already in motion before the thought had fully formed in my head. My arms locked around the shifter’s waist. She struggled as I drove her backward, finally slamming her on the practice mat. Her leg darted out in a sweeping motion. Next thing I knew, I landed on top of her, the two of us a heap of sweaty limbs and tangled hair. The world seemed to move in slow-motion as I wound her stringy locks around my fingers and slammed her head into the thin mat.

She wasn’t the source of my anger. It wasn’t her fault I was in this predicament. I didn’t even know her name. None of that mattered. The rage I felt for the burly Pit Master watching us fight like dogs and clapping with glee, it needed an outlet.

The shifter wasn’t a great fighter. Her defensive moves were as sloppy as her offensive ones. She was much larger and much stronger, though. If not for the adrenaline coursing through my veins, we might’ve been evenly matched. But the real fight had been beaten out of her long ago. She stopped struggling and simply tried to protect her face as I pummeled her with my fists over and over again. A mix of sweat, blood, and tears dripped into my eyes.

Two sets of hands lifted me by the shoulders and set me on my feet, my fists still swinging wildly at an opponent I could no longer reach.

“Get off of me!” I shouted at the people holding my arms, so mad I no longer felt the blossoming bruises or smarting scrapes from the shifter’s blows.

The girl rolled to her feet and charged. She was quick; too quick to catch her before she slammed her skull into mine in a jaw-rattling headbutt. Stars dotted the edges of my vision, and then everything went black.

I woke up only a few moments later, flat on my back on the practice mats. My vision was blurry, and I felt, rather than saw, the hands checking me over for broken bones. I gasped when a finger poked what was surely a cracked rib. Someone forced a vial of potion between my lips. It smelled like onion and tasted like liquid smoke with a fishy top note. I turned my head to the side and spit out the healing tonic, then clamped my mouth shut.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be, girl,” barked the Pit Master from somewhere close by.

Maybe I was being stubborn, and surely it would’ve been easier to just do as I was told—not doing as I was told was how I’d ended up thousands of miles from home in a foreign land. But I didn’t want them fixing me up just so some other veteran fighter could beat me black-and-blue again.

Someone shoved a jar of the most acrid odor I’ve ever smelled beneath my nose. I held my breath as long as I could manage, but eventually my lips sprung apart, and another vial was dumped down my throat. A hand covered my mouth, forcing me to swallow the liquid.

“You’ll feel better soon,” a soft voice promised me, fingers stroking my sweat-soaked hair back from my face.

This tonic wasn’t like the healing potions in the Freelands that took at least a few minutes to kick in. This one worked instantaneously, and one of the major side effects was drowsiness.

The Pit Master’s large head appeared above me. His face split into a grin that revealed a cracked front tooth. “Looks like you’re a fighter after all, faeling. Time to move you to the commune.”

I didn’t know or care what the commune was. For three weeks, all I’d known was the dark cell with the magic-dampening stone walls and floor, and the sparring room where the Pit Masters put me in the ring and told me to fight. I didn’t know what the outside world had in store for me, but I did know that living in a dungeon wasn’t getting me any closer to escape.

My first glimpse of artificial sunlight came while being carried on a stretcher from the sparring room to a waiting medical transport van outside. The rays blinded me through the haze brought on by the healing tonic. I didn’t care. The sight was so beautiful that I cried. Even the air tasted fresher than I thought air could ever taste. Floral scents assaulted me, their fragrance cloying after so much time in a stale atmosphere. I caught glimpses of color through the van’s windows as we drove along a smooth, winding road.

I fell asleep briefly, only to reawake once the van stopped. I was too overwhelmed with all the sensations I’d been missing the last few weeks to worry as I was wheeled from the van through the back doors of a large, residential building.

We rode the elevator to the second floor, where I was taken to a small room with a bunk bed against one wall. A stout woman in her late fifties stood with an electronic tablet in her hands.

“Maybrie Hawkins?” she asked.

I nodded. At least, I meant to. I wasn’t sure if I actually managed the gesture.

“My name is Ms. Rutina. You are at the commune for all new residents of the Domed Island of Oahu, in the Hawaiian Kingdom of the Americas. Her Majesty, Queen Lilli, is your sovereign, and by her grace you have come to live beneath the protection of the dome.”

Fuck Queen Lilli, I thought bitterly. But even if I’d been ballsy enough to say that, I felt like there was a spoonful of peanut butter in my mouth preventing me from speaking.

“I am the matron for this floor,” Ms. Rutina continued, rattling off her well-worn introduction speech. “Once you have rested, I will return to go over the rules and regulations you must obey during your stay with us. For now, all you need to know is that you may not leave the commune grounds. You are free to walk around, as long as you report for meals within five minutes of the food bell and return to your room within ten minutes of the curfew bell.”

She gestured to the two people who’d wheeled me in from the van. They unhooked me from the stretcher and transferred me to the bottom cot. I was no help, since my muscles were still like jelly.

Once everyone had gone, and I was alone in my little room with its tiny window, I curled up and basked in the few rays of dying light shining on my bed. As I often did in my darkest moments, I pictured Sienna and Gregory safe in Fae Canyon. I imagined my little brother sitting in class, learning to control his magic. I thought of my father sitting up late at night by the fire and waiting for a daughter who might never come home.

Does he know what happened to me? Does he think I ran away? Is it better for him if he does?

These were questions I’d asked myself numerous times. My father would stop at nothing to find me, or he would die trying. I didn’t want that. I hated that one stupid night out with my friends had ended in disaster, and I hated myself for the toll my mistake would’ve taken on my loved ones.

The sun’s light hurt my eyes, but I refused to so much as blink until the moon was high in the sky. Then, I drifted off to sleep to the sounds of people talking and laughing in the room next door.

Over the course of the next few days, I quickly learned that calling the commune a home for new residents was very misleading. We were captives. We needed permission to leave the grounds, which was granted for training sessions only. They told me what to eat and when, when to sleep and for how long, and even when I was permitted to shower.

During the days, I channeled all my anger and sadness into my sparring matches. At night, I laid in bed and watched the springs bend toward me with morbid fascination as my roommate Bonnie tossed and turned.

Maybe they’ll break, and Bonnie will crush me, I would think. Put me out of my misery.

My dark thoughts fueled the fire inside of me, stoking my desire not only to escape but to make the vampires and the casters pay for their crimes against me and everyone else they’d kidnapped. I didn’t share my feelings with Bonnie or any of the other fae and shifters I met at the commune. Not everyone was like me. Not everyone wanted to escape this hell. And some of those traitors weren’t above reporting people with my mindset to the government. The only thing I could imagine worse than living at the casters’ whims, was dying for their pleasure. That was the punishment for escape, or so Ms. Rutina had told me many times.

I would leave this damned domed city. I would return to the Freelands, to my family and my friends. I would hug Ilion and tell my father I loved him, and I would never disobey orders again. I would find Sienna and Gregory happy and healthy and free among our kind. All I had to do was bide my time, sit back and observe. One day, the opportunity would present itself, and I would be ready.

Until then, the Pit Masters wanted me to fight? No problem. I would make them all regret the day I arrived beneath the dome.

Chapter One

Never in my strangest imaginings had I envisioned myself living in a palace and dating a prince. Of course, Kai was no longer a prince. He was king—King Kai II of The Hawaiian Kingdom of the Americas. That should’ve made our story all the more a fairytale, but it was anything but a happily-ever-after situation. Kai had inherited a nation on the verge of civil war; it was fae versus casters, with the shifters and vampires drawing hard lines in the sand one way or the other.

As a fae from the fighting pits, my relationship with Kai was a topic of great discussion throughout the kingdom. My reputation and past had once made me an inadvisable consort for Kai. Now, the fact I was fae was the backbone of the fragile peace between our races. Many believed that our relationship was all that kept the chaos at bay.

Nonetheless, vocal factions from both sides wanted me out of Kai’s life. I received death threats daily, which was why I’d been living at Iolani Palace since the luau the previous month. That fateful night had been the start of tensions in Hawaii that were verging on civil war, starting with the death of the Queen of the kingdom. My condo wasn’t safe any longer, no matter how many bodyguards Kai assigned to protect me. I had my own suite of rooms in Kai’s wing of the royal residence, where his staff had moved all my clothes and personal belongings from the condo. The rooms were nice, but the palace wasn’t my home. And I knew it never really would be.

“How was training today?” Kai asked me from across the dinner table.

We were both so busy during the days, we’d been making a point to come together with Princess Sarah for dinner in the formal dining room every evening. Kenoa, newly promoted to Kai’s advisory council, normally joined us as well. The koa wood table could comfortably seat twenty people, though the four of us always huddled around one end.

I shrugged. “It was good.”

Dinner was one of the few times we set aside the outside world. None of us talked about the animosity tearing the kingdom in two or the riots that had destroyed an entire block of shops in the Fashion District. We didn’t mention that fae were upset to learn that our kind had been powering the dome all along and that they were on the brink of open rebellion. No one spoke of the frightened casters demanding harsher laws to keep fae complacent. Those were the unpleasant topics discussed every other minute of every day, while dinner together was our only reprieve.

“What about you? Anything cool happen?” I asked Kai, moving chunks of tuna around the plate with my fork.

“The photographer sent over the pictures from my coronation,” he said with a forced smile. “You look lovely, of course. I look like an uncomfortably stuffed bear.”

His comment made me smile, though the expression was quickly wiped from my face. Held only one week after his mother’s murder at the luau, Kai’s coronation had been an understated affair. Normally, royals from all the kingdoms would’ve flown in for the occasion. Given the circumstances, Kai hadn’t wanted anything of the sort. Instead, it was just me, Princess Sarah, Kenoa, the rest of Kai’s advisory council, and heads of major government agencies in attendance. And thirty royal bodyguards, of course. Security for the king of an uneasy nation was rigid, as it should’ve been.

“I doubt that,” I assured him. “You looked great.”

“Wait until you see the pictures,” Kenoa muttered beside me with a scoff.

“What about you?” Kai nudged his sister with his elbow. “What did you do today?”

“I figured out how to make a coconut crème brûlée with the perfect crispy top,” she announced.

Though Sarah had been bubbly and amicable when I first met her, she’d been completely different since her mother’s death. Small things made her smile, but it was never a truly joyful expression. It seemed she was in a subdued state, just trying to make it through. My heart ached for her.

The princess’s small dog danced around her feet beneath the table. Though the queen never would’ve stood for the presence of an animal at dinner—something Kai mentioned more than once—the poodle gave Sarah much needed comfort. Despite its yapping, begging, and generally bad behavior, Fifi was a source of levity for all of us. I smiled as the dog’s pink tongue lapped the poke sauce off my fingers.

Kenoa cocked his head to one side and fixed Sarah with an amused look. “Why wasn’t I called to taste test your new dessert?”

“Because I need feedback from people who aren’t just going to tell me it’s delicious,” Sarah countered. “I need criticism, not a yes-man.”

Kai snorted in response. “If you needed a yes-man, Kenoa would not be it.”

“Your cooking is delicious,” Kenoa grumbled.

Per usual, I found myself struggling not to zone out from the dinnertime small talk. But there was so much to worry about, so much that suddenly felt like my responsibility. Though we’d been able to restore the dome, the island’s protective barrier, with power from four elemental fae—including me and Kenoa—and a powerful witch named Samira, it wasn’t a permanent fix.

Casters could not survive without the dome. And many fae who had gotten used to the warmer weather inside the protective barrier would also be at risk if the dome fell again. Before the civil upheaval, it had been sustained by casters taking magic from fae and funneling it to the protective barrier. Once those casters had been murdered by vampires, the dome fell and temperatures plummeted.

Ever since, caster and fae relations had been more tenuous than ever, which was one of the reasons behind the kingdom’s upheaval. There was a power shift when fae saved the caster race, and fae were straining against their designated role in Hawaiian society. The casters owed everything to the fae, and that news had been slowly spreading. There were still only whispers among the lower castes on the island, though, and no one had officially confirmed that only fae were needed to power the dome. Would there be an uprising if the palace admitted that the rumor was true? Doubtlessly. If the casters couldn’t survive without us, why would we be their menial laborers? Why would we fight for the entertainment of casters? And why the hell would we funnel our magic to them?

Of course, as Kai’s girlfriend—after all my lies, I didn’t deserve the title, but that was a conversation I’d been internally struggling with for a month—I was supposed to be an example of how fae and casters could work together in harmony. In reality, I understood how irate fae would be if the rumor was confirmed. Not only had our kind been kidnapped and taken to live in the kingdom against our wills, but the casters needed us to survive?

Fae had received a raw deal in the whole situation. Maybe if we’d been given a choice whether to live under the dome and provide protection for the casters, maybe we would’ve been amenable to it. Maybe.

Looking over at Kai’s strong jawline, I reminded myself that it wasn’t actually his doing. Whatever was wrong with our society and the kingdom had been unceremoniously dumped into his lap without any sort of remedy in sight. As much as Kai missed his mother, I couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been to deal simultaneously with both her death and a kingdom with systems that he didn’t believe in.

“How’s the Dome Committee doing?” I asked. Though it wasn’t the politest dinnertime conversation, it was the most pressing thing on my mind as of late. I’d been tactful for a month, but I needed to know that a solution was in sight.

Kai put his hand on mine and squeezed reassuringly. “The elders are working on a fix. It might be possible to extend Samira’s spell with the right elements, maybe even indefinitely. Unfortunately, they have yet to figure out what those elements are. They have isolated several pieces of the puzzle, but it’s not enough to keep the dome up and running on its own. Yet.”

“When will we need to repeat the spell?” Kenoa asked warily.

I wasn’t the only one who’d required a week to recover after the enormous outpouring of energy from the magic we performed to restore the dome. Kenoa didn’t have the same level of elemental powers I did, and it had been even more draining on him than it was on me.

Kai fixed his gaze on the plate in front of him and pushed the food to one side. “A week maybe?”

Sighing, I leaned back in my chair. If the casters were going to require a full-time, dome-powering squad, they were going to have to make large strides in regard to the equal treatment of fae. How was I supposed to assure Kai that I’d help his people survive when I felt like my own people were being treated like dirt?

You’ve treated him like dirt since day one, I reminded myself. I still hadn’t confessed that I had initially started dating him in order to spy for the rebellion. How would I even start a conversation like that?

So, I’m totally into you now, but I only agreed to go out with you because the rebellion needed me to. But ignore that part, because I do have real feelings for you. Serious, scary feelings. Just ignore the whole thing with lying and spying and rebels and love me forever. Cool?

Pushing the cubes of tuna around my plate, I swallowed the turmoil. It wasn’t the time for me to air my dirty laundry. It was never the time, which was what made it so hard. With everything else that Kai had on his plate, it wasn’t fair for me to heap on an extra helping of drama. Except, was I just giving myself an easy way out, knowing I would lose him if I told the truth?

In my peripheral vision, I watched as Kenoa appraised me. His looks had been lingering and penetrating since the night of the luau. Did he suspect my betrayal? If not, what exactly did he suspect? Did he know that Mat, the vampire who’d killed Kai’s mother, was the same guy who’d kidnapped me? Did he think that I’d allowed her death to happen?

Though my role in the rebellion wasn’t something I was proud of—particularly when they ended up hell-bent on revenge instead of justice—it also wasn’t the same as being responsible for the queen’s death. Would I be doing more harm than good if I admitted my role in the rebellion to Kenoa? Or would he understand the position I’d been put in?

Fuck my life.

Chapter Two

“Knees up, Hawkins!” Botto yelled.

While everyone else on the island seemed to walk on eggshells around me since Kai and I began dating publicly, my trainer had decided to be a hard-ass. Though I didn’t blame him for wondering why I’d choose to date a caster, let alone the prince, I did blame him for being even more of an authoritarian than usual about my workout schedule.

Given the fact I wasn’t competing in fights anymore, I didn’t need to keep up with my training. Still, I felt better when I physically worked out my aggression and stress. The fighting pits had been closed since the dome came down. Though the casters would’ve been happy for the entertainment, Kai hadn’t thought it was a good idea. Nearly everyone on the island knew someone who’d been killed in the frost, mostly elders and young children. Though it had never seemed right to me to watch people hurt each other for sport, it felt particularly brutal after so many deaths.

And yet, I was subjecting myself to Botto’s torturous routines. Without the fighting pits, I had more pent-up energy than I knew what to do with. If I couldn’t randomly smack a shifter, running would have to do.

“You’re lagging, Hawkins!” Botto called.

From his perch on a motor cart, the taunts were less effective. My chest puffed with pride—he couldn’t keep up, and we both knew it.

After our run down the wooded path, Botto lobbed free weights at me like they were hot potatoes. Every ache of my screaming muscles reminded me that I had a lot to atone for, and somehow the strenuous activity felt like the punishment I deserved.

When I finally stumbled out of the locker room an hour later, my legs feeling like limp spaghetti noodles, Kenoa was waiting for me. This wouldn’t have been alarming, except that he was no longer assigned to protect me since he’d joined Kai’s advisory council. Harton, my normal driver and newly minted personal bodyguard—I’d argued, but Kai insisted—was nowhere in sight.

Shit.

“What’s up?” I asked, my voice pitched unnaturally high.

Kenoa eyed my red, sweaty face with a hint of amusement. “Tough day?”

“Botto’s being a pain in the ass.” I shrugged. “It’s fine. I need something to do with my energy.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Kenoa ran a hand through his dark hair and fixed me with his smoldering dark stare. “Can we talk?”

Never words you want to hear.

“Um, yeah,” I replied, striving for an indifferent tone. “I have a shift at Pele’s in an hour, but I need to run back to the palace to change first.”

Kenoa frowned. “I thought you agreed to take some time off from the restaurant until things quiet down a bit?”

“Some time.” I shook my head firmly. “Kai asked that I take time off, and I have. But I never agreed to that indefinitely. Jon said if I don’t mind the extra attention, he doesn’t mind throwing out assholes who give me too much grief. He says I’m good for business.”

“Does Kai know you’re working a shift today?” Kenoa pressed as we started for an exit off the back of the training center.

Taking the easy way out, I didn’t respond.

“Brie, seriously?” His voice was incredulous. “I know you think this is about your independence, but it’s really about your safety. You have multiple targets on your back. He’s just trying to keep you alive and protected.”

“I know,” I agreed. “And I’m just trying to find a sense of normalcy where I can. This is something I need—to get back to the things that were a part of my life.”

Kenoa’s car was parked only steps from the exit. Harton was nowhere to be found. With a resigned sigh, I climbed in the front passenger seat. Reporters were banned from the training facility grounds after one snuck into the locker room to corner me in the shower. Still, they waited at the gates for a chance to snap sweaty, gross pictures of me leaving practice. I ducked my head down as Kenoa honked the horn to warn them back.

We rode in silence for a long time. I stared out the window, watching the scenery drift by. After the dome collapsed, I had a new appreciation for the beautiful, controlled landscape its protection provided. The impossibly blue skies and the clear ocean water were mesmerizing. It didn’t occur to me right away that Kenoa was driving a roundabout way to the palace, not until I was admiring the plumerias on the north side of the island.

Well shit, I thought. The moment I’d been dreading for weeks was finally upon us. With a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and decided to stop playing this game with Kenoa.

“You wanted to talk to me. Alone, obviously. So, what is it?” I asked. Though I fought to keep a steely resolve in my voice, I refused to look at him directly.

Kenoa’s eyes never left the road. “When did the rebellion recruit you?”

I could’ve lied. I could’ve said that they came to me after my relationship with Kai went public. I could’ve said that Christina had threatened me into joining. I could’ve said a lot of crap to make myself seem more sympathetic. Except, when I finally did come clean with Kai, I wanted to tell him the whole truth. Kenoa deserved the same.

“Tanner recruited me.” I played with my hands in my lap. “Before we started dating.”

Kenoa’s jaw tightened, though something told me he’d expected that answer. “What did you do for them?”

Again, I was pretty sure he knew the answer but wanted to hear me say it. “Provided financial support, mostly. I did know about a few extractions, though I was too recognizable to be involved.”

“And?” His eyes swung to fix me with a pointed stare.

I felt like a hundred slugs were slithering around in my belly. “And I spied on Kai for them,” I admitted.

The silence that followed was so absolute, I could’ve heard a snowflake land on carpet.

Kenoa gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles going white. It took all my willpower to not start spouting pointless excuses. There was no excuse for my behavior. I’d deceived Kenoa and his best friend. More importantly, I’d deceived the king. I was a traitor to the monarchy. Any person in the palace’s employ would turn me over to the authorities to await execution at the monarch’s discretion. Would Kenoa?

“What are you going to do?” I asked after I couldn’t bear the silence any longer.

“Do you know the punishment for treason, Brie?” Kenoa responded in an eerily calm voice that set my teeth on edge.

“Yes,” I said tightly. “Public execution.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Do you know what they do before they execute you?”

I said nothing.

“They take your magic. With force. Of course, they make sure to leave you just enough that you have all your wits about you when you take your last breath. You know, so you’re aware of what’s happening to you.”

“Okay, stop,” I snapped.

The detailed account of the punishment that awaited me was the least I deserved. Still, I didn’t want to hear it.

“Stop? You want me to stop? Maybe you should have thought about all of this before you agreed to spy for the rebellion, Brie,” he growled. Kenoa turned to me, his face red with anger. “Did you ever consider the consequences?”

I’d already devoted plenty of mental energy to berating myself for the role I’d played in the rebellion. Queen Lilli’s death was on me. The blood of the people who’d died when the dome collapsed was on my hands. More than those things, it was my guilt over betraying Kai that kept me up into the wee hours of the night. Long after the king went to sleep, I sat awake in the palace suite where I didn’t belong and played out every possible scenario for my future. Most ended with me meeting my end much too soon.

“I’m not doing this with you right now,” I told Kenoa coolly. “You can tell me that I’m an awful person for doing this to Kai. You can yell at me. You can call me names. Hell, let’s go back to the training facility, and you can wipe the mats with me. But don’t you dare lecture me about consequences. I’m not the naïve little girl you took under your wing a lifetime ago. I knew what I was doing when I took the assignment. I knew, and I agreed anyway, because my life is worth the freedom fae deserve.”

Kenoa stared straight ahead, his expression unreadable. He was conflicted, I realized after a minute. For him, the divide between casters and fae had never been black and white. He’d grown up on the island with casters. He was friends with many casters. Until Kai, I’d never spoken more than a few words to one.

“And the plan to bring down the dome?” Kenoa asked finally. “You thought an act of terror was the best way to send the casters a message?”

My eyes widened, and I grabbed Kenoa’s forearm. “I didn’t know about that. I swear, I would’ve never been involved if I did. My job was only to find out how much the royal family knew about the rebellion. Aside from increased extractions, I had no idea the rebellion was planning to take offensive action. You know me well enough to know I would never take part in mass murder.”

He pointedly ignored the last remark. “What about the queen?”

“I didn’t know they were going to kill her,” I insisted, my voice straining. “I didn’t know she was the final tentpole. Honestly, Kenoa. If you believe anything I’m saying, believe that. I did try to save Kai’s mother.”

My throat tightened with desperation. I needed him to believe me. If I couldn’t convince Kenoa, how would I ever convince Kai? Even if the king ordered my execution, I never wanted him to think I’d been a part of the plot to kill Queen Lilli.

We rode for what felt like eternity before Kenoa finally spoke again. “I do believe you. I can’t say Kai will feel the same.”

“Are you going to tell him?” I asked again.

Kenoa shook his head. “It’s not my secret to tell. It’s yours.” He glanced over. “You’re going to tell him.”

I was planning to tell Kai, I was just afraid to lose him. I knew the truth would be the end of our relationship. We’d grown too close for him not to feel the bitter knife of my betrayal. Really, it would be a miracle if he let me live after he knew the truth.

“You do know you’re asking me to sign my own death warrant?” I countered, feeling both defensive and argumentative.

“Who’s lecturing whom now about consequences?”

I glared at him.

“He’s a good guy. He deserves the truth,” Kenoa added.

“I know. Which is why I will tell him,” I promised. “Whatever the outcome.”

Kenoa pressed, “When?”

“Soon. Just let me do it when the time is right. I promise, I’ll tell Kai everything.”

The palace gates materialized in the distance. Throngs of photographers lined the street, lenses ready for my arrival.

“I’m not the only one who suspects you haven’t been completely honest about how things happened at the luau,” Kenoa said. “Kai’s other advisors believe you’re hiding something. Yesterday, we squashed an article about Tanner and the old rumors that he’d been a major player in an underground movement that opposed the monarchy.”

I went cold all over. I hadn’t realized there were public rumors about Tanner’s involvement with the rebellion. I should’ve known.

“Kai has continually defended you to those who claim you’re disloyal,” Kenoa continued. “He’s shutting down these stories because they give credence to gossip flying around the palace. But Brie, it’s only a matter of time before someone shows him proof that he can’t deny.”

We were getting close to the reporters. I ducked my head in my lap, face turned toward Kenoa in the driver’s seat.

“I will tell Kai the truth soon,” I swore to him.

Lest he give the reporters any more reason to suspect someone hiding out of sight in his car, Kenoa kept his eyes forward. Still, I felt the weight of his gaze when he spoke next.

“You’d better. For your own sake.”

Chapter Three

Kenoa had touched on a lot of good points during his car lecture, but the most valid was the one about my safety at Pele’s. I’d only managed one other shift since the dome disaster at the luau, but there hadn’t been nearly as many gawkers then. Harton sat at the counter and drank coffee while I waited tables. Luckily, Jon didn’t mind my shadow. Extra muscle was never a bad thing at Pele’s, even before I became an overnight celebrity.

Halfway through my shift, not long after the lunch rush ended, casters began congregating in the front parking lot. Some had signs that were difficult to read at a distance, but I could guess what they said.

“They’re out back, too,” Jon muttered, coming to stand beside me as I watched the casters multiply through the window. “It’s one of those groups with the stupid acronyms for a name.” He glanced over his shoulder at Harton, who already had his phone to his ear. “This could get ugly.”

No sooner had Jon made the declaration than a rotten mango hit the glass in front of us. It splattered upon impact with a sickening crunch and flung rancid pulp all over the window.

“You aren’t fit to be queen!” a woman screamed. The crowd cheered loudly, and she pumped her fist in the air. “Fae deserve chains, not crowns!”

Jon’s hand on my shoulder made me jump. “We should get you out of here. You don’t need to listen to this.”

I shook my head. “It’s okay. I’m used to it. I’m just sorry it’s happening here.”

He waved off my apology. “Don’t be. Having you here over the years has breathed new life into my old shop. This is nothing.”

“Um, Brie?” Harton called.

I turned to look at him. “Yeah?”

“There are more marching this way now,” he informed me. “The police scanners are going crazy. His Majesty asks that you stay here until an armed escort comes for us.”

“Are you talking to His Majesty right now?” I asked.

Harton nodded, and I held out my hand for his phone. “Kai?” I said.

“I am on my way,” he said quickly.

A brick came sailing through the fruit-splashed window and landed near my feet, along with shards of glass.

My temper flared. “No. Don’t come here,” I told him. “It’s getting bad.”

The mob of casters charged at the building. Harton’s phone fell from my hand with a clatter, and a fireball appeared in each of my hands. All around me, patrons stood from their seats. The shifters who’d been dining changed before my eyes, including Harton who swung into lion form and landed on all fours in front of me. Casters started firing off spells aimed generally in my direction. Harton met the mob’s advance with two were-bears and a pack of wolves at his back.

“Brie, come with me,” Jon urged, pulling me by the hand toward his office.

Yanking my arm, I wrenched free. “No,” I protested. “I’m not leaving other people to fight my battles.”

A streak of blue light whizzed past my face and hit Jon in the chest. He started coughing, and his face turned purple. I hurled one of the fireballs at his attacker. The caster’s shirt went up in flames, though she quickly dosed it with an extinguishing spell. Before the flames subsided, half her hair was burnt to a crisp. I smiled with perverse satisfaction.

The grin dissolved as Jon fell to his knees at my feet. Casters streamed into the eatery through the broken front window. More glass shattered, and there was a loud bang as the front door was blown off its hinges. Fights erupted all around me, but my focus remained on Jon. He couldn’t breathe. If I didn’t do something soon, he would choke to death. The problem was that I didn’t know the exact curse that had hit him. Without knowing, I couldn’t try to use counter curses. If I guessed wrong, I might end up exacerbating the situation.

“Just hold on. Help is on the way,” I told Jon, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

Without warning, my head was jerked backward violently. I looked up into the eyes of a male caster with my ponytail wrapped around his hand. Summoning my magic, I grabbed his wrist and didn’t let go until he howled in pain. His skin was blistered from the heat of my touch, but he was lucky that was all I’d done.

“You stupid bitch,” he growled, raising a hand as though to slap me.

The hand never connected. Nor would it hit anyone ever again; Harton’s massive jaws crushed every last bone. The were-lion might not have been fighting pit material, but he was an excellent bodyguard.

More casters came for me. There were too many, coming in all directions, for Harton and I to fight. The pack of wolves fought their way to our sides, and I surrounded our group in a ring of fire.

Several casters braved the flames, malicious gleams in their eyes. The bloodlust made it seem like there was no greater pleasure than being the one to take me out. I understood that feeling; I’d experienced it in the arena many times. But these casters weren’t skilled fighters. They lacked finesse and strategy. And brains, apparently. One after another tried to extinguish my fire with no success.

“Freak!” a woman yelled.

Though it was meant as an insult, I almost laughed. That was the nicest thing anyone had called me all day, honestly. It lacked the teeth I’d been bracing for.

“You’re trash, fae!” a guy with a handlebar mustache shouted.

“You’ll die before you ever become queen!”

Sirens sounded in the distance, and I breathed a little easier. I could handle the crowd of inexperienced fighters; Botto had assured that. I was worried for Jon. He needed help—
fast. A gust of wind blew an opening in my fire ring, and a small form slipped through before I could react. The burning boundary closed again.

“Juno!” I cried, relieved to see that our infiltrator was the other waitress.

Falling to her knees, she covered Jon’s mouth with her hand. His chest expanded as she filled it with air. “I can help him breathe for a few minutes if you can keep the wild ones back. But I can’t do it for too long.”

The sirens grew louder.

“You won’t have to,” I promised.

Another gutsy caster decided to douse herself in water and run through my firewall. Even as she dodged the flickering fire, she was met by Harton. With one swipe of his giant paw, he sent her flying into a broken table. I pumped more magic into the barrier, until the flames stretched over my head.

“By order of His Royal Majesty King Kai II, I order you all to stand down,” an amplified voice barked from somewhere outside the ring of fire.

There was a lot of commotion, but I couldn’t see through the curtain of flames.

“By order of His Royal Majesty King Kai II, this is your last warning,” the amplified voice repeated. “Anyone who does not stand down will be dealt with forcefully.”

Goddess, things are about to go from bad to worse.

Except, they didn’t. The sounds of fighting died down dramatically with the second announcement, until only a low murmur could be heard in the crowd. I lowered the flames slowly and watched the casters drop to their knees. Kai, flanked by six bodyguards and Kenoa, strode purposefully through the carnage. His subjects worshipped him as much as they hated me. A woman cried when she got to run her fingers over his shoe as he passed. Despite all the attention lavished upon him, the king only had eyes for me.

When my gaze finally met his, I released the ring of fire completely. Everywhere I looked, there was destruction. All the windows in Pele’s were broken. The front door was gone. I counted at least four holes in the roof. Not to mention the splintered tables, plate shards littering the ground, and enough wasted food scattered among them to feed a small town.

“Are you okay?” Kai called from outside my protective circle.

Remaining cognizant that the scene between us was playing out in front of hundreds of eyes, I nodded and didn’t overdramatize the situation. The casters watched closely, as well as shifters, fae, and even a few vampires. The king didn’t notice any of them. Harton and the wolves parted to let Kai through. Despite the confidence he projected, the king’s body shook when he hugged me.

“I was terrified,” he whispered in my ear.

“I’m fine,” I quickly assured him. Stepping back, I gestured frantically at my boss. “But Jon….”

Kai gave a nod over his shoulder, and two of his protective detail waved Juno aside to attend to my boss. They administered several potions before they found one that got his lungs functioning on their own again. The bodyguards helped Jon to his feet and escorted him through the silent crowd to a waiting medical van.

“Let’s get you home,” Kai muttered, slipping his fingers in mine.

Together, we walked slowly back along the path he’d used to reach me. His expression dared someone to oppose our relationship to his face. Despite their earlier posturing, not one caster in the mob had the nerve. They might’ve loved Kai, but they feared him, too. With his mother dead, he was the most powerful caster in the kingdom. Beside him, for the first time, I felt insignificant.

Kenoa and the rest of Kai’s protective detail walked several steps behind us. It was to show his subjects that Kai was strong—that he didn’t always need people hovering over him. More than that, it presented us as a united front that couldn’t be divided and conquered.

The king held open the back door of the SUV for me himself and then climbed in beside me. No one joined us in the backseat. Just before Kai closed the door, he looked back at Kenoa. “I want them all arrested and charged with endangering a member of the royal household.”

Right, because that’s going to help improve relations between our races, I thought, my mind racing frantically. I’m not actually a royal.

“Isn’t that—” the look on Kai’s face made the rest of the words die before they left my mouth.

Many casters, like the mob that had come for me, didn’t believe harming fae was a crime. It was, of course, but the punishment was usually a hit to their bank account instead of real justice. Endangering a member of the royal household, however, was a lot more serious. If found guilty, the witches and warlocks responsible for the brawl at Pele’s would pay with years in prison. Or worse.

Kai wore a grim expression as we rode in the middle of a royal motorcade back to Iolani Palace. He held my hand but didn’t speak.

“Are you mad at me?” I asked as we approached the gates.

For once, no reporters were waiting for our arrival at the front gates. Instead, it seemed half the kingdom’s army lined the entryway.

“It has been an extremely long day, Brie,” Kai said flatly, sounding exhausted. “We can discuss this after dinner.”

My adrenaline was still pumping full throttle from the mob scene, and I was itching for the fight I’d been denied when the casters attacked Pele’s.

“Every day is a long day, Kai,” I snapped. Yanking my hand free of his, I threw both in the air, exasperated. “If you’re mad, fine. Yell. But I can’t keep pretending life is all sunshine and rainbows whenever we’re together. Those casters wanted me dead.”

“Exactly,” he snapped, turning in his seat to face me. “You could have been killed. So yes, Brie, I am angry. You should not have disobeyed me.”

“‘Disobeyed you?’” My self-control snapped. “You don’t control me, Kai. I can do whatever the hell I want. I don’t need your permission.”

“Stop twisting my words,” he shot back.

It was a good thing there were no reporters at the gates; even the bulletproof and spell-resistant glass of the vehicle couldn’t dampen the sounds of our fight.

“I’m not twisting anything.” I jabbed a finger in his face. “You’re the one speaking out of your ass. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m not some starry-eyed teenager ready to kowtow to some royal. Even if he is the king!”

The car came to stop in front of the palace steps. I shoved the door open without another word and stalked to my suite. Maybe it was childish, but I thought Kai would follow me. I thought he’d chase me to continue the fight or possibly even apologize. He didn’t do either. Instead, the king left me to stew in my anger alone.

Our usual dinnertime came and went. I expected one of the staff to tell me that the king requested my presence downstairs. That didn’t happen. Between my tortuous morning with Botto, the attack at Pele’s, and my fight with Kai, I decided I deserved some pampering. I drew a bath in the soaking tub, complete with a rose-petal bubble potion that Samira brewed to help relieve stress.

Once I was warm under the water, I dialed Cala, set the cell on speakerphone, and propped it on the edge of the tub. My best friend answered immediately.

“Are you okay?” she demanded.

We hadn’t seen much of each other in the past few weeks, but we still talked several times every day. Sometimes it felt like she was the only part of my old life that had carried over into my current one.

“I’m guessing you saw the news?” I replied.

“What made you think it was a good idea to go back to work?” Cala scolded me.

Am I really being that hardheaded about wanting to go back to work? I wondered. Everyone thought the risk too great; first Kai, then Kenoa, and now Cala. Not one of them appreciated how much of my independence I’d already sacrificed.

Maybe you’re the one who doesn’t appreciate the danger you’re in, I thought, annoyed with myself, as well as my friends.

“You don’t understand, Cala,” I mumbled. “Everything is different now. I can’t even shop for myself. I stopped at a wine store after practice yesterday to get a bottle for dinner, and this morning there was a story in Dome Daily calling me an alcoholic who’d stocked up on four cases of booze.”

“Isn’t there a wine cellar at the palace?” Cala asked, completely missing the point of my story.

“There is, but that’s not relevant here. I’m just saying, my private life is no longer private. I need some normalcy, or I’m going to lose my mind,” I insisted.

Cala laughed. Even though I knew she didn’t mean anything by it, I wanted to reach through the phone and shake her.

“You’re being a little dramatic,” she said gently. “I do get how inconvenient your life must be right now. I’m not immune to the publicity either, and I’m just your friend. I had to leave Ivy’s through the back the other day because a few paparazzi were waiting on the street. It’s not as bad for me, obviously—actually, it’s sort of fun to have everyone make a fuss over me. Still, I know you have it a lot worse.” Cala paused, seeming to steal herself before continuing. “There is a solution, though. One that will make everything exactly like it used to be.”

“There is?” I asked doubtfully.

“You could end it,” Cala suggested. “That’s always an option.”

I sank lower beneath the water. “I’ve considered it,” I admitted, glancing around the bathroom as though the walls had ears.

“And?” she pressed.

“Would the reporters even leave me alone at this point? Or would they just keep hounding me regardless?” Dipping my head under the water, I blew bubbles of frustration. “Either way, I’m not ready to give him up.”

Cala sighed. “I know you’re not. So, you have to take the good with the bad, Brie. Every relationship has issues. Yours are just different.”

It was a very Zen way of looking at the situation. So Zen, in fact, that I found it funny. Was I just not enlightened enough to accept it?

“Why don’t I come over tomorrow after practice?” she offered. “There’s an indoor pool, right? We can pretend we’re laying at Lanikai Beach. That could be fun.”

It did sound like fun.

“Yeah, okay. Let’s do it,” I agreed.

“Want me to invite Sumi? Or Everly?” Cala asked innocently.

My mood plummeted again.

Everly Woods was my dead boyfriend’s little sister. She and I were on speaking terms these days, but that was the most you could say about our friendship. Everly was still mad that I’d lied to her about my feelings for Kai. At least, that’s what she said. Personally, I thought she was pissed because I had feelings for a caster. Any caster. She despised them as much as I ever had before meeting the king.

Cala had been working hard to force interaction between us. My bestie believed that if Everly just spent some time with me, she would realize I was the same girl she’d always known. She believed that Everly would see for herself that dating Kai had not changed me or my stance on fae rights. Cala was a bit naïve when it came to certain things.

“I can’t deal with Everly right now,” I answered.

“She’s one of your closest friends, Brie. And she’s Tanner’s little sister,” she reminded me. Like there was a chance I might’ve forgotten.

“Invite Sumi, but I think she might be training with Kenoa tomorrow afternoon,” I said shortly. “I promise, I will try again with Everly. Just not tomorrow. Okay?”

There was a faint knock on the bathroom door.

“I gotta go,” I said quickly. “Tomorrow, after training.”

“See you then,” Cala said as she disconnected.

The knock came again.

“Kai?” I called out.

“No, it’s me, Sarah,” came the princess’ muffled reply. “I was told you haven’t eaten dinner yet. I haven’t either. I thought maybe we could have a girls’ meal, if you’re up for it?”

Kai’s little sister sounded so hopeful that I couldn’t refuse her company. Reluctantly, I climbed from the tub and wrapped an old robe around my wet body. When I opened the bathroom door, the Winter Princess—and current heir apparent to the throne, until Kai had children of his own, anyway—was setting the small table in my sitting room with silverware and plates for three.

“Is your brother joining us?” I asked uneasily.

Sarah grinned. “Nope. Just you, me, and Fifi.”

The small poodle darted around the side of the serving cart that someone had wheeled just inside the doorway. She bounded over and licked the water from my bare legs. Smiling, I patted her head. I liked the dog a lot. Maybe not enough to give her a chair at the dinner table on a daily basis, but I figured it was okay just this once.

At least I can make one member of the monarchy happy, I thought ruefully.

Chapter Four

Dinner was roasted chicken with fingerling potatoes and steamed asparagus. Comfort food wasn’t our usual fare at the palace. We typically ate seafood instead of poultry, since it was more plentiful in Oahu than most kingdoms. Things like chicken and beef were harder to get; we only had so many farms beneath the dome and most of them supplied the restaurants. Of course, when the palace made a request of the farmers, they complied without hesitation.

“How was your day?” I asked Sarah as I cut into my chicken breast. The meat was so tender, the butter knife slid right through it.

The princess gave me a wry smile. “Not as eventful as yours. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. A little on edge,” I admitted before taking a bite. My appetite was nonexistent, but the garlic and herb marinade made my mouth water for more.

“I saw the news. Things got out of control fast,” Sarah commented, offering Fifi a piece of potato. The poodle gently accepted it while sitting prettily in her chair.

My fork clattered on the edge of my plate. Swallowing the second bite of chicken, I coughed as it was almost inhaled into the wrong pipe. “I’m just glad Harton was there,” I said carefully. “He really came through for me. So did the other patrons at Pele’s. They’re really good friends.”

Sarah picked up on the fact that this conversation was not one I wanted to have. “Well, today, I made a white chocolate souffle with raspberry puree. That’s what we’re having for dessert. Don’t tell my brother, though. He’s being an ass. If he wants dessert, he can eat the apple pie Chef made. It’s okay but not great.”

I gave her a small smile. “I’ll definitely save room for your souffle.”

The king was likely being rude to his sister because of our fight. My temper flared as I thought again about his words. And the fact that he hadn’t followed me. My blood pumped faster as my annoyance returned.

Don’t take it out on Sarah. She has nothing to do with this.

“I’m sorry about Kai,” I said to her. “It’s my fault he’s being a jerk to you.”

Instead of answering, Sarah tried the asparagus and wrinkled her nose. “Needs more flavor,” she noted. Without hesitation, she passed the vegetables to the dog. “And Kai had his self-important moments well before he met you, so don’t take all the credit for that.”

Should I be upset that the princess’ poodle eats better than most fae in the kingdom? I wondered as I watched her munch on the asparagus. When is the last time someone who wasn’t under the dome had a real vegetable? Thinking of all the people in the Freelands who were scraping by with minimal provisions, a stab of guilt shot through me.

Shaking off the thought, I drew my mind back to my many other worries. Too much had happened today for me take on another cause at this exact moment. Another day, I promised myself, as I thought of my family and friends who didn’t have a fraction of what I did.

Sarah wiped her fingers on the napkin in her lap and glanced up at me, her big blue eyes forlorn. “I’m the one who should apologize. I know you and Kai got in a fight on the way home. Sorry, I don’t mean to be nosy, but Kritter told me. She was driving the limo. But you aren’t the only reason he’s pissed. I sort of had it out with him, too.”

Kritter was one of Kai’s newer bodyguards who doubled as a driver. She was a caster from a military family, her mother was someone high up in the army’s chain of command. Gossiping was normal at the palace. Still, I hated being the subject of all that gossip. And relaying a private conversation between Kai and I from the car ride crossed a line. I knew I wouldn’t react in front of the princess, but I also knew I was going to bring up the need for privacy to the new driver.

“Kritter and I have known each other a long time,” Sarah said quickly. “She was actually my mentor when I debuted. I promise, she only told me because we’re friends. And because I told her about my fight with my brother.”

“Was your fight about going away to cooking school?” I guessed. “He’s worried about you moving to another kingdom?”

Sarah nodded and blew out a long breath. “With everything that happened, Kai doesn’t think it’s a good time for me to leave the kingdom. As heir apparent, he thinks the rebellion might come after me if I’m not here, if I’m more exposed. He thinks I’d make an easy target.”

The royal army had scoured the island for Christina, Alyssa, and Mat. They were nowhere to be found within the kingdom, leading everyone to believe they’d made it off Oahu. The only reason I knew these things? Kai thought it was good for me to be part of these security meetings. They were torture on my conscience. I could’ve saved a lot of manpower if I’d just admitted that I was once part of the rebellion. If they’d known that, they would know that I had an idea how Christina and the vampires left the island; they probably used the same method as they did for extractions, paying off an airship pilot to smuggle them out in the cargo bay of the craft.

Paid them off with your money. Well, money I had donated to the rebellion before I knew their ultimate intent.

Even without my involvement, Kai’s security team had guessed that was possibly their escape route. That did help alleviate some of the guilt—a very small part. Nonetheless, my stomach was a permanent mess of nerves every time I sat in front of the advisory council. Hell, it felt that way even when I wasn’t. I’d lost ten pounds in the previous month, a fact Botto commented on several times.

You have to tell Kai the truth, I thought. My gut clenched, and I pushed my plate aside.

“I can try to talk to him,” I offered Sarah. “I know what going to the Culinary Institute means to you.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think it’ll work.” Sarah sighed heavily, her perfect posture and poise fading as her shoulders sagged. “My brother always knew he’d be king. Since birth, he’s been pampered. But that also means he’s always been protected and hovered over. In a way, he’s been confined his entire life.

“Kai always said he would give his children more freedom to be themselves and do ‘normal kid’ things. And I’m not his child, but he’s been acting like I am since Mom died. I understand he’s scared, but I deserve to go to culinary school. I’ve worked really hard.” Tears pooled in her crystalline eyes. “I know that may sound spoiled and entitled, but Kai will have children someday, and I’ll be pushed down the line of succession. Don’t get me wrong—that’s fine by me. I would never want to reign over the kingdom. But that means I need to pursue my passion, live my life.”

I rounded the table and crouched down beside Sarah’s chair. Her hands were clenched tightly together in her lap. Covering them with one of my hands, I squeezed gently.

“I’ll speak with him. Maybe it won’t make a difference, but who knows, right? It can’t hurt.”

Sarah nodded, her breath shaky. “Thank you, Brie.” She smiled through her tears. “I really like having you here. It means a lot to me. And Kai, of course. Still, I can’t imagine how hard it is for you to give up so much for my brother. I do understand wanting your independence. I want the same thing. I want that for both of us.”

Between Sarah’s tears and grateful words, I had to fight back my own waterworks. My eyes prickled as I realized how much I could empathize with the way she was feeling. Sure, Sarah was a princess and heir to the Throne of Winter; and princes from other kingdoms tried to court her all the time; sure, designers came to the palace to make her clothes on demand; and Chef imported all sorts of ingredients that we couldn’t buy on the island so she could practice her cooking. And yet, the one thing she wanted was the one thing she couldn’t have: true freedom.

We had a lot more in common then I’d thought.

“We’re done with dinner,” I announced, feeling a little mischievous. “When was the last time you left the palace?”

Kai’s going to kill you, I thought.

Looking at the sadness in Sarah’s icy-blue eyes, I decided that I didn’t care what the repercussions were.

“My brother thinks it’s best if I stay on the grounds,” she told me. “He doesn’t want me taking unnecessary risks.” Sniffling, she wiped her cheeks. Her short laugh was humorless. “It’s hell. Even with all the acres of land that I can roam, I still feel so confined. Just knowing that I can’t leave makes me anxious.”

Unfortunately, I knew exactly how she felt. At least Kai had the good sense to not object when I left, as long as a bodyguard was with me. I could only imagine it was worse for Sarah.

“How do you feel about using a little magic?” I asked the princess. “Maybe take a break from all of this for a bit?”

While Kai was the strongest warlock in the kingdom, the princess had serious skills of her own. And since I’d been staying in the palace, I’d realized that she didn’t have qualms about using her magic freely. At our formal dinners, she often summoned objects on the table instead of reaching for them or asking someone to pass the salt.

I knew Sarah’s power came from the palace fae who topped off the princess whenever her magic got low. That fact alone should’ve kept me from asking her to perform an alteration spell to disguise us as other people. And yet…she needed a break.

It’s just a small spell, I told myself. At least, it would be for her. And if she needs magic, I’ll give it to her.

Regardless of my convictions against transferring my magic to casters, something I had never done, determination to get Sarah out of the palace got the better of me. Besides, if I was the one asking the princess to perform magic, it was only right that I be the one to replenish her power if need be.

Sarah smiled impishly as Fifi jumped in her lap and licked salty tears from her cheeks. She giggled and stroked the poodle’s perfectly groomed white curls.

“What are you thinking? Maybe an alteration spell?” she guessed.

I nodded.

This is such a bad idea, I thought.

Only if you get caught, the devilish voice in my head countered. Just don’t get caught.

“Yep, an alteration spell,” I confirmed. “We can sneak off the grounds and have a night out. I’m thinking we can pretend that we’re palace staff leaving for the day. Hell, we may be able to walk out the front gates without any problems,” I told her, patting Fifi’s fluffy poof.

Sarah laughed and hugged the dog. “Let’s do it.”

Twenty minutes later, I was staring into a mirror at a face that I didn’t recognize. I was still tall, but Sarah had added some weight to the illusion. Admittedly, I did look better with a few extra pounds. She made my eyes the same shade of brown as my new hair. My sharp cheekbones were gone, replaced with an ordinary face that people would forget as soon as I left their presence.

Sarah’s blonde mane was now rich auburn, her eyes the color of olives, and freckles splattered across her nose and cheeks. Her curves were still there, but she’d toned them down.

“How do I look?” she asked, modeling a pair of skinny jeans and a silky, white top with an open back.

“Not like you,” I told her with a smile. “But still amazing. What about me?”

I’d chosen white shorts and a pretty, blue shirt with long sleeves. The neckline was high and only hinted at my newfound cleavage.

“Samesies,” she replied.

“Now we just have to get out of the palace,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “You know, the easy part.”

Sarah’s olive eyes sparkled. “Leave that to me.”

Getting out of the palace ended up being laughably easy. Sarah used an invisibility spell that allowed us to walk right through the front gates. We continued being invisible for over a mile before I called a car to come pick us up. Ten minutes later, we were in the backseat of a taxi on our way to Hideout.

This is such a bad idea, I kept thinking.

Despite that, the excitement radiating off the princess made me feel like maybe I’d made the right decision. She deserved to let loose every so often.

We arrived at Hideout to find a short line outside. Normally, I would’ve headed straight for the bouncers, who would’ve let me right in. Unfortunately, I didn’t look like me, and I couldn’t tell them who I really was. So, we headed to the back of the line and joined the queue.

“I’ve never waited in a line,” Sarah whispered gleefully. “This feels so ordinary, so exciting.”

I smiled. “Well, I am ordinary, and I haven’t waited in a line in ages. This is new for both of us.”

We ran into a small hiccup when the bouncers asked for IDs. Naturally, we didn’t have identification for our new facades. Sarah had aged herself up slightly; instead of being sixteen years old, she looked about twenty. But thankfully there was no drinking age beneath the dome.

“I’m so sorry, I think I left mine in my other purse,” Sarah told a bouncer I didn’t recognize. She smiled sweetly and tilted her head to the side. I felt her magic swell as she cast some sort of compulsion spell. “You can bend the rules this once, can’t you?”

Toby, one of the other bouncers, came over to see what the problem was. He was a were-panther I knew from many previous nights at Hideout.

Sarah turned her charms on him. “You don’t mind if we go in, right?” she asked, her voice low and soothing.

Toby’s expression went blank. When he spoke, his British accent was distinctive. “Nah, it’s cool. You girls have fun.”

He smiled at me, and I returned the gesture. For a moment, I worried that Toby saw through my disguise. His pale-blue eyes, rimmed in black eyeliner, squinted as though trying to get a better look. Brushing my hair forward, I averted my gaze. Sarah grabbed my hand, and the bouncers let us through the velvet ropes without any further trouble.

“How often do you use compulsion spells on people?” I spoke directly in Sarah’s ear to be heard over the thumping bass inside the club.

She smiled up at me. “Only when necessary.”

We wormed our way through the crowded dance floor to the bar on the lower level. No one looked twice at us. Well, a few people gawked at Sarah, but that was to be expected. Even with the disguise, she still had her curves and cheery energy; people couldn’t help but notice her.

Sarah didn’t need her magic to garner the attention of the bartender, Evan. He was a were-peacock that I knew socially. Like his shifter form, he was pretty but ultimately impractical. He didn’t look at me at all. Evan only had eyes for the princess, who had her ample ‘assets’ on the bar.

“Can we get two Catch Me Acai, please?” she asked when Evan came over and leaned in to talk to her.

A mischievous look in his eyes, Evan flashed his white teeth in a smile that displayed dimples. “Coming right up.”

The princess grinned from ear to ear. Evan made a point to bring all the bottles he needed over so he could talk to Sarah while he made our drinks. While they chatted, I looked around the busy club. Everly was a waitress at Hideout and was likely working. Of course, she wouldn’t recognize me, which was probably for the best. Like I’d told Cala, I had too much on my plate right now to get into it with Everly.

I caught sight of her on the second floor, tending to the VIP tables. My stomach clenched. You do need to talk to her eventually. She’s Tanner’s little sister…and your friend, I reminded myself.

“This is the best!” Sarah exclaimed, handing me a cocktail with a slice of pineapple and a small plastic monkey on the rim and a straw bent into a heart shape. I wondered if all the drinks came with them, or if Evan just randomly had toys in his pocket.

He winked at her when she tried to pay. “On the house, sweetheart,” Evan said, wiping down the bar. I was pretty sure he was flexing his tattooed arms as he did it, which had the desired effect on Sarah.

“That’s so sweet. Thank you,” she cooed.

A guy on the other side of the bar snapped his fingers in impatience. Evan rolled his eyes but headed over.

We took our drinks to the dance floor. Normally, I wasn’t much of a dancer—my friends and I always sat at a table upstairs—but it was clear that’s what Sarah wanted to do. At least my less than impressive moves wouldn’t be photographed and published. For one night, I could be anonymous. I wasn’t Maybrie Hawkins. I wasn’t Kai’s girlfriend. I wasn’t anybody.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, I let loose with Sarah. She sipped her drink and jammed to the latest song by Cauldron’s Bottom. Several people tried to dance with me, but I shrugged them off. Maybe I didn’t look like Brie Hawkins, but I was still the king’s girlfriend.

Sarah didn’t have the same qualms. The princess danced with anyone who approached. Her newly olive eyes shone the entire time. As much as I knew this outing was risky, it was worth Kai’s wrath if he found out. Sarah was destined to marry a prince of a foreign kingdom. In my humble opinion, I believed she deserved to have a good time before she was sent off to wed some caster she barely knew.

A tall, pale guy with scruff kept eyeing the princess from one of the high-top tables surrounding the dance floor. I didn’t need to see his fangs to know he was a vampire. Most vampires beneath the dome had made themselves scarce since the luau, and the ones who’d remained had received visits from the palace guards. This guy, though, didn’t seem to have a care in the world. He sipped a crimson cocktail and watched the princess with dark, expressionless eyes.

“What’s your name?” someone yelled in my ear.

I turned to see a were-tiger grooving to the music. He was good-looking, with dark hair and beautiful blue eyes.

“Br-Brandy,” I stuttered. Smooth, Brie, not weird at all.

“Aiden.” He pointed to his muscular chest. “Can I buy you a drink?”

I smiled politely. “I’m sorry. I don’t think it’s a great idea.”

“You have a boyfriend?” Aiden asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, and he wouldn’t be too happy if I let another guy buy me a drink.”

“Where is he?” Aiden pressed, looking around as though my boyfriend was somewhere in the vicinity.

“At home,” I replied simply.

I’d stopped dancing in the hope Aiden would get the picture and leave me alone. I was used to guys like him, and it was usually easy to fend them off. But that was when I was myself, an infamous fire fae from the fighting pits. A lot of guys didn’t have the balls to ask me for a drink or dance. And those who did, tended to run the other way when I gave them my arena glare. Wearing a different face, that look seemed to have zero effect.

“He must not like you very much if he let you come out alone,” Aiden pointed out.

“Nobody lets me do anything,” I snapped.

“Feisty. Just how I like ‘em.” Aiden tried to wrap an arm around my shoulders, but I stepped out of his reach. “Oh, come on. Don’t be like that.” He reached for me again, one meaty paw grabbing my waist.

I glared down my nose at the were-tiger, my gaze darting back and forth between his offensive hand and his slightly unfocused eyes. “Move your hand. Now,” I said, enunciating each word.

“Or what?” Aiden’s smile was so smug, so entitled, so creepy.

“Or I’ll break it.”

I must not have been very convincing, because not only did Aiden’s hand remain on my waist, he squeezed me.

And that was when I punched him. Well, tried to punch him, anyway. My knuckles struck what felt like a hard, frozen wall. Cold fingers wrapped around my wrist, and I found myself staring up into the face of Sarah’s vampire admirer.

“I do not think you really want to do that,” he muttered.

He didn’t use compulsion on me, but his words did penetrate my anger. I let my hand fall to my side as the vampire turned to face Aiden.

“The lady said no.” His voice was low and sultry.

“What’s it to you?” Aiden asked, though he did release me.

The vampire flashed his fangs. “I think it is best if you leave. Now.”

His compulsion was strong, and Aiden was helpless against the vampire’s command. Without so much as a goodbye, the were-tiger trotted over to the other side of the dance floor.

I turned to the vampire. “Thank you, but I can take care of myself.”

“I am very certain you can.” He gave me a blinding smile. “But I could not stand by while a drunk shifter harassed a beautiful girl.”

Oh, Gaia. Is he hitting on me? I wondered with an eye roll.

Sarah was suddenly by my side. “What happened? Is everything okay?”

“It’s nothing,” I promised.

The vampire turned his attention to the princess. In a surprising move, he offered her his hand. “I’m Tad. It is a pleasure to meet you,” he said. He leaned in and added, “Your Highness.”

His last words were barely a whisper. Still, I looked around to see if anyone had overheard him.

Sarah blushed and giggled like the teenager she was. “How did you know?”

Had it been Cala falling prey to vampire charms, I would’ve smacked her. Doing the same to the princess was a very serious crime. Although, if she didn’t snap out of it soon, I was willing to risk the consequences.

Tad gave Sarah a sultry look that made me uneasy. “Your casting abilities are impressive, but I can see through the disguise.”

“Is that a vamp thing?” I asked uneasily.

How many other vampires are lurking in the shadows? Do they all know Sarah’s true identity?

“It is a me thing,” Tad replied.

I relaxed. Slightly.

The music changed to a slow song from Undead Society. Tad gestured toward the table where he’d been standing while admiring the princess, inviting us to join him. Sarah looked at me hopefully.

I shook my head. “We should get you back.” Glancing at the time on my phone, I added, “It’s after midnight.”

Sarah’s expression fell. “Another hour. Please?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I told her firmly.

Vampires were dangerous. My personal experience with them made me warier than a medieval bride on her wedding night. The princess needed to get away from Tad, and I didn’t care if she got upset with me for standing in the way of true lust.

I turned to Tad. “We’re leaving.”

His mesmerizing gaze was locked on Sarah. For a second, I thought he might try to compel us to stay.

Try your best, buddy.

Instead, he bowed to Sarah and kissed her hand. “Until we meet again, princess,” he said.

Sarah was on cloud nine. I thought for sure she was going to ask to stay again, but she didn’t.

In a perfectly regal way, she said, “I hope we do meet again.”

She really does need to get out of the house more. This conversation is painfully formal.

Tad grinned lazily. “I am certain we will.” He directed his next comment at me. “I hope to see you fight one day, Maybrie. Sooner rather later, perhaps.”

My heart skipped a beat. I didn’t appreciate the vampire announcing my name in the crowded space. In my peripheral vision, I saw a group of caster girls eyeing Tad with very appreciative gazes. The ones they gave Sarah weren’t nearly as nice.

This situation is one wrong look away from escalating, I thought. We need to leave immediately.

Tad shot the princess another intense look. I couldn’t tell what he was trying to communicate, but I didn’t have any interest in finding out the hard way. I stepped slightly in front of her.

“Goodnight, ladies,” he said.

Whether he’d correctly read my stance or was truly being a gentleman, I didn’t know—or care.

I took Sarah’s hand and led her out of Hideout. She waved happily to the bouncers, who grinned at the princess. The night air felt delightfully cool after the suffocating heat of the dance floor. The tension in my muscles lessened as I greedily sucked in the fresh air.

I turned and saw Everly and Rocko huddled together at the end of the street. I stared at my friends. They glanced over but neither recognized me. My heart hurt a little to see their gazes pass over me. In that moment, I desperately missed my old life.

“There’s a taxi,” Sarah announced, interrupting my musings. “How do I get it to stop?”

“I got it.” Turning away from Everly and Rocko, I walked to the edge of the curb. My hand flew into the air as it approached.

The driver stopped and rolled down the window. “Where ya headed?”

Realizing my oversight, I froze. We couldn’t be dropped off at the palace. The driver could run to the tabloids with tales of strange women entering Kai’s home at all hours.

“I’ll tell you where to go,” Sarah interjected in a soothing tone.

The driver smiled at her. “Get in.”

Though I wasn’t a huge fan of the princess’ compulsion spells, they were admittedly helpful.

Sarah directed the driver to a back road that led to a rear entrance of the palace grounds. When the driver stopped where indicated, I gave him a large tip in the hopes it would dispel any urge to question the odd drop-off location. The princess thanked him for the ride and then muttered a memory spell to make sure he couldn’t betray us. As Sarah hummed the song that had been on when we left the club, we trudged up the road that was made of broken coral shells.

“Thank you for tonight, Brie,” Sarah said. We reached the dead end of the road, and she used her magic to unlock the back gate. “I had a lot of fun. We’ll definitely have to do this again.”

“You’re welcome. I had fun, too.” I smiled at the princess. “But…we can’t make this a regular thing, Sarah. We’re getting away with it this time, but I don’t think we should test our luck.”

The light in Sarah’s eyes dimmed. “I understand.”

As we slipped through the gate, she cast another invisibility spell. We crept up the drive and past the outside guards. The entire illusion was weird to experience; I could see Sarah and she could see me, but we were undetectable to everyone else.

Once inside and up the stairs, Sarah gave me a tight hug. “You’re the best, Brie,” she whispered.

One of the two palace guards stationed in the hallway looked in our direction and frowned.

Squeezing Sarah back, I didn’t reply. We were still invisible, and I wasn’t about to risk the guard overhearing me. We parted ways, and I didn’t fully exhale until I reached the door to my rooms. Though I’d told Sarah we got away with our night of frivolity, it wasn’t until I was inside my suite that I truly believed my words.

Exhausted and ready to pass out in my clothes, I flipped the light switch on in my bedroom. Full-body paralysis set in immediately. The king was sitting on the edge of my bed, looking exceedingly unhappy. The invisibility spell had broken the moment I stepped inside my suite, so Kai could see me gaping at him. And it was me he saw, the real me. Not Brandy, the version of me that Sarah had created.

He sat perfectly straight, hands folded in his lap. Kai’s voice was low and his face expressionless. “Where have you been, Brie?”

Chapter Five

My breath caught in my throat as my brain fumbled for something to say. Anything to say. Kai’s eyes were dark with anger, cutting off any lame excuse I might’ve used.

The best lies are rooted in truth, I reminded myself.

“I was at Hideout,” I said evenly.

Kai’s lips twitched like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. He exhaled loudly. “I was afraid something happened to you,” he said, his voice low and unexpectedly gravelly. “I thought one of the lunatics from Pele’s had caught up with you.”

“I’m sorry,” I said automatically. Though I wanted to move toward him, I was afraid he might reject me. Instead, my feet felt like heavy magnets stuck to a steel floor. “I just needed to get out, needed to clear my head.”

His jaw tightened. When Kai finally spoke again, his words were measured. “I understand this transition has not been easy for you. But after what happened today at your work, you must realize the danger involved in leaving the palace grounds.”

I’m not an idiot, I wanted to snap.

As mad as Kai clearly was, he had yet to raise his voice at me. No matter how much frustration I felt, I wouldn’t be the first one to lose my temper. Maybe it was the alcohol in my system dousing the flames of frustration, but I didn’t want to fight anymore. At least, not with Kai.

“I do understand how dangerous it is right now,” I admitted. Quickly, I added, “I used an alteration spell to change my appearance. I swear, no one knew it was me.”

While it would’ve been an incredibly difficult spell for me to pull off on my own, Kai never doubted my magical abilities. Sighing, I thanked Gaia for his unquestioning faith in me.

You don’t deserve him.

An iron fist clenched my heart. It was true. I didn’t deserve Kai.

Kai averted his gaze, focusing on one of the large crystal pineapples some interior designer had thought perfect for a shelf in my bedroom.

“I will not tell you what to do,” Kai said slowly. “But I will ask that you not do this again.” His gaze snapped back to me, a spark of jealousy showing through the retreating anger. “The threats against you are very serious. After all that has happened, I cannot lose you, Brie. You are invaluable to me in so many ways.”

I took several tentative steps forward. “I’m sorry I made you worry. I’m not sorry I went out tonight, though.” Kai stiffened, and I plunged forward with my apology. “I really needed some time for myself.” I shook my head. “I guess it was more that I needed time to be someone else. If that makes sense? This has all been a lot to handle, Kai.”

“I know,” he replied softly, holding out a hand to me. “I’m sorry, too. I never meant to place limitations on you.”

A small smile curved my lips as our fingers slid together. I looked away and took a deep breath. “You were right, though. Going back to work at Pele’s was a bad idea. I didn’t consider the ripple effect. Because of my stubbornness, Jon’s restaurant is destroyed. People are in the hospital.”

Tears stung my eyes. I blinked them away. The leaden guilt that hadn’t left my gut in a while grew heavier. Kai squeezed my hand and slowly drew me closer, until I was standing between his knees.

“I know it does not change what happened, but I made arrangements for the reconstruction to begin immediately on Pele’s Pit,” he told me. “The money will, of course, come from my private accounts.”

That made me smile. “Thank you for setting that up, Kai. But you should have the funds taken from my accounts.” Wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, I looked down at him. For a moment, it seemed like he was going to argue.

Instead, after studying my face, he nodded. “Of course. If that is what you want, I will see that it is done.”

Swallowing over the lump in my throat, I told myself that what I was about to say had nothing to do with guilt over the secrets I kept. You’re sacrificing a small bit of your freedom so innocent people stop getting hurt, I told myself. If my presence was going to make places like the restaurant dangerous for others, I’d simply stay away.

“I won’t return to Pele’s after it’s rebuilt. At least not right away. If things ever die down for me….”

“Then you can decide whether you want to go back to waitressing,” he promised. “I will support and defend your choice to my advisors.”

His encouragement was almost more than I could take with everything that had happened. No matter how shitty I was to Kai, no matter how much I chose to defy him for the sake of defiance, he always defended me to everyone else. Even when we weren’t in agreement, he still pled my case.

“And I won’t sneak out again,” I promised, feeling like it was the least I could do. When I smiled again, the expression was more mischievous. “Unless you’re feeling a little reckless and want to gallivant around town as someone else? Escaping yourself is very freeing.”

Kai laughed softly, resting his free hand on my hip. “I might just take you up on that offer.” His expression grew serious. “Are you done escaping yourself for tonight?”

“Yes,” I said softly. “I’m very, very happy to be me right now.”

His hand slid around to the small of my back his fingertips slowly working their way beneath my shirt. “Good. Because I want to be with you. With Brie. With my Brie.”

“My” Brie?
Should that possessiveness trouble me? I wondered. Whether or not it was right, the term didn’t bother me a bit.

I leaned down until our lips met and draped my arms around his neck. Kai’s hands ran up and down my sides, sending pleasant shivers up my spine.

“Does this mean I am forgiven for being an ass?” he mumbled against my mouth.

Kai’s lips moved across my jaw and down my neck. His teeth dragged the strap of my tank top down my arm.

“Don’t let it happen again,” I advised with a smirk.

Placing my palms on his shoulders, I pushed him back on the bed. Kai grinned. His smoldering dark gaze stared up at me as I climbed on top of him. His touch was warm against my bare legs. There was a twinkle in Kai’s eyes that I caught just before the lights magically went out. Without warning, my shirt vanished.

“This is what you use your magic for?” I laughed.

“Not normally,” he admitted, fingertips creeping up my legs. One hand found the top button on my pants. “Normally, I prefer to do the fun parts myself. I just wanted to see your reaction.”

I leaned down, lips hovering over his. “How’s this for a reaction?”

The kiss was slow, almost teasing at first. Neither one of us wanted to rush. It didn’t matter that we both needed to be up in a few hours. There were a lot of disadvantages to living at the palace, but the biggest upside was that Kai and I could truly be alone. There weren’t bodyguards in the doorway listening to our romantic interlude. It was just the two of us, and we took advantage of the night.

*****

Tangled in the sheets with Kai, I should’ve felt relaxed. My problems should’ve been adrift in the back of my head like fishing ships lost at sea. That wasn’t the case. I’d slept with Kai because I wanted to express my love for him physically at least once. It was selfish, but I wanted to have the experience before I told him the truth because…I loved him. I’d wanted to be with him while I could.

Propping myself up on an elbow, I looked down at his heartbreakingly beautiful face. A lump in my throat, I studied the curve of his perfect mouth. We had never been closer. Did I have what it took to shatter the bubble of tranquility and finally tell him the truth?

Tell him now. You have to tell him now. No matter the consequences. My inner life coach was annoying as hell. It was right, too. Shit.

My lips parted, the words on the tip of my tongue. And yet, nothing came out. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve said someone had cast a silencing spell on me. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case; I didn’t have anyone but myself to blame. I wasn’t ready for our relationship to end. I also wasn’t naïve enough to think that Kai would understand and be able to forgive me.

Falling in love was complicated. Falling in love with a caster king was a whole other level of messy. Being a once-rebellious fae just made it all the more complex.

This was never supposed to happen, I reminded myself. You were never supposed to fall for him.

Kai’s eyes opened lazily, his touch gentle as a feather when he reached up and brushed the hair back from my face.

“I did not come to your room with a plan,” he said softly. “But I especially didn’t think that would happen.”

The serious expression on his face made me chuckle. “I figured,” I said, poking him in the chest. My brows drew together. “Speaking of your reasons, why were you waiting in my room in the dark?”

I’d been so startled to find him in my bedroom that I hadn’t considered why he was there in the first place. He couldn’t have known I was gone until he got here, so that wasn’t the reason for his visit.

Kai’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “I came to find you so I could share some good news for a change.”

I quirked any eyebrow. “Good news? You should’ve led with that.”

He laughed. “I would have, but someone sidetracked me.”

“Me?” I scoffed. “You totally made the first move, which makes you the instigator.”

Pulling me against his bare chest, Kai’s kiss was soft yet intense. “You are trouble,” he whispered in my ear as we broke apart. Resting an arm behind his head, he grinned up at me and cleared his throat. “I have very exciting news,” he announced mischievously.

Instead of elaborating, the king watched me expectantly.

“You’re really drawing this out,” I teased, poking him playfully on the chest. “Tell me this good, exciting news already. What’s up?”

“What’s up is you,” he replied with a smirk.

“Am I supposed to know what that means?” I asked uneasily, leaning away from him.

“It means you will be up—up in the sky, if we’re being technical.”

What the hell is he talking about?

“Did you buy me a rocket ship?” I guessed. “A pony would’ve sufficed.”

“Better,” he said, his eyes dancing.

Kai continued grinning maniacally, as if I might catch on if he stared long enough. Narrowing my eyes, I briefly wondered if he’d hit his skull on the headboard during our romp.

I leveled him with a dubious look. “What you have is better than a pony? I highly doubt that.”

“A trip with me isn’t better than a pony?” Kai’s hand flew to his chest in mock horror.

For a moment, I was stunned speechless. Given that our first argument had been about him wanting to take me meandering around another island—something that fae weren’t permitted to do—I was surprised he was trying the same failed tactic. Seeing my hesitation, his eyes widened.

“No, no, not like that,” he said quickly. “I wanted to build suspense, but I fear that has backfired on me.” The arm he still had around my waist squeezed me tightly. “You have qualified and been approved for the Interkingdom Championships in Los Angeles.”

Forgetting my lack of clothing, I sat up with a start. “Seriously?” I screeched. “I qualified?”

Kai’s laugh was soft yet sensual. “Of course you qualified. That was never a question. The exciting part is that you have been approved to travel to Los Angeles for the event.”

“Your council agreed to that?” I asked dubiously.

Before I’d begun dating Kai, going to the Interkingdom Championships had seemed practically impossible—and that was when I was simply associated with people suspected of being rebels. Now that Kenoa had confirmed my fears—that Kai’s advisory council was suspicious of me—I didn’t think I’d ever leave Oahu again.

Nothing is impossible for the king, I realized. My heart ached at the thought of Kai vouching for me and defending me to his advisors. There was no question in his mind that I was loyal to him and the monarchy.

He’s too trusting. That’s no way for a king to be.

The thought was traitorous, and yet it was utterly valid. Kai trusted people implicitly until they proved that he couldn’t.

Instead of voicing all the thoughts racing through my mind, I went with the easiest, most obvious question. “Wait…you’re going to the Interkingdom Championships?” I asked. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Before the luau, when we’d discussed the possibility of interkingdom fights, Kai had mentioned attending with me so I’d have a royal escort while out of the Hawaiian Kingdom. But now he was the king of a nation on the brink of civil war. I was delighted that he wanted to take a trip with me, but it seemed like a terrible time for him to leave.

Kai brushed a soft kiss against my lips. “Wherever you are, that is where I want to be.”

“You’re the king,” I replied, giggling against his mouth. “You don’t get to go chasing women around to other kingdoms. You’re supposed to be a dutiful monarch.”

“We are representing our kingdom to the rest of the world,” he rationalized. “You and me—together. Isn’t that how it should be?” He murmured as he kissed me again.

“You and me together is how it should always be,” I replied, returning his kiss with what felt like desperation.

When I nestled my head back into the crook of his arm to go to sleep, I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep the tears at bay. Kai was an amazing human being. His ability to trust people without reservation, his ability to live with an open heart, and his ability to believe in the good in people…those were reasons I loved him. They were also the reasons why I’d been able to deceive him so easily.

Those casters are right, I thought, my heart hurting. I don’t deserve Kai. And I definitely don’t deserve to be queen.

Chapter Six

“The royal wench is here!” Cala yelled with glee.

Oversized green sunglasses shaded her eyes, and an enormous floppy hat covered her head. My best friend looked like the epitome of a lady who lunched. Or, at least, her closest approximation of what that should look like.

She turned in the entryway and waved at Harton, who’d been nice enough to pick her up and drive her to the palace. Several photographers had started camping outside her place, so it had seemed necessary to send an armed escort.

“Thanks for the ride!” she called to him.

When did this become my life? I wondered sadly.

I shooed her inside the palace, and the two guards stationed at the front entrance closed the heavy doors behind us. Removing her sunglasses in the darkened foyer, she threw her arms around me.

“I’m so glad to see you,” Cala trilled. Leaning forward, she lowered her voice. “Especially after yesterday.”

Shoulders sagging, I hugged her tightly. “I’m really happy you’re here.”

Grinning, I couldn’t help but feel the enthusiasm radiating from Cala. That morning’s practice session with Botto had purged my leftover aggression from the fight I’d been denied at Pele’s. Without my anger to focus on, I was able to appreciate the lightness that came with my best friend’s presence. There was a sense of normalcy that came with watching Cala bounce on her toes, something she always did when intrigued.

We broke apart, and I took Cala’s hand as I led her through the main foyer. She swept her gaze over the palatial décor, eyes wide and wonderous as she took in surroundings that I no longer even noticed. The suits of armor were now as normal and stationary to me as the palace guards.

“It’s so different without all the people,” she remarked.

The last time Cala had come to the palace was for the ill-fated luau. Though she’d arrived early to get ready with me, there’d still been an entire setup crew bustling around downstairs. These days, few were invited to Iolani Palace for any reason. Those who were had to be vetted first, a long and tedious process that I’d circumvented with Cala.

I led Cala through the Blue Room. There, she stopped to study several portraits. I watched her expression as she tilted her head from side to side and read the plaques. Finally, she reached the portrait of the last human Hawaiian monarch—Queen Lili’uokalani. After reading about her brief history, Cala surveyed the painting with a crooked eyebrow.

“How tragic,” she said sadly. Her mouth scrunched to one side. “But weird, too, you know? Can you even imagine a human ruler now? It’s just so…strange. Plus, the casters would never allow such madness.” Cala rolled her eyes.

“Like how they’re trying very hard not to allow a fae queen?” I asked. The question held more bite than I’d intended. I didn’t even want to be Queen.

“Not all of them hate you,” she replied matter-of-factly. Her eyes darted to the side so she could address me without turning. “That mob from yesterday is a small faction. Believe it or not, a lot of casters do support you and this relationship with Kai.” Turning to face me, she grinned. “A lot of the comments on Caster Gossip are from witches and warlocks who think you’d make a great queen.”

I laughed bitterly. “I’m sure there are a lot of people on there that don’t say very nice things, too.”

Cala shrugged. “True. But those are the minority. In general, the common casters love you.”

Common casters love you, I repeated in my head. Emphasis on ‘common.’

Not that I wasn’t thankful, but the opinions of ‘common’ casters’ counted little in this situation. Common casters weren’t on Kai’s advisory council. Common casters didn’t get a vote in whether I was eligible to become queen. Only society witches and warlocks had that honor.

Why the hell are you even thinking about that? I chastised myself. Without hesitation, I knew I didn’t want to be Queen. But I did want to keep dating Kai, which meant the decision of my eligibility had to be determined sooner rather than later. If his advisors told him I didn’t pass muster, Kai would have to decide for himself if I was worth defying the casters he’d been raised to trust, who had been loyal to him and his mother for years.

Cala’s gaze wandered to an oversized, velvet armchair in the corner of the room. She pranced across the peacock-blue carpet, flinging herself onto the mostly decorative chair.

“Careful,” I warned with a smile. “That chair is older than your grandfather.”

Cala’s expression suddenly turned serious. “How many people do you think have had sex in this chair?” One eyebrow raised, then wiggled suggestively.

The idea made me snort with laughter. The royal family only hosted public events at the palace every once in a great while. Most often, Queen Lilli had opened her doors for society parties. In his short time as king, Kai had yet to open Iolani Palace’s doors for any gathering at all, citing security concerns. Still, a lot of people had walked these halls over the years. I could imagine at least a few adrenaline junkies getting off on the thrill of, well, getting off in the royal residence.

“A blue UV light would give a whole new meaning to the ‘Blue Room,’” I said, trying and failing to keep a straight face. “Go wild looking for the evidence, but I’m not interested in being here for that. I’m going to the kitchen now, feel free to join me when you’re done being a sicko.”

Laughing, Cala trailed me down the long hallway and through the double doors to the kitchen. I waved to the dishwasher, David. We passed several islands with hooded ranges and crossed to the side of the kitchen with prep stations.

“What’s up, Alice?” I called to the chef on duty. “Did you have a chance to pull snacks together for the pool? No big deal if you didn’t. I can grab something myself.”

The elderly caster waggled a finger and tsked at me. “Don’t you dare go creeping around in my fridge, missy. There’s a basket ready for you on the counter.” She pointed with a large knife. “Had you called down like I asked, it would’ve been sent to the pool. You know, like I told you.”

I waved a hand to brush off her reminder. “I was walking this way anyway. There’s no sense in someone taking time to deliver it when I’m perfectly capable of carrying a basket of food myself.”

She grumbled something that sounded like, “Silly girl.”

Oddly, I took that as a compliment. She hadn’t called me a silly fae, after all. “Thank you, Alice,” I told her with a smile she didn’t return.

Cala pursed her lips and tried not to laugh. “She doesn’t like you much, huh?” she whispered as I grabbed the picnic basket from the counter along with a bottle of prosecco chilling in ice.

“She doesn’t hate me. At least, I don’t think she does,” I said under my breath.

We left the kitchen through a different door, and I led Cala down a long, narrow hallway that Sarah had showed me as a shortcut to the pool. We descended an old stone staircase to the lower level.

“If I didn’t know you so well, I might think you’re taking me somewhere my body will never be found,” Cala joked.

We reached the bottom of the steps, and I pushed open the heavy door. Gesturing her through, we entered one of the interior gardens that only the royal family and their guests were allowed to visit.

“Much better,” Cala declared, stopping to breathe in the blend of floral aromas. “I could bathe in this smell.”

I laughed. “I could ask Samira to infuse some bath salts with these flowers, if you want?”

My best friend threw her head back dramatically. She’d obviously picked up on my crappy mood and was going above and beyond to make me laugh. “That would be awesome. What about a facewash? Think you can swing that?”

“I’ll ask.” I nodded toward the exit door. “Pool is through there. If you think this is awesome, just wait.”

Instead of a traditional indoor pool setup, it was more like a small ocean beneath a domed greenhouse enclosure. Gentle waves rippled across the top of the clear water and lapped the man-made pebbled shore. Someone had already set up a table, umbrella, and three lounge chairs for us. We unpacked the basket atop the white stone table and surveyed the spread of charcuterie, cheeses, and fruits.

“Hell yes,” Cala declared, helping herself to a rosemary oatmeal cracker topped with dill goat cheese. “Why haven’t I been invited to hang out here before? I could totally get used to this.”

In a furry white flash, Fifi ran past me and leapt straight onto Cala’s lap.

“I’m so sorry!” Sarah called from the garden, her kimono-style bathing suit cover flapping behind her as she hurried after the dog. “She just bolted for you. Bad puppy!” The princess wiggled her finger at Fifi, who was too busy licking traces of cheese from Cala’s fingertips to notice or care about the reprimand.

“This thing is so freaking cute!” Cala exclaimed. “Brie told me you had a domestic animal, but I wasn’t expecting this.” She stuck her face near Fifi and giggled as the dog proceeded to cover her with kisses.

Cala smiled up at the princess. Then, as if remembering herself, her eyes went wide. Setting the poodle on the ground, she jumped to her feet and performed a very awkward curtsy.

“Princess, it is an honor to meet you,” Cala said. Her tone was the painfully polite one that the Pit Masters taught fighters to use when speaking to casters.

Sarah’s cheeks turned crimson, and she waved a hand. “Please, don’t ever call me that again. And no more curtsies, though you really should practice. If Brie marries my brother, you’ll be attending a lot of royal functions in the future.”

I froze at the mere mention of marrying Kai. Was the thought on everyone’s mind?

Cala laughed, relaxing once again. “Whatever you say…Sarah?”

“Yes, you can definitely call me Sarah.” The princess slung an arm around my neck and squeezed me in a hug. Fifi jumped on her back legs and pawed at me in greeting. “Thank you so much for inviting me,” Sarah said. “I hope I’m not intruding on your girl time.”

I squeezed back. “It’s your house, silly, and your pool. You don’t need an invitation. But I’m glad you came down to hang out. You’re always welcome for girl time.”

Cala popped the bottle of bubbly and filled up three of the crystal goblets from the basket. Sarah adjusted the settings on the domed ceiling so that we saw a bright sun in a blue sky. When I tilted my head back, the sun’s rays warmed my cheeks.

Each of us took our prosecco and raised our glasses in toast.

“To girlfriends,” Cala declared.

Sarah smiled shyly as we clinked goblets. I was glad I’d invited her, even though it meant I couldn’t dish to Cala about my night with Kai—that would’ve been an awkward conversation for his little sister. I did have other news to share that was more family friendly, though.

All three of us settled into our lounge chairs. The heat from the artificial sun was enough that I shed my cover-up and laid out in a modest red bikini.

“Guess who’s going to L.A. in a few days?” I asked coyly, taking a sip of prosecco. The bubbles made my nose tingle.

Cala shot up from her lounging position. “What?” she screeched. “That’s amazing!”

“It’s for a fight,” I said, laughing at her excitement. “The Interkingdom Championship, to be exact.”

“You qualified?” Cala beamed. “Congratulations! Seriously, this is huge!”

It was huge. We both knew other fighters who’d competed in interkingdom matches, and one who’d even been in the championships. But I was the first female fae from the Hawaiian Kingdom to qualify. At least, as far as I knew.

“You are totally going to kick ass,” Sarah declared with a knowing expression. “I’m so glad Kai was able to get the council to agree to let you go.”

Though I knew she didn’t mean anything by it, the reminder that I wasn’t free to leave whenever I pleased stung. The princess’ eyes widened when she realized my reaction.

“I—I…sorry, that’s not what I meant.”

The awkward silence was quickly interrupted by Cala. “We need to go shopping,” she announced. “You’ll need at least three new cocktail dresses, you’ll have the welcome reception, the fighters’ parade, and the fighters’ showcase.” My best friend had her phone out, already making a list.

“At least two formal dresses,” Sarah chimed in.

Cala nodded. “Right. One for the dinner after the welcome reception, and one for the winner’s gala.”

“And something for the banquet for heads of state,” the princess added.

In the ten hours or so that I’d known about the championship, clothes had never crossed my mind. If Sarah and Cala wanted to plan my wardrobe, all the better. It was one less thing I had to think about. My mind started to wander back to the previous night with Kai. I wanted to hold onto those memories, and to relive them over and over, just in case. But Sarah’s comment about the banquet for heads of state caught my attention.

“I won’t be going to that,” I interjected. “You can scratch that dress off your list.”

Sarah frowned but said nothing. Cala shrugged and deleted the bullet point that read ‘Dress for dull AF caster banquet.’ I smirked when I read the words on her screen, but they soon disappeared.

“You definitely need a plane outfit,” Cala continued, staring off across the pool. “Something comfortable but chic that won’t wrinkle during the flight. There might be photogs waiting for you on the runway.”

“We’ll get you some cute luggage, too,” Sarah added excitedly.

A new wardrobe, new luggage…what was next, a glam squad to travel with me for hair and makeup? Eyeing the two of them, I didn’t ask, knowing full well that they’d make it happen.

My mind wandered as I sat half listening to my friends debate scarves versus hats for my go-to accessory. The initial excitement over learning I’d both qualified and been cleared to leave the dome was starting to dim. My relationship with Kai was a big deal in the Hawaiian Kingdom for a lot of obvious reasons. Not the least of which, I was fae and he was the young, handsome caster king. But in other kingdoms around the world, a relationship like ours was more than a topic of conversation. It was forbidden.

I’d shied away from the news, particularly the gossip sites, since the luau. Reading outrageous headlines was giving me a complex. The stories ranged from my potential baby belly to our supposed wedding plans to thinly veiled jabs at my character, suggesting I was demanding and crass. Some stories held just enough truth to make me wonder which of my friends had sold me out. The reality of my situation was finally sinking in. I wasn’t just a local celebrity anymore; I was an international topic of conversation.

On Oahu, I was shielded, at least to a degree. Kai made sure reporters couldn’t get inside the training facility. He’d also passed a royal decree making it illegal to share any photograph of me taken behind the palace gates. Once we were in Los Angeles, Kai would be a visiting royal. He would be treated with the proper respect that all monarchs were given, but he would not have the authority to make sure I was shown courtesies from everyone else. Reporters and tabloid photographers would hound me whenever I left my hotel room, that much I knew. They’d dig into everything.

Good thing I’m not trying to pass messages for the rebellion, I thought, as Sarah and Cala switched gears from wardrobe planning to sightseeing adventures. There’s no way I’ll be able to sneak off for any secret rendezvouses.

Originally, I’d applied for the interkingdom fight so I could be a tool for the rebellion. Given that Christina was on the run, I wasn’t even sure there was a rebellion anymore. At least, not the Hawaiian branch. Were there still members of her crew on the island? I had no idea. The only thing I was sure of in regard to the rebellion was that I wanted no further part of the organization. I believed in fighting for the rights of fae. I didn’t believe in killing casters to achieve that goal.

You had a hand in the deaths of the dome’s tentpoles, I reminded myself. You don’t get to pretend you’re high and mighty after that.

“You have to go to Snake Pit!” Cala exclaimed, nudging my shoulder playfully. “And take lots of pictures. It’s where Hibernation Clan played their first big gig. It’s iconic.”

I forced a smile. “We’ll see. I don’t know how much time I’ll really have for fun.”

“You’ll have some downtime,” Cala replied. With a knowing smile, she added, “Which I’m sure you’ll want to spend with Kai. But you two need to leave the bedroom and do a little exploring while you’re in L.A.”

I shot her a glare, my cheeks on fire. “Really?” I asked her sarcastically.

“It’s okay,” Sarah said quickly. “I might be sheltered, but I’m not that naïve. Just save the details until I’m gone.”

Cala laughed and waved off the princess’ concern. “There aren’t any details yet, don’t worry.” She caught me quickly looking away. The slight widening of her eyes told me that she couldn’t wait to grill me about possible details, but she’d do it once we were alone. Cala changed the subject. “Do you know if anyone else from here is going to the fight, too?”

Up to five fighters from any single kingdom could qualify, but the Hawaiian Kingdom often sent less due to the harsh screening process for applicants wishing to leave the dome. I hadn’t even thought to ask Kai who else, if anyone, was going.

I shook my head. “I’ll ask Kai later if he knows the details yet. Otherwise, I guess we’ll find out in the next three days. The fighters are announced publicly right before we leave for L.A.”

“I wonder if they’ll still have the send-off ceremony,” Cala said with a sigh. “I sort of hope so.”

“Really? Why? It’s not like we ever go to stuff like that,” I replied.

“I’d totally go for you,” she protested with a grin. “Besides, don’t you think after all the bad shit that’s happened that people might want to celebrate something good? It’ll be a whole thing.”

The send-off ceremony was informal, and anyone could attend. Because it wasn’t mandatory, most of us chose to skip it every year. Madame Noelani’s students typically showed up to wave goodbye, the same way humans used to turn up in droves to watch ships set sail. A representative from the royal family often went and made a speech about the great fighters selected to represent the Hawaiian Kingdom. All in all, it was a pointless affair that I’d avoided like the plague.

Others don’t see it that way, I reminded myself. The people of Hawaii needed some real sunshine in their lives after the past month.

“I’ll talk to Kai,” I promised Cala.

She sipped her prosecco, leaned back in her lounge chair, and sighed contentedly. “Yeah, a girl could totally get used to this.” Cala’s lazy gaze and lopsided grin bypassed me in favor of Sarah. “If you need an indoor beach friend while Brie is gone, I’m totally available.”

Chapter Seven

That evening at dinner, the Interkingdom Championship was the topic of conversation. Sarah was just as excited as she’d been earlier with Cala. She took this opportunity to ask Kai if she could come to L.A. with us.

“I’m sorry, Sarah,” her brother told her gently but firmly. “Right now, you and I cannot both be away. I need you here to keep everything running smoothly in my absence. While I’m gone, you will be the reigning royal.”

Her expression fell, but the princess clearly appreciated that it was her duty to represent the monarchy in Kai’s absence. Tilting her chin up, Sarah set her jaw.

“I understand. But in exchange, I need you to understand something as well.” Sarah’s blue eyes turned icy and serious as she fixed her brother with an intense look. “I want nothing to do with that horrid prince that the King and Queen of California are trying to pawn off on me.”

Kenoa snorted into his giant rice bowl, causing several of the loose grains to fly up in the air. Eyebrows drawn, Kai glanced between his sister and his best friend.

“Prince Eduardo is very skilled,” he said evenly.

Interesting choice of words, I thought, sipping from a glass of dark, sweet wine.

Sarah looked at her brother incredulously. “Skilled at what?” she snapped.

Kai’s lips parted several times before he managed to say, “I believe I have heard he’s quite the swimmer.” Dark eyes full of compassion, he said carefully. “King Ronald has asked me for a dinner while on the mainland to discuss a potential alliance. In the past, he suggested a match between you and Prince Eduardo. It is likely that the subject will be broached again at our dinner.”

“No,” Sarah said simply. As if confirming that was the end of the conversation, she popped a crab puff between her glossy lips.

Kai’s jaw clenched at her obstinance. He looked to Kenoa for support. The water fae had his head down, concentrating on his food. I made the mistake of letting Kai catch my eye. He arched a brow in question. “Brie?”

“Me?” I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. “This has nothing to do with me.”

“Yes, let’s hear Brie’s opinion,” Sarah interjected, a broad grin stretching her sun-kissed cheeks.

It was Kai’s turn to squirm. “Brie?” When he said my name this time, the mighty king didn’t sound so confident.

I sipped my water to stall for time, and then I cleared my throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kenoa smirking.

“Personally, I believe everyone should have the chance to fall in love,” I said noncommittally.

Kenoa threw his head back and guffawed. “You were made for politics,” he told me.

Both Kai and Sarah stared as though wanting me to say more.

I’d sat in on many advisory council meetings with Kai on a broad range of topics. Kai had never asked my opinion in front of others. When we were alone, he wanted to know my stance on everything. In public? He was careful to not acknowledge that my opinion held sway with him.

The dinner with the King of California might’ve been casual on the surface, but the discussion of alliances was extremely important; it had to do with the future security of both kingdoms. Ultimately, the question of who Sarah would marry was up to her brother. As king, Kai could betroth the princess to whomever he pleased. Truly, I understood the importance of political alliances. When it came down to it, though, I just didn’t agree with the idea of using Sarah as leverage.

I looked down at my plate. The small piece of flounder swam in buttery cream sauce that had spread to the zucchini medley. I cut through the fish and took a bite. Kai gave me a small smile before turning his attention to the princess.

“I will at least hear King Ronald’s offer. Let me find out if it’s even what we think it will be. No matter what, I promise I will not make any decisions without your input.”

Sarah averted her gaze, lips pursed.

“Are you the only fighter going?” Kenoa asked, effectively changing the subject.

I glanced at Kai. “As far as I know. Wouldn’t you have the answer to that question?”

My boyfriend was all too happy to talk about less controversial topics. “Yes, Brie will be our kingdom’s sole representative this year.”

Learning that I alone would be the face of fighters for the Hawaiian Kingdom suddenly made the trip to L.A. a lot more anxiety-ridden.

“Who is coming with us?” I managed to ask around the lump in my throat.

Knife and fork poised over his flounder, the king focused on his plate and refused to meet my gaze. “Harton, Lara, Makani, and all of the principle security.”

Obviously. But I knew Kai wasn’t nearly done with the list.

“Of the newest security personnel, only Kritter will accompany us.” Kai’s dark eyes flitted to Kenoa briefly. “My council will be attending, as well. They will travel on a separate airship. I thought that might make for a more pleasant flight.” Finally, Kai glanced up and met my gaze head-on. “I also made arrangements for Botto to come with us.”

As my trainer, I’d just assumed that Botto would come with us. He was the reason I was eligible for the fight at all. Botto was the one who’d pushed me to train harder and longer, to reach for the next level.

Kai looked at me expectantly, like waiting for gratitude to pour forth. Sure, I was appreciative that the king had intervened to bring him with us. I wasn’t as pleased about the need for him to have to step in. There was only one reason that anyone would think twice about Botto joining the party; because he was fae. Technically, he was hybrid—a half were-bear, half air fae. My palms grew hot as anger bubbled inside my gut.

“That’s good,” Kenoa said, interrupting my mental musings. “He’ll be a big help. With him in your corner, you have a good chance of making it past the first round.”

“Thanks for your faith in me,” I told him dryly, as I drank the rest of my wine.

The prospects for the opposition in my coming fights hadn’t really crossed my mind. I was still stuck on the fact that I alone would be representing our kingdom in the arena. And, of course, the issue of my romance playing out on an international stage.

Kenoa leaned back in his chair so far that one of the palace guards eyed the legs like they might break beneath the water fae’s bulk. He held his arms open wide and shrugged.

“No fighter from the Hawaiian Kingdom has ever advanced past the second round,” Kenoa informed the table.

“I have beaten the past three fighters we’ve sent to interkingdom battles,” I pointed out. “Why would you question my ability to take down the fighters from other kingdoms?”

Kenoa grinned. For just a second, it was like old times. My stomach churned at the reminder of our earlier confrontation.

You have to tell Kai, I thought, pushing my plate aside.

“I’m going to put my money on you,” Kenoa said, fixing me with a look he gave opponents in the arena. “You are full of surprises, Brie. You just might have what it takes to go all the way.”

Though it was phrased like a compliment, the edge in Kenoa’s voice was unmistakable. I recognized the taut tone of anger beneath the benign words. It was directed at me and only me, like a sniper’s bullet meant for a single target.

*****

After dinner, I headed to my suite. There was a lot on my mind, and I needed time to process. Once I was alone, the magnitude of what I was about to do really sunk in. For the first time in history, a female fighter would be the only representative of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the Interkingdom Championship. Doubts flew through my mind, whispered fears that made me question my ability to really handle the situation.

You have a lot to prove, I reminded myself.

Slipping on a pair of silk pajama pants that Kai had given me as a welcome gift to the palace, I sighed. The top had long, gauzy sleeves that hung past my wrists, and the pants were loose and billowy. Draping my favorite old robe over my shoulders, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Dark circles and hollow cheeks met my gaze. My conflicted gaze. I barely recognized myself.

You’re a sellout, I thought, as I stroked the soft silk top.

The derisive thoughts in my head were shoved aside by the voice of reason. The best way to change the system is from the inside.

At least, that’s what I’d been telling myself for weeks. Longer, really, if I went back to the days when I’d first started fighting for the entertainment of the casters; when I had used the money from winning fights to support the rebellion. Then, I’d met Kai and I fell…in love? I was still working through those feelings. Regardless, a fae within the upper echelons of government might mean that we could enact real change. The notion wasn’t all that different from what Christina had wanted. The only difference between my plan and hers was that I didn’t want to take down the royal family and kill casters. I planned to argue my agenda loudly and often in front of anyone who would listen. I needed Kai to be on board with, and to understand, my passion for equality.

What makes you think he’ll care about what you want when he finds out you’ve betrayed him like you have?

I left my dressing room in a much heavier mood than when I’d entered. It was a feat that I wouldn’t have thought possible. Bypassing the four-poster bed with its embroidered comforter bearing Kai’s family crest, I tucked myself into the corner window seat. Sometimes at night, when I couldn’t sleep, I sat and pressed my face to the cool glass and pretended the mountains in the distance were Fae Canyon. It gave me a comfort that I’d been missing for ages. This was one of those nights.

Fae Canyon was only a few hundred miles from L.A. It made my heart ache to think of how close I would be to my home, to the place I’d longed to return to for years. Instead of fighting in LA for the amusement of casters, I should’ve been fighting to return to my home. My family was there, both my brother and my father. Would I ever see them again?

So close, yet so far away, I thought.

My heart ached. Wrapping my arms around my legs, I tucked my knees to my chest and rested my head on the window. In that moment, all the unpleasant thoughts I’d been locking away in tiny compartments and storing in the deepest recesses of my brain surfaced. Tears poured down my cheeks and dripped off my chin. For the first time in a long time, I wanted my father to hold me. Though I’d missed him terribly every single day that I’d lived under the dome, I’d realized that compartmentalizing my homesickness was necessary for survival. For me, the only way to live was in the present. There were so many facets of my life that I couldn’t control, I hadn’t allowed myself to wallow in them.

Illion must be so big, I thought. He’d been nine when I was taken. He would be fourteen years old—a teenager—by this point. Does he look like Dad?

My brother had always physically favored my father, while I supposedly looked like our mother. It was all hearsay, of course. I didn’t have any family pictures. One of my greatest regrets was the fact I couldn’t recall my mother’s appearance. Though a general silhouette would appear with my recollections of her, there were no specifics. She’d died not long after Illion was born.

There were a handful of memories I held, glimpses of who she’d been and who I could’ve been with her. One was particularly distinct—a recollection of Mom holding my infant brother. He’d been looking up at her with his expressive eyes and cooing happily. Her long, black hair fell over one shoulder. Even with all the details that I could recall, it was her face that eluded me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t remember the curve of her mouth when she smiled. Had her eyes crinkled when she laughed? I couldn’t recall the sound of her voice, either. The things that I did remember were so fleeting, like the way she’d smelled just after taking a shower. Vaguely, I recalled the scents of coconut and rose. But was that just my imagination? It was impossible to know what was real and what was fabricated in my desperate desire to remember her.

With a hand clasped tightly against my lips, I stifled the gasping sobs that wracked my body. Kai and Sarah had lost the mother who’d raised them. She’d been someone they’d loved for many years, someone they’d respected. The only mother that I’ve ever known had been lost to me far too long ago. Fate had robbed me of the woman who gave birth to me.

Which is worse? I wondered disloyally. At least Kai and his sister had happy memories of Queen Lilli to hold onto. When it came to recollections of my mother, I had nothing.

Your mother wasn’t brutally murdered, I reminded myself. She wasn’t sucked dry by predators at a damn party. The very thought made me cry even harder.

The guilt over my betrayal of Kai was becoming too heavy a burden to bear. Even if Kenoa hadn’t given me an ultimatum, I didn’t know how much longer I would be able to hide my secrets from Kai. The kingdom was in ruins, and my treachery had at least a small role in it. It didn’t matter that I’d been horrified of the killers themselves. It didn’t matter that they were the same people who’d ripped me from my home and sent me across an ocean; people I never would’ve willingly conspired with. What mattered was that I’d funded the efforts that had led to killing the queen. To make matters worse, I hadn’t been honest with Kai after the luau. The longer I didn’t tell him, the more guilty I appeared.

The fact that Kai’s best friend knew my truth while Kai himself didn’t? It was a maddening idea. Kai should’ve been the first to learn the truth about my work with the rebellion. The lack of loyalty I’d shown him was physically painful. It was something I couldn’t bear to endure much longer, ultimatum or not.

A knock on my bedroom door sent me toppling off the window seat. I landed on the hard floor in a tangle of silk and regret. When Kai slid inside the room, I was on my hands and knees beside the window seat. The moonbeams provided the only illumination of the room.

“Brie, what are you doing?” he asked, voice full of concern. Kai crossed to the window seat with long strides. One look at my puffy face and red, swollen eyes, and Kai’s concern turned to anger. “What happened?” he demanded. With an outstretched hand, he pulled me to my feet.

The robe was long, and I tripped over the hem as I tried to stand. Kai caught me in his strong arms.

“It’s nothing,” I said quickly. Eyes fixed on the ground instead of his face, I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand.

With a gentle finger under my chin, Kai tipped my head back and searched my face. “Nothing?” he gently challenged. “I highly doubt that. You have clearly been crying. Did something happen?”

“No, nothing happened.” Shrugging out of Kai’s hold, I pulled the robe tightly around my body, like that would provide a barrier from his penetrating gaze. “It’s just been a lot lately,” I added.

That phrase was like the refrain in a song about my life. It was easier to say that it had been “a lot” than to begin explaining all the worries that swirled in my mind every day.

“I know,” Kai soothed. “That’s why I came to see you; I noticed that you turned particularly quiet after Kenoa pointed out that our champions rarely do well in this tournament. There’s no need for you to be nervous. You’re going to be amazing.”

The fact he thought I was that concerned about the fight was partially endearing, partially clueless. My arms were crossed over my chest in the universal sign for “leave me alone,” but that didn’t dissuade Kai. He reached for my elbow and gently drew me toward him. Although he wasn’t the family that I was craving to touch, Kai did provide a type of comfort that I needed in that moment. It was conflicting, though. His family had passed the laws that made it legal to hunt and kidnap fae and shifters from the Freelands.

It’s not his fault, I reminded myself. It’s not Kai’s fault.

Regardless of everything that his family’s laws had done to me, I felt safe with Kai. I liked that he wanted to protect me, even if I usually wasn’t the type to need protection.

He placed a light kiss on the top of my head. “Are you happy with me, Brie?” he whispered into the darkened room.

“Of course,” I said automatically. Was my inner turmoil that obvious?

“Dating me comes with a lot of baggage,” Kai continued as though I hadn’t spoken. “I do understand that. The hateful comments, the appraising looks…that will all be much worse when we are together in Los Angeles.”

Long fingers stroked my hair, while his other hand rubbed the small of my back. Even through the robe, his touch gave me goosebumps. Tanner hadn’t ever affected me on such a visceral level. Kai managed to convey so much with each caress. There was confidence, determination, and love in every touch. I didn’t deserve his devotion.

What does he feel from me? I wondered. Deception? Or something more?

“You are strong,” he said. “You’re the strongest person I have ever met. I don’t mean physically, either. You have been through a lot. You will get through the next week.” Kai took a deep breath but didn’t continue.

I tilted my head back and looked up at him. The king chewed the inside of his cheek and searched my face with his dark eyes. My tears were gone, though the evidence of my breakdown remained in the salty stains on my red cheeks.

“If you are not happy being with me, then—”

I silenced him with a kiss. It happened without conscious thought. One second, I was gazing up at Kai, listening to him give me an out that part of me wanted to take. The next, my mouth was on his. Surprised by the intensity, Kai stiffened but quickly relaxed. His fingers tangled in my hair as he walked me backward toward the bed. The backs of my thighs hit the mattress, and I perched on the edge.

Kai finally broke the kiss and took a step back. His large hands cradled my face delicately. Desire shone in his smoldering gaze, yet he held back. My racing heart started beating even faster. A question was on Kai’s lips, and I was scared that I might not want to hear it.

“Are you upset that I made sure your application was approved?” he asked finally.

I blinked. That was so not the direction this had seemed to be going.

“It is my job now to make the final decision. And I did tell you about the fight before my own coronation,” he hesitated. “Even then, my mother agreed there was no reason you shouldn’t fight in an interkingdom match if you have a royal escort.”

He was trying to apologize for something that didn’t require an apology. And yet, listening to Kai ramble, it occurred to me that I was a little angry. Not for the reasons he thought, though.

“My mother agreed there was no reason you shouldn’t fight in an interkingdom match if you have a royal escort.”

When Queen Lilli was alive and making all the important decisions for the kingdom, I could accept that there were certain limitations on my movements beyond the dome. I didn’t like it, but I could accept it. With Kai in charge, I should expect better, shouldn’t I? His advisors were worried, particularly after the luau. But what about Kai…did he believe I needed a royal escort to leave Oahu? Did he not trust me?

You’re paranoid. That’s what having so many secrets and telling so many lies does to a person.

I wanted to ask him but didn’t dare. I was too afraid of my own reaction. If Kai was on to me, he was a very good actor. The thought made me ill.

“I’m not upset. Honestly, I’m happy I get to fight in the Los Angeles Coliseum. Not many of us can say we’ve had the pleasure,” I said after a long moment.

Kai sucked in his bottom lip. “You are upset about something, Brie. Please, just talk to me.” Crouching at my feet, he took my hands in his. “I want to make you happy. Tell me what would put a smile on your face, and I will do it.”

That’s a loaded question. Is there any real response that won’t make me the bad guy? Unlikely.

There were a lot of things I wanted. There were many demands I considered making of Kai in that moment. Some of them were more personal in nature. Others were political. And at least one was really none of my business; I’d found myself in the middle of a brother-sister standoff.

Licking my lips, I stared down into Kai’s earnest face. “Will you reconsider letting Sarah attend culinary school?”

That was clearly not something he’d even considered me asking. It took him a few moments to adjust, and I used his silent confusion to plead my case.

“I understand there are a lot of security concerns,” I said quickly. “And I get that she’s heir apparent to the throne. I won’t pretend I know better than you when it comes to that. I’m not asking you to let her go, just to reconsider your position. Maybe there’s a way to make it work that you haven’t considered?” I suggested.

Finally, Kai nodded. “Okay, yes. I will take up the matter again with my advisors once we return from Los Angeles. However,” he squeezed my hands, “my sister’s future as a chef is not why you were crying when I arrived. What else can I do to make you happy?”

“Did you pop out of a magical lamp?” I asked him, trying for levity and failing.

Kai laughed softly. “If so, I suppose you only have two wishes left. Use them wisely,” he advised.

I hesitated. In that moment, I had the king on his knees ready to give me the universe. All I had to do was ask. At the risk of starting a fight, I wished for something as unlikely as world peace.

“I want you to outlaw hunting fae and shifters in the Freelands,” I said softly, holding Kai’s gaze. I knew the arguments he would make. So, I kept talking, placing my hand over his mouth before he could say anything. “I know you need fae magic to power the dome, but there are other ways to go about it. You could send envoys to the Freelands and just ask if anyone wants to come live in the sunshine. Believe me, a lot of fae I knew growing up would have raised their hands. There is food and warmth here—two things that are in short supply in the Freelands.”

Kai kissed my palm before dragging my hand away from his mouth. “It is on the agenda to discuss, after Los Angeles,” he said. “I’ll be signing a royal decree barring the purchase of any persons at all. I plan to address the issue with the other kingdoms while we’re in L.A.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wanted to make sure the advisory council would accept my decision before I spoke with you,” he told me.

“And have they?” I pressed.

Kai smirked. “Yes, though some more willingly than others. Some are afraid of the blow back. I made the same point you did—there are likely fae more than happy to live beneath the dome, if we simply ask.”

I closed my eyes and smiled. He was changing things, just like he’d promised. That should’ve made me happy, and it did, but it also felt as though the guilt demon had swallowed another piece of my soul.

“You have one more wish,” Kai whispered, his mouth brushing my ear as he spoke. His hands rested on my thighs. Kai’s fingers were warm even through the cool silk. “What do you want, Brie?”

I bit my lip. For my third and final wish from the king, I debated asking to visit Fae Canyon while we were in Los Angeles. It was a huge ask, and I knew Kai would bring up all the security concerns that were intrinsic with traveling in the Freelands. No one could guarantee my safety out there. I didn’t want to start a fight with him, though.

“What…do…you…want…Brie?” His mouth trailed kisses down my neck with each word.

“You,” I breathed. “I want you.”

It was wrong to further our sexual relationship. It would only make it more difficult for both of us when I told him the truth. It was impossible to worry about much of anything with Kai’s hands moving up to explore beneath the silk pajama top. Bracing my hands behind me on the bed, I slowly let them slide outward as I lowered myself onto my back. Kai joined me, leaning over so his mouth hovered inches above mine.

“You have me,” he whispered. “Always.”

Our lips met, and I let myself pretend that I really would have him ‘always.’

Chapter Eight

I woke the next morning to a cold bed and a lot of noise just outside my bedroom door. Still naked, I found my pajamas, yanked them on, and went to investigate. I threw the door open to find Kai beaming as he surveyed an impressive breakfast spread that could’ve fed all the fighters on the current roster.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Good morning, Miss Maybrie,” a young caster girl said as she set the table for three.

“Good morning, Dawn,” I replied. “I really appreciate it, but I usually just have a smoothie for breakfast.”

“I know.” Impossibly, Kai’s smile widened. “But we leave for Los Angeles tomorrow, and there is a lot we still need to discuss. Will you sit for breakfast?”

I gestured to the additional place setting. “Who else are we discussing it with?”

There was a knock on the main door, but my visitor didn’t wait for an invitation. Or, more accurately, visitors. Kenoa and Botto both entered my sitting room. Dawn’s eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sheer size of the duo.

“Morning, Brie. Kai.” Kenoa nodded to each of us. He clapped Botto on the shoulder. “Good catching up with you, man.”

“You aren’t staying?” We really did have enough food for an army.

Kenoa looked down at his wrist, though he wasn’t wearing a watch. “I’m about five minutes late for a meeting on how to keep your ass safe, so I have to pass.” With another nod to Kai and a smile for Dawn, who averted her gaze and smiled, the water fae left.

“I’m going to put on some real clothes,” I told the guys. “Excuse me.”

Despite how many dishes Chef had prepared for breakfast, the three of us did very little eating and a whole lot of talking. Well, Kai did a lot of talking. Botto and I did a lot of listening. Between Kai’s advisors and the event coordinators, every minute of my time in L.A. had already been accounted for. The idea of an itinerary made me itchy.

We were scheduled to depart Oahu early the following morning and arrive in Los Angeles around lunchtime. Reporters would meet us for a photo-op. It would just be brief smiles for the cameras, but it was still an intense encounter for my first moment back on the mainland. From there, it would be off to the Riggs Hotel, where Kai and I would share the penthouse suite. In the four hours between arrival and the Opening Ceremonies, I had time scheduled in their state-of-the-art training facility.

That’s only day one, and I’m already exhausted just hearing about it, I thought.

Day two would start with a Fighters’ Welcome Breakfast, followed by a day of training, and ending with an evening at Calypso Palace where we would mix, mingle, and dine with royals from all over the world. Between being a fighter and being Kai’s royal consort, I would be pulling double-duty throughout our entire trip.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” I hedged, stirring my coffee unnecessarily.

Kai gave me a sad smile. “You have been attending meetings and public outings as my companion.” I wrinkled my nose at his choice of words. He chuckled but kept talking. “My point is that if you do not continue the role while we are abroad, the California royals will take offense.”

“Because I’ve always worried about offending royals,” I deadpanned.

Botto snorted around a mouthful of pineapple pancake, crumbs flying from the corner of his mouth onto the table.

“What do you think of all this?” I asked my trainer. “I mean, shouldn’t I be sleeping the night before my first interkingdom match instead of partying it up?” It was unfair of me to put Botto in such an awkward position, but I’d spoken without thinking.

He swallowed and then chased the food with a long drink of water. “As your trainer specifically, I don’t think it’s a great idea for you to be out late.”

“I will make sure she is in bed by ten,” Kai offered quickly.

My trainer sighed and fixed the king with a piercing look. “Since we’re being honest here, that’s another issue.” Botto shifted his bulk on the small chair and rested his elbows on the table. “There’s no delicate way to say this, so I’m just going to put it out there: I don’t allow my fighters to be…intimate…leading up to a fight. Brie needs to be sharp and focused. Pent-up aggression is always a bonus in the ring.” A frown crossed his face as he took in my disheveled ponytail and slightly swollen lips. With a hard jab, his finger was in my face. “This won’t do.”

In a very short time, I’d become accustomed to my private life being a public conversation. The only part of my personal relationship with Kai that had yet to be discussed openly—at least in front of me—was our sex life. Until now. And of all the people to bring it up, I would’ve thought Botto low on the list.

Kai laughed uncomfortably. “Of course. I understand. The suite does have two bedrooms. I would be happy to sleep by myself.”

I remained silent, since I really didn’t have anything to add and there was no need to prolong this discussion.

“What about the send-off ceremony?” I asked, abruptly changing the subject. “Will there be one?”

Kai’s eyebrows raised. “Would you like to have a reception? I’d thought you might be averse to the idea.”

Honestly, I didn’t want a weird event in my honor. My least favorite part of being a fighter was when the crowd would chant my name. But Cala had been right when she said the people needed hope. The island’s community needed something good to help them move past all the death and destruction that Christina and the vampires left behind.

“I just think it would be good for morale,” I told him. Then, as an afterthought, I added, “If it wouldn’t be too much of a security risk.”

He smiled at me. “If you want a send-off ceremony, your wish is my command.”

Botto, of course, missed the joke. Still, I blushed recalling the previous night. Kai really had been my genie, making all sorts of magical things happen.

An hour later, I walked Botto out of the palace and to a waiting car with Harton behind the wheel. The shifter grinned and waved up at me through the open window. I waved back and made a mental note to seek him out later and personally thank him for all his protection during the attack at Pele’s. Guarding me was his job, something he was paid to do. But he had put himself between me and the angry casters without hesitation and defended me vehemently. I wanted Harton to know that I appreciated him and the sacrifices he was willing to make for me.

After our breakfast meeting adjourned, Kai ran off to work out the logistics for a last-minute send-off ceremony. Only a single task was left for me to complete before our departure: shopping. Personally, I would’ve been happier if Kai selected my wardrobe while I fought with his advisory council about security matters. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. Needing reinforcements, I called Cala on the way back to my suite. My best friend answered immediately.

“What’s up?” she panted into the phone.

“Are you running?” I asked, remembering that she’d still be at her morning training session.

The fighting pits might’ve been closed temporarily, but we’d all continued to train regularly.

“Almost done. One more mile,” Cala grunted.

“Then I’ll be quick. Want to help me pick out my clothes for L.A.?”

A whoop of joy was quickly followed by a loud clatter. “No! Shit!” Cala yelled. “Come back here!”

There was a loud bark of laughter through the phone, and I frowned. Cala wasn’t alone on her run. Not surprising. She often ran with her trainer or Rocko.

“Sorry. Sorry. Sorry,” she gasped a moment later. “My hands are sweaty, and I dropped the phone. It rolled down the hill. Whatever. Not important. Shopping. That’s what matters.”

“When are you free?” I asked.

“Whenever you need me to be.”

“I’ll pick you up outside the training facility in an hour. Does that work?” I asked her.

“See you soon,” Cala replied excitedly before disconnecting.

One down, one to go, I thought.

In addition to assigning me a bodyguard, Kai had also shifted his staff so that I suddenly had a personal secretary. My unneeded assistant was a caster named Evine who was tasked with keeping my schedule and making sure I was where I needed to be when I needed to be there. Since I rarely left the palace except for training and the two shifts at Pele’s, her job was usually easy. She was also the one I was supposed to go to if I needed anything, though I normally just asked Kai directly. The king was too busy taking care of my other request, so I sought out Evine in the administrative section of the palace where the senior staff kept offices.

“Hey,” I called through her open door to announce my arrival.

Evine glanced up from the tablet clutched in her hands. “Yes, Miss Maybrie, how may I help you?” The witch was always super polite to my face, but I doubted that she was nearly so nice when I wasn’t around. She sounded like the southern women from movies who’d say “bless your heart”; there was a bite beneath the words that was decidedly condescending.

“I need to go shopping for the trip to L.A. Can you arrange that?” I asked.

As much as it pained me to go to the palace staff for such simple things, I also knew how much attention I would bring while wandering around the local shops. No matter how bizarre it felt to schedule a shopping expedition, I couldn’t risk heading out without a plan in place to handle the paparazzi.

Avoiding the appraising look of my new assistant, I looked around her office. Evine usually came to my suite to discuss scheduling and give me marching orders from the king and his council. This was the first time I’d ever sought out her office, and there was a different air than the one I’d expected from the stuffy and judgmental woman. The office was much more modern than most I’d seen. A sleek, glass desk dominated the space, behind which sat a funky red chair that looked more like it belonged in an art exhibit than an office. There were odd cubist paintings on the walls that someone had bewitched, making certain sections jump off the canvas in an unexpected pattern that made me feel off-kilter.

Unsettling, I thought.

Evine whipped out her cell. “Which ateliers would you like to visit? This is not enough notice to commission couture, but I can certainly try to pull some things together. Lorwyn Jones has a wonderful spring collection. Maleah Mani is also wonderful. I can have them both here within the hour.”

I frowned. “Um, I’m happy to go to a store. I was also…sort of…hoping for a fae designer.” Though I knew that she technically worked for me, I still had trouble being assertive enough that she wouldn’t question my decisions. With a deep breath, I reminded myself of my convictions and pressed the issue. “Ivy of the Avenue carries a lot of great stuff. Maybe I could just visit the shop without fanfare? I could go incognito.”

Evine shook her head, leaving no room for doubt that she wasn’t going to let me venture where I pleased without a good reason.

“Please. I really would like to get out of the palace.”

Evine fixed me with eyes the color of palm fronds in the moonlight. “The way I understand it, you left the palace very recently.”

Shit. Did everyone know?

“However,” Evine continued, sounding extremely put out, “I will make a call to Ivy’s. If they are willing to close for several hours to accommodate you, I will arrange for you to visit the store.”

Through tight cheeks and a grimacing smile, I clasped my hands. “Thank you, Evine. I really appreciate it.”

She stared at me down her long nose. “You are welcome, Miss Maybrie.”

Though I tried to tell myself to relax and stop being paranoid, I couldn’t help but feel like she was being derisive on purpose. I wasn’t sure that it was right to assign a bitchy persona to someone that I barely knew. Regardless, I didn’t trust the woman beyond the most superficial aspects of her work.

Without hesitation, the first designer I’d mentioned was only too happy to close her shop for me.

Dawn was just cleaning up the breakfast plates when I returned to my suite. Several of the dishes had not been touched, and my stomach sank with the thought of the fae in the Freelands who didn’t have the luxury of throwing away perfectly good food.

“What do you do with the leftovers?” I asked as she stacked our breakfast plates on the food cart.

“The staff can eat them, if they like,” she replied without looking at me.

Dawn was a hard read. She often avoided eye contact and never spoke to me unless I initiated conversation. It was hard to know whether she hated me or feared me. Maybe it was just a formal respect thing that I was overlooking, though I doubted it.

“I thought Chef prepared separate meals for the staff?” With the question, I tried to catch her eye.

With an expert sense of aversion, Dawn focused on cleaning the crumbs from beneath Botto’s chair. “That’s correct.” On her hands and knees, the small caster crawled around beneath the table, sweeping bits of potato and egg into her hand.

“I can do that,” I said hurriedly. “You don’t need to bother with it.”

Dawn smiled over her shoulder, but her eyes were downcast. “It’s my job, Miss Maybrie,” she said simply.

Hands on hips, I sighed. “Right. About the leftovers…if you guys don’t take advantage, will you please have them boxed up and sent to Listlo Corner?”

Listlo Corner had been named for the first fae fighter who’d dominated the pits and bought out his contract. Back then, the area was mostly uninhabited, and Listlo had chosen to build himself a modest house in a thicket of trees. Eventually, more and more fae had built small shacks around him until Listlo no longer had a sprawling plot of land that was reserved for himself alone. Fifty years later, Listlo Corner was the name of a fae community whose namesake hadn’t survived to see it thrive. Those in low-paying positions lived in the subdivision, including Everly.

“I can ask,” Dawn said uneasily.

I straightened to my full height and channeled Sarah’s best princess haughtiness. “Tell Chef that I want the leftovers sent to Listlo Corner, please. Be sure it’s an anonymous donation. If he has an issue, he is welcome to bring it up with me. And if he has an issue with me, he is welcome to bring it up with the king.”

Dawn blinked and looked directly at me for once. “Yes, ma’am.”

I hated throwing my weight around, let alone the weight of the king, but in this instance, I didn’t give a damn. There was no way I was letting pounds of scrambled eggs and bacon go to waste when house fae could barely feed themselves.

I left Dawn to finish her work and hopped in the shower to rinse off. I did a quick makeup job, just enough to cover my dark circles. There wasn’t much I could do about the puffiness, though one of the lotions Samira had made for me did help quite a bit. I threw on black shorts and a printed tee, finishing off the look with oversized sunglasses and a hat big enough to shove my telltale black and red hair beneath.

As expected, Harton was waiting with the car when I exited the palace. Unfortunately, he wasn’t alone. Kenoa was already taking up half the backseat, long legs sprawled out. My pulse sped up and not in a good way. The water fae was no longer a bodyguard, and I knew he had more important issues to deal with than shopping trips.

Maybe the royal family is more mafia style than I thought. Is this where Kenoa takes me out to a swamp and offs me?

Though I knew that wasn’t really his intention, the fact Kenoa was joining me to go shopping was unnerving. As soon as I climbed into the car, the partition slid into the raised position so that Harton couldn’t hear us. I honestly couldn’t decide whether that made my outlandish theory more or less likely. It seemed foolish to not consider whether there was an underhanded plot brewing within the royal factions or if there might be people behind the scenes who were conspiring to keep me from Kai, the palace, and the throne itself. With wild thoughts flying through my mind, I fixed my gaze out the window and waited for Kenoa to drop the guillotine.

“Relax, Brie,” Kenoa said.

Finally, I turned to face him. His dark sunglasses made it hard to know whether he was looking back at me.

As if sensing my unease, my friend smiled cheekily. “Believe me, I wouldn’t be here alone if I was coming to settle with you about lying to Kai. My body might be out of shape, but my mind is sharp as ever.”

His reassurances meant nothing. At his peak, I couldn’t hold my own against Kenoa in the arena. No matter how much he claimed otherwise, the water fae hadn’t let his physique slip since leaving the pits. With the thought of fighting with Kenoa haunting me, I tried to play it cool. Sitting back, I crossed my arms over my chest with a nonchalance that would’ve won an acting competition.

“Why are you here?” I asked. “I figured that you had a day full of important meetings where you all take turns listening to each other talk for hours.”

“Normally, I do. Today’s topic doesn’t concern me as much as the fact that you insisted on a shopping trip the day before you leave for L.A.”

I swallowed hard and glanced at the partition behind Kenoa’s head like I might mysteriously find it open and Kai sitting on the other side.

“It’s almost like you don’t trust me, Kenoa,” I said evenly.

He laughed, which was extremely off-putting in that moment. “I don’t. I don’t trust you at all.” With one of his large hands, Kenoa removed his sunglasses and fixed me with a serious expression that I liked less than his laugh. “Do you know why Kai’s mom didn’t approve many interkingdom fight applications?”

“I’m guessing you’re about to tell me,” I quipped, though I already knew the answer.

“Fighters are ideal recruits for the rebellion, for a lot of reasons.” Kenoa’s dark gaze made me squirm. “One reason is that non-casters are only ever permitted to leave the island for big events like interkingdom matches. That fact makes them pretty good messengers. Under Queen Lilli’s rule, you never would’ve been cleared to travel for this fight. Then you suddenly decide that you have to leave the palace to go shopping—something you hate doing—the day before you leave the kingdom for the first time in five years. It looks suspicious, Brie.”

Thank Gaia he doesn’t know about the other night with Sarah, I thought. He might have accused me of conspiring in a royal assassination attempt if he did. Oh, wait. You already did that. And Kenoa already knows.

“I’ll admit that this doesn’t look great from where you’re sitting,” I replied, seething only a little.

Out of the corner of my eye, a street sign caught my attention. From where I sat, it looked like we were going the wrong way to the shops.

“No.” Kenoa shook his head. “Not really.”

I took a deep breath and leaned forward, lowering my voice as though someone was listening. “I’m not with the rebellion anymore. That part of my life is over. I would never do anything to hurt Kai.”

Kenoa shook his head sadly. “That’s the problem, Brie. You already have.”

Chapter Nine

“This is so exciting!” Cala exclaimed, throwing open the back door before Harton could get out of the car.

My best friend climbed in beside me and Kenoa. That was when I noticed the small, much younger girl standing patiently behind her.

“I hope it is okay if I join you?” Sumi asked politely.

“Of course!” I said, smiling at her as I moved to the rear seat of the SUV. “Get in.”

The look between her and Kenoa made me realize that it probably hadn’t been Cala who’d invited her. Unsure what the motives were for Sumi joining us, I shot Kenoa a glare.

Like all my friends, I hadn’t seen much of Sumi since the luau. We’d spoken a couple times at the training facility, but that was about the extent of our social interaction. I was very glad that she’d be spending the afternoon with Cala and me. But I would’ve been a lot more excited had Cala been the one to invite Sumi instead of Kenoa.

Sumi slid in beside the water fae and smiled up at him shyly. In addition to his advisory duties, Kenoa had been taking time out of his busy schedule to train Sumi three times a week.

Did he ask her to spy on me, too? I wondered.

If so, Kenoa really should’ve started with infiltration tactics that were less brazen. More likely he had thought having Sumi around might thwart any attempt on my part to connect with the rebellion.

Cassie, Cala’s personal shopper at Ivy of the Avenue, was ecstatic to see all five of us. Because, of course, Kenoa and Harton came inside to supervise. Truly, it felt like a sweet sense of victory to make it awkward and miserable for Kenoa. Even if it was petty, I didn’t really care. I vowed to make the water fae regret coming on this shopping trip with me.

“Now, the stylist I spoke with on the phone…,” Cassie began as she led us from the back entrance to the main showroom, “gave me a list of the events you’ll be attending, and whose stock might be tied up with dressing other attendees. I have already pulled some stock that matches her requirements.”

We stopped at a seating area with a wraparound, white leather sofa and refreshments set out on a sunshine-yellow table. There was a “Closed for Inventory” sign on the front door, and the curtains were drawn to ensure privacy.

Cassie smiled at me. “I think we can play with the dress code a little, make you stand out without looking garish.”

I looked at Cala beside me. “Do I want to stand out?”

My best friend shook her head like I’d let her down. “Of course you do, Brie.”

Against my better judgment, my eyes flitted to Kenoa. Of our group, he alone might have some insight into the appropriate clothing for all these functions. He shrugged. “As long as it covers up your bits, you know Kai won’t mind.”

Maybe it was the way he said it, but my hackles rose. I was happy to adhere to dress codes for decency’s sake. I was not okay with the king telling me what I could and could not wear.

I smiled up at Cassie. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The afternoon turned out to be a lot of fun. In addition to Cassie, Ivy herself came in to help update my wardrobe. Both women were fae with very flashy personal styles, but their selections for the many events in L.A. was tamer. They chose sundresses for any time I was out and about during the day, which I tried to explain wouldn’t be happening. No one seemed interested in my opinion, since Evine had apparently let Cassie know that I would require ten such outfits.

“In these hypothetical photo-ops, am I ever doing anything practical?” I asked between fried tomato poppers from the snack tray.

Ivy glanced at the dress she was holding, a white pencil skirt with a red top, clearly confused as to my point.

“How am I supposed to walk in that?” I gestured to the dress with my glass of sparkling pineapple water. “The paparazzi will get their picture—I won’t be able to run away!”

Harton laughed loudly into a plate of crab meatballs.

“Maybe we should include a few cute pairs of shorts and tops?” Cala suggested.

The formal dresses inspired a lot more debate. Cassie and Ivy seemed to think I needed gowns that blended my tough fighter nature with a demure royal girlfriend side. Cala wanted something that just screamed badass.

“I could just carry a whip and brand the word across my butt,” I snarked when my best friend picked out a black floor-length number. With sets of bared teeth stitched in white down the skirt and a belt made from actual vampire fangs, it was beyond over-the-top.

Cala shrugged. “I’d wear it.”

I smiled wryly. “I believe you.” Then, because she was the only one who had yet to weigh in, I glanced at Sumi sitting between Kenoa and Cala. “Thoughts?”

“I do not care for the teeth,” she said quickly, shuddering as she spoke.

Cassie hurried forward with her favorite option, a lemon-yellow, off-the-shoulder dress with large cutout panels along the sides.

“The color is pretty,” Sumi said carefully and then averted her gaze. “I do not know if the shape suits you, though.”

Ivy gestured to a mannequin displaying a pale turquoise evening gown in lace.

“I like this one very much.” She laughed nervously. “Perhaps more for myself. I do not think the color is bold enough for Brie.”

I looked at the sales fae and arched an eyebrow. “You got anything similar in a different color?”

It only took fifty-seven dresses and three bottles of champagne—only Cala, and to a lesser extent Sumi, were drinking—but we finally settled on a few options for every formal occasion on Evine’s list. Except for one.

“That leaves the Champion’s Ball,” Cassie informed everyone.

Cala clapped her hands together excitedly, bouncing up and down on the cushion beside me. “You’ll need something one-of-a-kind!” she squealed. She did a little dance in her seat. “For when you win!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I said in an effort to tamp down her enthusiasm.

“Don’t be a downer,” Cala pouted.

To my surprise, even Sumi thought my outlook too pessimistic. “Yes, Brie. If you believe it will happen, it will. If you do not believe in yourself, why should the universe?”

“Well, the universe needs to decide quickly,” Kenoa interjected, holding up his arm and tapping his bare wrist pointedly. “We need to get back to the palace.”

“Leave the rest to us,” Cassie said with a wave.

“We know your style and also what looks best on you,” Ivy chimed in.

“We’ll include several options for the final event when we have the rest of your things sent over,” Cassie continued.

I stood and stretched, my arms and legs stiff for sitting so long in one place. “Last time I agreed to that, you gave me a confusing bathing suit that was totally not me.”

“You said you needed a bathing suit for a date, which is what I selected,” Cassie pointed out. “And I am sure you looked great in it.” The sales fae looked to Kenoa and Harton for confirmation, causing the latter to blush. “Besides, look how that worked out for you.”

I frowned but didn’t argue. If Cassie’s bathing suit had any bearing on my current relationship with Kai, it was because the stupid thing was so hard to put on that I’d accidently flashed the king.

“Just try not to embarrass me,” I told the two women.

On the ride home, Cala and Sumi kept me occupied with talk of the latest locker room gossip from the training facility. Apparently, Botto was spending a lot of time with a caster who worked for one of the realty companies. Rudy, a regular member of my Hideout crew, was sniffing around a shifter who’d entered the fighting pits around the same time as Sumi. There were also reports of a female vampire who’d start fighting once the arena was re-opened. To keep random photos of me to a minimum, I normally trained in the more private areas of the gym and showered once I returned to the palace. It was strange how much I missed something as silly and trivial as gossiping in the locker room.

When Harton pulled up in front of Iolani Palace with Cala and Sumi still in the car, I started to wonder if the duo had been distracting me on purpose. Particularly once I saw the welcome committee on the steps. At first, the sight of Kai and Sarah standing together waiting on our arrival put horrible images in my head. Then, I saw their matching grins.

“What’s going on?” I asked, glancing around the backseat.

The partition was down for this ride, and Harton smiled at me in the rearview mirror. “Surprise,” he said.

“Kai wanted to have, like, a congratulations dinner for you,” Cala explained. “It was last minute, but it looks like he was able to get some of the gang here.”

As Harton opened the door for me and I stepped out, I also noticed Botto, Samira, and Rocko. No Everly, I thought, dismayed. Not that I would’ve actually expected her to accept an invitation from the king. Well, not for this. We would need to reinforce the dome soon, which would require the earth fae to come to the palace.

Bounding down the stairs, Rocko nearly bowled me over when he threw his arms around me. “I’m so freaking excited for you.” He lifted me off my feet and shook me like a doll.

I laughed, squirming out of his grip. “Don’t break me before I get the chance to take down my first opponent.”

Rocko set me on the ground, smile tinged with sadness. “She’s proud of you, too.”

“Tell her thank you for me.” I blinked back tears. “Maybe if I win, you can talk her into coming over for the victory party.”

“Yeah, I’ll see what I can do,” Rocko promised in a tone that suggested Everly coming to a party for me was less likely than me liking the dress Cassie and Ivy selected for the Champion’s Ball.

The were-liger stepped aside so I could greet Botto and Samira, and then our entire group, including Harton, started inside. Instead of a seated meal in the formal dining room, the staff had decorated a parlor with balloons and twinkle lights that spelled out my name. I knew without anyone telling me that Sarah had at least planned the menu and supervised the preparation. Upbeat music played in the background, setting a very festive vibe.

“How was your day?” Kai whispered in my ear as I watched Rocko and Cala try to teach Sumi the dance from the music video of Hibernation Clan’s first single. He wrapped his arms around me from behind.

I smiled and leaned my back against his chest. The king rested his chin on my shoulder and kissed the side of my neck.

“Careful,” I warned. “Botto says I need to stay focused.”

Kai chuckled softly. “I will do my best not to distract you.”

It felt nice being in his arms, like I was home. Living in the palace and dating the king of Hawaii was surreal. My life didn’t feel like reality since so much had changed in such a short amount of time. And yet, when I was with Kai like this, I was grounded. My “before life” felt foreign.

Enjoy it while you can, I told myself.

“My day was good. I went shopping,” I told Kai.

“Did you get everything you needed?” he asked.

I was pretty confident Kenoa had texted Kai multiple times while we were at Ivy’s to give the king a blow by blow of my outing.

“I did.” I turned my head, and our lips met in a quick kiss. In my peripheral, I saw Botto watching us with disapproval. Reluctantly, I stepped out of Kai’s embrace and turned to face him. “Thank you for tonight. This was really sweet of you.”

The king eyed me skeptically.

I laughed. “I’m serious. This,” I made a gesture meant to encompass the entire room, “is really awesome.”

Kai took a step closer but didn’t reach for me again. I felt cold without his touch. “I am sorry I could not do more, but short notice and all.”

“Honestly, thank you.” I closed the distance and kissed him softly. “I don’t deserve you.”

It was one of the more truthful things I’d told Kai.

Someone cleared their throat loudly. I turned to find Sarah holding a plate of poke nachos. “I made them myself,” she coaxed, holding out the plate in my direction.

“Thank you. I was just telling Kai how much I appreciate all of this,” I said to the princess, accepting the hors d’oeuvres.

“I wish I was going with you.” Sarah frowned, disappointment flashing in her blue eyes.

I squeezed her arm. “You get to be queen for a week. That’s pretty fun!”

The princess looked as though she’d rather take my place in the fight than sit on the Winter Throne while we were gone.

“Brie, come dance!” Cala called as Harton twirled her around the center of the room.

I didn’t feel much like dancing until I noticed the wistful look in Sarah’s gaze as she watched my friends act like fools. Even Kenoa was enjoying one of the mocktails the princess had created to compliment dinner.

Grabbing Sarah’s hand, I smiled up at Kai. “Care to dance, Your Majesty?”

He looked like he was going to refuse but reconsidered. “Why not?”

The king followed his sister and me to the makeshift dance floor. Cala and Harton were in the middle of a pretty decent tango, despite the music not being right for the dance. My best friend laughed when he dipped her so low that her hair skimmed the floor. The duo looked slightly embarrassed when they realized the king’s amusement.

“Please, by all means, continue.” Kai made a gallant gesture toward the dance floor.

Harton smiled at Cala and gave her a small nod before turning to the princess and giving her a bow worthy of any courtier. “May I have this dance, Your Highness?”

The princess held out her hand, and the bodyguard brushed his lips across her knuckles before whisking Sarah into his arms and spinning her around. I was a little surprised to find a grin on Kai’s face as he watched his little sister let loose. Cala grabbed my hands, twirled me around, and sang loudly to “Winter Prism” by Hibernation Clan. I was starting to wonder if Cala had made the evening’s playlist.

There was no alcohol at this party, my friends were just being themselves, and it was great. Cala had spent some time with Kai and me but not much. Rocko had never been inside the residential wings of the palace, and I’d sort of thought he would’ve made a bigger deal about my new digs. Even Sumi seemed more relaxed around Kai than I would’ve anticipated, accepting a dance with him.

Rocko took a turn dancing with the princess. For her part, Sarah glowed as she basked in all the attention. It was like when we’d snuck out of the palace and gone dancing, except without the mystery and intrigue of disguises. Instead, the princess was just having plain old fun. And then it hit me for the first time: Sarah didn’t really have friends of her own. Sure, she had girls she hung out with at social functions, but that was different. She didn’t have slumber parties or beach days with her girlfriends.

“What are you smiling about?” Kai whispered in my ear.

At some point, I’d stopped jumping up and down with Cala and started watching my friends enjoy themselves.

Kai offered me his arm and then took the lead in a sort of waltz that actually went with the music. “Are you going to make me guess?” he asked as I followed his lead, since I had no clue what I was doing.

“Yes, actually. You can guess,” I teased.

Kai’s dark gaze sparkled even brighter than the twinkle lights. He pulled me close and lowered his voice. “I had hoped you would say you were thinking of all the things we did last night that we cannot do again until your trainer says it is okay.”

I laughed and spun out of his arms. “That’s not what I was thinking about, but clearly it’s what you’ve been thinking about.”

His eyes never strayed from my face. “It has been on my mind.”

The song ended with Kai sweeping me into a dip, which I wasn’t prepared for and took my breath away. He pulled me to my feet and into his arms.

“I hate to interrupt,” Rocko began, not sounding sorry at all. He looked at Kai and asked, “Can I dance with the champion?”

I cocked my head to one side and narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me? If you want to dance with me, you should ask me.”

Flustered, Rocko glanced from Kai to me uneasily.

Having been destined to rule since birth, Kai was well versed in how to handle awkward interactions. He looked down at me, an amused half-smile adorning his lips. “Brie?”

“Sure.” I took Rocko’s hand just as an Irish jig came on, and I immediately regretted my decision.

There was nothing graceful about the way Rocko whipped me from one side of the room to the other, narrowly missing food tables and passing waiters. I bumped into Cala several times, but she didn’t seem to mind. Her focus was most definitely on Harton. Kai and Sumi were doing a much less spastic version of whatever dance Rocko and I were performing. The were-liger really didn’t know his own strength, flinging me so hard our hands broke contact and I stumbled backward. Large hands caught me before I fell.

“I had one rule tonight,” Botto barked at Rocko while helping me to my feet. “No activities that could injure Brie. She needs to be in top form.”

Rocko focused on the toes of his loafers, but I caught the smirk he tried to hide. “Sorry, sir.”

Botto patted my shoulder. “Time for bed, kid. Playtime is over.”

Chapter Ten

Cala and Sumi spent the night at the palace, much to Botto’s annoyance. Since it was already a slumber party, I invited Sarah to join us. Chef sent an assortment of popcorns and sodas to my suite on a serving cart with a decorative spread of crystal bowls and glass bottles. Normally, I knew weeks, sometimes months, in advance that I would be fighting. In preparation, I followed a very strict diet and exercise routine. Without the warning I was accustomed to, a lot of my pre-fight rituals had gone out the window, so I decided a little popcorn couldn’t hurt.

Botto had made me promise I’d go to bed early. Technically, we did. Cala slept on one half of my big mattress—though she offered it to Sarah, the princess insisted otherwise—and the staff made Sarah and Sumi little nests on the floor. We talked about everything and nothing until my friends nodded off and I was left staring up at the ceiling in the dark.

“Brie?” Cala whispered. “You awake?” She rolled onto her stomach, propping herself on her elbow so she could look down at me.

“What’s up?” I asked softly.

“Are you nervous?” she asked after a moment of hesitation.

I nodded slowly. “A little. I’m not sure it’s really hit me yet, though. Right now, I’m more worried about the paparazzi,” I admitted.

Cala smiled. “You would be. Just don’t forget people do die in these fights. I hate to say it, but Botto is right: you really need to focus right now.” She waved a hand to stop my anticipated protests. “I know that you know that. I’m just reminding you in a non-judgy, non-patronizing way. Promise me you’ll be careful.”

I turned my head on the soft pillow to look at her. “I promise, Cala. I’ll be okay. The worst blow is going to come to my pride if I’m knocked out in the first round.”

“Might not be the worst thing in the world.” She flashed me a toothy grin that looked even whiter and more mischievous in the pale moonlight. “Maybe if you lose, you and Kai could get in a little side trip, just the two of you.”

My snort of laughter held no humor. “I’m not sure you’ve noticed, but we don’t even go anywhere just the two of us in the kingdom Kai rules. In L.A., I’ll be lucky if Lara doesn’t watch me use the restroom.”

A delicate wrinkle formed between Cala’s brows. “Who’s Lara?”

“Kai’s bodyguard. The witch. Pretty in, like, an angry sort of way.” While the king had numerous female palace guards, only two women served on his personal protection detail.

“Oh, right. The one whose nostrils are permanently flared. Yeah, she sucks. I think Kenoa might be into her, though.”

Kenoa and Lara?

They were both serious, duty bound people. That was really all they seemed to have in common, though. Like a lot of casters, Lara thought being a witch automatically made her better. She was from an influential family, which gave her an additional superiority complex when it came to common witches and warlocks. Kai didn’t care for her attitude, but since she’d finished first in her bodyguard training class, the king thought she was worth all her scowls.

“No way,” I told Cala, shaking my head. “I’ll bet you my condo that Kenoa doesn’t have any interest in that bitchy witch.”

My best friend sat up straight in the bed, her voice a little louder when she spoke. “These eyes have seen it, my friend,” she said, pointing to her eyes with two filed and painted fingernails.

“People are sleeping,” I shushed her with a giggle. Holding one finger to my lips, I tugged her t-shirt with my free hand until Cala laid back down. “Your eyes are deceiving you. Have you ever spoken to Lara?”

“No, why?”

I rolled my eyes. “If you had, you would understand. She’s the worst. She also happens to think that fae are vermin, so I can’t imagine she’d be interested in dating one.”

“I don’t know,” Cala practically sang. “They were whispering a lot of sweet nothings to each other at your party.”

“They’re both on Kai’s personal protection team,” I started. “Well, they were. Technically, Kenoa is one of Kai’s advisors now. I’m sure the two of them talk all the time, but it’s work stuff.”

Cala had started the conversation because she knew that sleep wasn’t likely for me that night. While I doubted that my best friend really believed Kenoa had a crush on Lara—and I definitely didn’t believe it was true myself—I appreciated that she was trying to distract me from my racing thoughts. The idea of Kai’s team huddled in a corner during my celebration dinner was slightly disconcerting, though. It wasn’t exactly the time to discuss routine matters of security.

Kenoa had told me Kai’s other advisors were already somewhat suspicious of me. He’d said it was only a matter of time before Kai’s other advisors discovered my connection to the rebellion. What about his bodyguards? Did someone tell them that I was a potential threat to Kai? Was that what Kenoa and Lara had been talking about?

You’re paranoid. At least, you’d better hope that’s all this is.

“Brie?” Cala whispered my name, and I met her frowning expression. “You okay?”

I leaned toward her, and Cala mimicked the gesture. With Sumi and Sarah asleep ten feet away, I wasn’t taking any chances. “I have to tell Kai,” I said, the words barely audible.

There was no need to elaborate. Cala knew what I meant. “Are you nuts?” she hissed. “Don’t do that.”

Frowning, I started to argue.

Cala clapped a hand over my mouth and shook her head vigorously. “Do you know what will happen to you if you tell him the truth?” she asked, the words slow and measured. “Let me inform you, just in case you’re hazy on the details. As a man who loves you, Kai might find it in his caster heart to forgive you. As king, Kai can’t forgive you if even one other person knows that he knows the truth.”

Cala moved her hand from my mouth and put it gently on my forearm. “No matter how much Kai would want to pardon you, there’s no way he can. The council will force him to execute you. And he’ll be the one who has to actually pass that sentence. Do you want to put him in that position? They literally won’t give him a choice, especially not so early in his reign. If he sets a bad precedent and fights his council, there’s no way Kai will be able to continue ruling. There will be a mutiny.”

Staring at Cala, I considered my options. I didn’t want Kai to be forced into ordering my execution. I didn’t want to be executed at all. Obviously. Nevertheless, I did conspire with the rebellion in a plot that ultimately killed Queen Lilli. I couldn’t change that fact, and I couldn’t fool myself into believing that fact would remain a secret much longer. My only move was to tell Kai the truth.

Instead of explaining all of that to Cala, I admitted something else. “I slept with him.”

My best friend gave me a sad smile. “I know. I knew as soon as I smelled you yesterday.”

“Weird. Thanks for sharing,” I grumbled.

While shifters didn’t practice magic like fae and casters, they did have a few tricks, including acute senses. From my understanding, pheromones were one of the most potent scents to were-beings.

Cala laughed softly as she gave my shoulder a light squeeze. “I understand why you want to tell him. I even understand why you think you have to tell him. But this isn’t like admitting you went through his phone and deleted all the female contacts.”

I narrowed my gaze. “That’s oddly specific. Please tell me you haven’t done it.”

“More than once.” Cala waved off my amazement. “Some guys think it’s cute.”

“Do they?” I asked doubtfully.

She talked right over me. “You’ll be lucky if Kai just carves nasty names into all the bars of soap in your house when you tell him,” she continued.

“Again, oddly specific,” I interjected.

And again, Cala kept speaking as though I was on mute. “You really need to consider the consequences. For both of you.”

*****

That night, I dreamt of Fae Canyon. I often woke sweaty and disoriented, confused for several minutes before I remembered I hadn’t lived in the canyon since I was fifteen. That night was different; these were more like memories of a life that could have been. The scenarios that floated through my subconscious weren’t about my father waiting up for me after my first real date or teasing Illion for his three chin hairs. These dreams were about the present, what it would be like if I returned home after all these years away.

Would my brother recognize me? Would my father cry? Would the elders accept me back into the fold of our tight-knit community? Would I adjust to life in the frozen lands after so much time beneath the dome?

The idea of running once we reached L.A. flitted through my mind. It wasn’t a practical or viable option. Not without help, anyway. The rebellion did have a branch in L.A. Though I didn’t have specific contacts, I’d been a part of the movement long enough to know how to make discrete inquiries without arousing suspicion.

Clearly, I was growing desperate. For a long time after I opened my eyes, I laid in bed and contemplated the likelihood of an escape plan that might actually work. By the time I crawled from beneath the covers, careful not to wake Cala, I’d convinced myself there was a chance. A shower woke the more grounded parts of my brain, and I reconsidered the whole thing between shampooing and conditioning my hair. Extractions were expensive and often messy, which was why it was rare to throw one together last minute.

Desperate people make stupid mistakes, I thought, all but giving up the notion of a triumphant return to Fae Canyon. Standing in front of the steamy bathroom mirror, I studied my reflection in the cloudy glass. Just how desperate are you? I asked myself.

I hadn’t told Cala that Kenoa knew that I’d spied on Kai, or that the king’s advisors suspected I was involved with the rebellion. Maybe because I didn’t want the constant ache in my stomach to become hers. In this case, a problem shared was not a problem halved. And this was my problem, not hers.

Keep telling yourself that, I thought.

And I did, just as I’d done many times since the luau. In a way, my guilt was Cala’s problem, too. Once my secret was out, all my friends would be rounded up and interrogated. Those who’d actively been members of the rebellion would probably die alongside me. But even those who had just a fringe association would also pay for my crimes—like Cala. The latter wouldn’t necessarily be executed, but it would depend on how forthcoming they were during interrogation. Innocents would get caught in the crossfire. Even Kenoa could end up paying for my duplicity.

The collateral damage to my friends was the only reason I let the escape seed planted in my dreams flourish in the light of day, even once the logical part of my brain kicked on.

I was so used to burying my feelings, not even Cala knew the heavy issues I was contemplating when I joined my friends in the sitting area of my suite after showering. They were all rubbing their eyes and yawning around cups of strong coffee while Dawn arranged baskets of bagels and pineapple bran muffins on a side table. Evine stood in the center of it all dressed in a sheath the same brown-black shade as the coffee.

“Miss Maybrie, there you are,” she greeted me.

I pulled the knot on my robe tighter. “Am I late for something?”

“Not yet,” Evine replied without a hint of amusement. “Do you have copies of both your itinerary and the king’s for today?”

“Aren’t they the same?”

Cala smirked and ducked her head.

Evine looked aghast. “Most certainly not.”

Luckily, Sarah intervened before I returned Evine’s snippy attitude. “Brie has to be downstairs in one hour to leave for the airship, is that correct?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” Evine didn’t make eye contact with Sarah, choosing to keep her gaze lowered instead. My personal secretary had spent much more time in the company of royals than I had, yet she grew flustered when the princess spoke directly to her.

“That is all she really needs to know for now, is it not?” the princess asked. Her sense of entitlement was one that could only belong to the heir of a kingdom. “It is your job to keep her schedule, not to lecture her on etiquette or give her rules to follow.”

Evine started to object but thought better of it when Sarah’s eyes frosted over.

“If the king wishes for Brie to follow certain royal protocols, he will speak on those matters with her himself.”

It reminded me of the first time I saw Kai snap at an employee; he’d rebuked Lara for giving him unwelcome advice on how to deal with his subjects. The spectacle made Cala’s eyes come alive in the way only a good soap opera could.

“You’re dismissed.” Sarah nodded to the door.

Evine curtsied so low, it looked like her knee actually touched the ground. With more of a bob toward me, she left without another peep.

Sarah exhaled loudly. “Sorry. I swear, I’m not usually such a nightmare to staff,” she promised Cala and Sumi. They both looked stunned but amused seeing Sarah go into princess mode. She frowned and amended, “Well, I can be. But only to the ones like her who deserve it.”

“That’s very sweet of you to stick up for me,” I told her. “Honestly, though, I really don’t mind if she wants to waste her breath lecturing me. I just tune her out anyway.”

Squinting her eyes and pursing her lips, the princess studied me curiously. “You really don’t have any idea what I’m talking about, do you?” She shook her head before I could begin to answer the question. “No, I guess not. You guys skipped the ribbon-cutting part of your relationship.”

Cala laughed. “Ribbon-cutting? Does that come before tongue knot-tying or after—”

I silenced her with a glare before she said something even more ridiculous in front of Kai’s little sister.

“Never mind,” she finished lamely.

“Normally, when a member of the family is ready to introduce a relationship to the public, there are ribbon-cutting ceremonies to introduce the prospective consort to royal life in the spotlight,” Sarah explained. “It’s then that someone like Evine explains the rules: the number of steps you must walk behind my brother; that you must wait exactly five seconds after anyone asks you a question, to allow Kai time to answer for you; and, of course, the fact that you are not the important one in any situation—he is.” Her tone was extremely bitter.

“You’re kidding,” Cala said disbelievingly. “That’s positively archaic. It’s a good thing no one tried that with B—”

Holding up a hand, I silenced her and met Sarah’s gaze squarely. “Any particular reason why I’m just now hearing about all of this?”

The princess shrugged. “Kai has never had a real girlfriend before now. I guess it’s something that’s never mentioned because he hasn’t requested one. He always kept things very casual when dating before, nothing that would lead a girl to think he was taking her on an official engagement.” Sarah looked from me to Cala and then finally at Sumi. “Mom was very traditional. She believed in all this sort of nonsense. My handlers remind me all the time about the protocols that come with dating an heir to a kingdom. The guy could be eighth in line to his throne, but I’m still supposed to treat him like his ass is already on it.”

“This is an optional thing, right?” Cala asked. “I mean, you told Evine that Kai could tell her about royal protocols himself if that’s what he wanted her to do. And he would have already, I’m sure.” She smiled at me like all was right with the world.

All was most certainly not right with the world. I’d always known Kai and I came from very different backgrounds. Obviously, I was fae and he was caster. He’d grown up in Iolani Palace as the heir to a throne, while I’d grown up in Fae Canyon, sharing a bedroom with my little brother.

Despite all of that, there was one difference I’d never really considered: our places within society simply because of our genders. In Kai’s world—which was the world we lived in—I was expected to walk behind him. I was expected to defer to him not only because he was royal or a caster, but also because Kai was a guy.

I had never run away from a confrontation before, never backed down from a fight. Plenty of male fighters had made lewd, sexist comments about a woman’s place in the world because they didn’t think I belonged in the arena. They didn’t care that I’d won more matches and faced more opponents than most fighters ever would. It didn’t matter if I’d beaten them personally. They would use their dying breath to say I should’ve never been in the fight to begin with. I took a lot of satisfaction in defeating those types. Whenever I faced a hyper-masculine opponent, I put in the extra effort to give the crowd a good show for their blood money.

But despite my usual hype for a challenge, the protocols that Sarah shared were different and so much worse. I couldn’t hit the problem and shut it up for a while. Instead, I had to figure out a diplomatic way to deal with it.

This is really what I need right now. I totally need one more thing to worry about, I thought.

Even though my procrastination in dealing with my problems was precisely how I’d landed in the current situation, I shoved the issue into the recesses of my mind along with all the other things I was ignoring. This was my day. Kai may have greased the wheels to get my travel application approved, but I’d qualified for the fight on my own.

No matter what else happened or what some personal assistant told me, I wouldn’t be walking behind Kai at my own send-off ceremony. I wasn’t going to stand meekly in the background while reporters took pictures of Kai alone. Not even when we arrived in L.A. We were going for my fight. Protocols be damned; I’d earned the spot.

“Dawn?” I called to the server.

The caster girl had been standing very still holding a pitcher of fresh orange juice the entire time Sarah ranted. My guess was that she figured no one would notice her presence if she blended in with the pastry baskets.

“Yes?”

“Would you mind letting Evine know I’m running a little late?” I asked sweetly. “I need to re-evaluate my choice of travel clothes.”

Chapter Eleven

When I was outside of the arena, I deliberately dressed to avoid drawing attention to myself. Since my relationship with Kai became public, my wardrobe choices had become a lot more curated but just as nondescript. For the send-off ceremony and subsequent flight, my planned outfit was downright boring.

With Evine’s attitude in mind, I borrowed something from Sarah. The crimson jumpsuit with bold, white flowers and a patent belt wasn’t exactly going to blend into the background. With a halter top and open back, it also showed a lot more skin that most of my outfits. But for once, I was feeling bold. I didn’t know how much longer I’d be the king’s girlfriend, so there was no better time to make my statement.

Kai’s jaw went slack when I finally met him in the foyer ten minutes behind schedule. He wasn’t the only one, either. Lara, the most expressive of Kai’s personal bodyguards, snarled as though my clothes offended her. Harton covered his smirk with a fake cough. Even Kenoa raised his brows, though he said nothing.

The king held out a hand to me. “You look amazing,” he whispered in my ear.

Evine cleared her throat. “Do you have a shawl?” she asked pointedly.

“It’s warm. I’m sure Brie will be fine,” Sarah interrupted in her official princess voice. She turned and hugged her brother and me. “Promise me that you two will be safe,” she said softly, sounding very young.

“You promise me you’ll take care of our kingdom.” Kai smiled down at his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Not that I have any doubt.”

Squaring her shoulders, Sarah stood to her full height. She wore the same expression I’d seen on Queen Lilli’s face countless times. “I would wish you luck, Brie, but I don’t think you need it.”

Kenoa cleared his throat loudly. “We really need to go.”

I gave the princess another quick hug. “I’ll see you soon.”

Even though this was an informal event, there were still some protocols involved. The press had been invited to watch from the gates as our entourage left Iolani Palace. The king and I walked together to the limo with six bodyguards trailing at an appropriate distance. Cala and Sumi were at the end of the line with Kai’s advisors and Evine. Kenoa was stuck closer to the bodyguards, as if critiquing their every move.

Cameras clicked and flashbulbs exploded. The photographers captured every move we made. Kai smiled politely and waved. The other hand was clasped tightly with mine, giving me confidence that I normally only felt when facing down an opponent. I locked away all my insecurities and kept my expression neutral. When we reached the car, Kai opened the door for me before anyone else could. The last shot that the paparazzi captured was of the king helping me into the backseat. Once it was just the two of us, my breath came out in a whoosh.

“You did beautifully,” Kai said from across the backseat. His lips curved into a mischievous smile as he leaned forward and rested his hands on my thighs. “I love this outfit.”

I wrinkled my nose. “I think Evine is having heart palpitations over it.”

“Luckily, all our bodyguards are trained medics,” he replied, his tone husky.

Kai’s fingers crept up my legs to rest on my hips. His face was mere inches from mine. After a long, teasing moment of barely an inch between us, his lips found mine. Kai’s strong hands slid around to my bare back. When he started to toy with the zipper of the jumpsuit, I pushed lightly on his chest and giggled. Kai’s dark eyes were slightly unfocused, and my bright-red lipstick was smeared around his swollen lips.

“This isn’t the point of this outfit,” I informed him as I tried to wipe the drunken clown smile from his face.

Kai flashed me a toothy grin. “Are you going to tell me the point?”

I pretended to think about it before ultimately shaking my head. “You haven’t earned an explanation yet,” I said coyly.

Eyes still heavy with desire, Kai sat back in his seat. Shifting, he moved his long legs so that our knees were touching. “Sometimes I wonder if my advisors are right about you,” he teased.

The warm, tingly feeling vanished. My throat felt like I’d swallowed half of Waikiki Beach. “Have they been telling you I’m trouble?” The words sounded forced, if only to my own ears.

Kai smiled. “They have been telling me that you’re more than I can handle.”

My relieved laughter was high-pitched and strained.

“I tell them,” he continued, oblivious to my discomfort, “that if I wanted a girl that would allow me to handle her, I would have already married one of the many who offered.”

You were worried for nothing, I told myself as I leaned across the backseat to give him a light kiss on the cheek. Kai isn’t his mother. He doesn’t expect you to follow outdated royal protocols.

“That might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me,” I said, only half-teasing.

The car came to an abrupt stop, and I fell forward into Kai’s lap. The door was flung open and a flashbulb popped in my eyes. My jaw dropped as my gaze darted from the photographers to the king. I was in his lap in the backseat of a limo like a riled-up teenager unable to control her impulses.

You wanted to make a statement, I thought, suppressing a grin. It wasn’t funny…except I’d managed to do exactly what I’d set out to.

Kenoa and Harton appeared and moved the reporters back to give us breathing room.

“That’s not even close to the most embarrassing moment of mine that’s been caught on camera,” Kai assured me.

Adjusting the halter straps, I made sure all my bits were still covered. Sparing him a frown tinged with amusement, I didn’t comment. Collecting the last scraps of my dignity, I finally exited the car without further incident.

Between the security challenges and short notice, I’d expected the crowd to be relatively small. I’d expected it to be the society casters who won money off my blood, sweat, and tears.

The reality brought a lump to my throat. Hundreds of people, maybe even thousands, stood on the airship docks. Children sat on their parents’ shoulders, casters levitated, and shifters focused their superior vision—all to get a better look at me. And it was me they were there for, I quickly realized. Kai still stood beside the car, yet to join me on the flower-petal carpet. He smiled and gestured for me to go ahead.

It’s just like being in the arena, I lectured myself and pasted on the smug smile I always gave the crowd.

It was only twenty-five yards, maybe less, from the car to the airship. The first few steps were the hardest. My name was a deafening chant that echoed in the air. Many of those closest to the roped-off walkway held signs with congratulatory messages. The sounds and sights were overwhelming as I soaked in the encouragement and support from the people of Hawaii.

Unfortunately, that feeling was quickly stifled as I noticed a caster’s message written in smoke above her. An older witch with way too many hair accessories had spelled out “Fae Deserve Chains, Not Crowns” in slithering smoke snakes, one of which tried to bite me as I passed.

Harton was quick but not quick enough. Luckily, the woman’s casting wasn’t great; the creature’s wispy fangs passed right through me. Three palace guards congregated around the witch and led her away.

“Sorry,” Harton muttered, falling in step by my side as I continued toward the airship. “I should’ve been closer to you.”

Behind us, Kenoa hovered just behind Kai while the king stopped to greet the crowd.

“Maybrie! Maybrie! Over here!” a small, childlike voice called.

A little girl of six or seven held a bouquet of frozen hibiscuses toward me. After the smoke snake, I should have thought twice about straying too close to the crowd. Looking at her wide eyes, I didn’t. Though Harton didn’t attempt to stop me, he did stick closer than my shadow.

“Thank you,” I told the little girl, accepting her flowers.

“When I get old enough, I want to be a fighter just like you,” she told me proudly.

A tall, thin fae woman put her hand on the girl’s shoulder and laughed uneasily. “We’ve been over this, Patty. You are the daughter of a very important warlock. Your kind don’t fight in the pits.”

Harton stiffened, likely in reaction to the involuntary snarl I couldn’t hide. He put a hand on my arm, but I shook him off.

“Please don’t hit that woman,” he mumbled.

“You said there was more of a chance of me becoming a fighter than of Maybrie becoming queen.” Patty crossed her arms and stared up at her mother with such defiance that I almost applauded. “She lives in the palace now, so I think my chances are pretty good.”

The sass on this kid…, I thought with admiration.

All the blood drained from Patty’s mother’s face. Grabbing the little girl’s hand, she yanked her away.

Oblivious, or just not caring, Patty waved at me excitedly over her shoulder. “Good luck, Maybrie! All my friends are cheering for you!”

After that encounter, I refrained from prolonged conversation with my well-wishers. Several more floral arrangements were handed my way. Someone even gave me a rose-petal crown infused with meditative energies. A group of fae from Madame Noelani’s presented me with a gold bracelet marked in ancient runes that represented each of the four elemental magics.

“This is a protection charm, right?” I asked Madame Noelani herself.

The headmistress had turned up for the ceremony even though she clearly wasn’t there to show support for me. It seemed that my send-off was the closest thing to a social event in the kingdom since the luau, and Madame wouldn’t miss the chance to parade her girls around.

“It is.” The very polished and polite fae woman smiled serenely. “May you have good fortune on your travels and a safe return to our kingdom.”

“Thank you. It’s a very thoughtful gift.”

As I left behind the throng of people, there were VIPs lined up near the steps to the airship. Most were palace staff and government officials not accompanying us to L.A. In any other send-off of the sort, this was where the monarch would stand to bestow a blessing on the champion. Since Kai was going with me, that didn’t happen. Instead, I shook hands with many of the casters I’d come to know over the last month. Finally, standing just beside the staircase to the airship, were my friends.

Cala threw her arms around me. “Knock ‘em dead, Brie. I love you.”

Suddenly wishing that I’d asked for her to come with us, I squeezed my best friend tightly. “I love you, too.”

Sumi gave me a much less aggressive hug. “Good luck, Brie. I know you will make our people proud.”

“Don’t hold back, Brie,” Rocko advised when it was his turn. “These guys don’t know you, and they certainly don’t like you. They aren’t going to let you win like we do here.”

Smirking, I punched him lightly on the arm. “Nice revisionist history, bud. I thought the winner got to craft the narrative?” Then, because I couldn’t help myself, I asked the question bouncing through my mind since seeing my friends waiting to say goodbye. “Everly didn’t come?”

Rocko shook his head. “Give it time. When you get back, give her a call.”

The very last person, waiting patiently in her big glasses and absurdly heavy robes, was Samira. Aside from the small pockets of disapproval, the atmosphere on the jetway had been hopeful and energized. The elderly witch’s energy was completely different, though. It was as though she had her own personal storm cloud above her graying hair. When she hugged me, her arms trembled.

“Are you okay, Samira?” I asked, already looking for a palace guard to assist Samira to somewhere she could sit down.

“Never mind me, girl.” She exhaled unsteadily. “Listen. You need to be extremely careful on this trip. Many mean you harm. One will be your downfall.”

“What? What does that even mean?”

Harton was still close, but he’d backed off a little since we were among trusted friends. The bodyguard didn’t appear to be listening to the conversation.

“I can’t say for certain.” Samira closed her tired eyes and grimaced like she was reading the future on the backs of her lids and didn’t care for what she saw. “Many mean you harm. One will be your downfall,” she repeated. Her eyes popped open, and the witch grabbed my wrist with surprising strength. “Betrayal’s blade will make a second cut soon.”

An arm slid around my waist, pulling me away. Kai’s radiant smile dimmed some when he registered the charged atmosphere.

But Samira barely missed a beat. She pressed a small, cold bottle into my palm. “A simple healing tonic. One drop will last you six hours.” The sly glint in her eye told me the bottle contained much more than a simple healing tonic. “Use it sparingly. I dare say you’ll need it more than once.”

Chapter Twelve

The royal airship was large enough to hold the entire entourage of advisors and security personnel coming with us to L.A, though only a few bodyguards and Botto rode with us. With five levels—one main deck, two upper decks, and two lower decks—there was more space than my entire condo building. A gym with a glass bottom allowed one to workout among the clouds and occupied the entirety of the lowest floor. The level directly above it was split with a mix of offices and sleep quarters for the crew. The main level was the longest, with the pilot’s cabin in the front and a dining room in the back. Tables and chairs were bolted to the hardwood floor of the passenger cabin, which had a well-stocked bar complete with bartender. There was also a floor of stately sleeping quarters reserved for the king and his honored guests. Finally, the uppermost level was a giant swimming pool, where lucky passengers could enjoy the warm water while they looked out the windows at the frozen world below.

Despite the fact I found taking two airships extremely wasteful when we could’ve all fit onto one, I had to admit that it was nice to spend a few hours almost entirely alone with Kai. Kenoa, Harton, and Botto were somewhere onboard, but they didn’t join us in the main cabin. The bartender made me a mock mojito and a cup of strong coffee for Kai, and then we sat in a window seat as the airship took to the skies.

“I don’t imagine that you remember crossing through the dome when you arrived in Hawaii?” Kai asked carefully.

My presence in Hawaii wouldn’t ever cease to be a touchy subject for me, especially when it came to discussing how I’d come to be there. Because Kai understood and appreciated that fact, I was becoming more comfortable talking about the awful realities of fae life. He needed to hear them. Repeatedly. If there was even a chance of mending the deep divide in his kingdom, Kai needed to know precisely why fae hated casters so much. And not just in the abstract. He needed to hear details and from someone he cared for, someone he wanted to protect. More than that, I was also someone on whose behalf he would get angry. My time whispering in his ear was coming to an end, no matter which scenario played out.

Will all my work be undone once he learns the truth? I wondered. I prayed to Gaia that wouldn’t happen.

“No, I don’t remember it,” I said bluntly. “I didn’t wake up until I was in a cell on the island.”

Kai’s eye twitched, making me confident that he already regretted sparking the discussion. Nodding toward the window, he spoke evenly with a visible effort. “Just watch, I really want you to see this. No description will do it justice.”

Turning, I peered through the glass. Below, the collective crowd melded together until individuals were no longer distinguishable from one another. Magical writing hung in the air, wishing the king and me well. Despite the brightness of midday, magical fireworks were visible among the clouds. There was also a lot of sparkly confetti and one very large smiley-faced pineapple created using yellow flower petals and green palm fronds. The warmth of the sun warmed my skin through the window.

Without warning, the world was plunged into darkness. Startled, the drink slipped through my fingers. Even though it fell, the sound of shattering glass never reached my ears, thanks to Kai’s quick reflexes.

A light pressure touched on my hand, followed by his whisper. “Just watch.”

It’s pitch-black. What the hell am I supposed to see? I wondered.

Where heat had radiated from the glass only moments earlier, cold air now came through the window. We were officially outside the dome. Thousands, maybe even millions, of colored lights winked into existence in the darkness. They weren’t stars. At least, I didn’t think so. The tiny orbs spanned the entire visible light spectrum and didn’t glow quite the same way as any stars I’d seen, either beneath the dome or in the Freelands.

“What are they?” I asked Kai.

Inside, the airship was still bathed mostly in shadows. The twinkling lights outside cast a prism across the king’s smiling face.

“I do not really know. There are a lot of theories, of course. Personally, I believe they are particles of magic only visible when we pass through the protective layer of the dome.” He shrugged and handed me back my drink. It was then that I realized he’d anticipated my surprise and caught it before the glass fell to the ground. “Who really knows? Maybe it is all an optical illusion.”

I ran my fingertips lightly over the cold glass. “It’s beautiful, whatever it is.”

One by one, the balls of light streaked across the black sea outside the window until it seemed the airship was at the center of a cosmic whirlpool. Power surged inside of me. My hand on the window began to glow a brilliant orange. I looked down and saw the current of flames that flowed beneath my skin. For just a moment, I felt invincible. There was something terrifying in all that power, in all the beauty that surrounded us. Maybe it was fear of the unknown. Honestly, I didn’t know what had inspired the gut-wrenching sensation. All I knew was that the void between the dome and the real world was not simply a wonderous sight to behold; there was something magical here.

As suddenly as we’d entered the luminous void, we left.

In my time beneath the dome, I’d often thought that the yellow sunshine was too bright. I’d completely forgotten that pale-gray skies and a hazy, white sun could also be blinding, especially as the light reflected off the large chunks of ice floating atop the sea.

“I think this is beautiful,” Kai said softly, his gaze divided between the scenery and me.

The fire that had ignited within me died the instant we crossed outside of that odd chasm between the artificial world of the dome and the frozen world beyond. I felt Kai watching me, but my magic wasn’t the only thing inside of me that had fled. It was then that I realized I’d accepted that life on Oahu was permanent for me. After trying and failing to escape plenty of times, I’d eventually accepted that I wouldn’t be leaving the confines of the dome again.

Fifteen years. That was how long I’d lived in Fae Canyon with family, friends, and the snowy landscape. At some point, those memories had started to fade like an aging photograph. I could still recall my father’s face and the way Illion giggled when he thought he was being sneaky, but the images in my head were muted. At least, they had been. Once outside the dome, my life in Fae Canyon came rushing back with startling clarity.

“Brie?” Kai’s touch was light on my arm.

Gently, he pried my fingers loose from the mojito that I suddenly wished contained real alcohol. I kept my gaze directed outward, only truly seeing swirling faces in my mind’s eye.

“You can talk to me,” Kai tried again, his voice soft and soothing. “I’ve been told I am a great listener.”

The ocean zipped by at a dizzying speed. Or maybe I was just lightheaded. Airships traveled exceedingly fast, able to reach the domed city of Los Angeles in less than three hours. That was half the time it used to take humans to travel the same distance in their airplanes.

“Brie, please. Talk to me.” Though it wasn’t a command, there was a slight edge to his voice.

Finally, I turned to face him. My go-to public smile was firmly in place. “I’m fine, Kai. Really.”

He wasn’t convinced. “I am here for you. You can tell me what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling.”

“There’s nothing to say,” I replied. Though my tone was off-kilter with a flood of emotions, I was not angry with Kai. “At least, not right now. Maybe once this whole thing is over, we can talk about it. Right now, I just want to concentrate on getting through the tournament. Crying over the past won’t help me win.”

It was true. I knew that because I’d told myself a version of that sentence too many times to count. Crying over the past and longing for a life that was no longer available to me had only hurt my performance in the arena. Getting mad and channeling my rage were the way to go. That constructive anger gave me the edge I needed to defeat opponents.

Only, for the first time since Mat kidnapped me, I would be on the mainland. Soon, there wouldn’t be a frozen ocean between me and my family. Dad and Illion would be so close. Could I really maintain that level of fury when the feelings of longing for my family were so great? If only….

Don’t. Don’t go there. It’s too risky, and you know it.

That was also true. Even if I could find members of the rebellion willing to smuggle me out of L.A., I couldn’t be sure Kai and his people wouldn’t come looking for me before I could leave. I’d made the mistake of telling him about Fae Canyon. Not specifics, like location, but that was intel that they could readily secure. Kai’s advisors already knew all the fae communities. It wasn’t so much what would happen to me that pushed the idea aside, it was the fate of my loved ones should a royal contingent from the Hawaiian Kingdom pursue me to their doorstep.

And, of course, there was Kai…. Even though I knew our separation was inevitable, I didn’t want to leave him.

The King set down our drinks and took my hands in his. “You are a terrible liar,” he told me with a straight face.

My laugh was too loud. “Maybe. But seriously, can you just hold off on the questions until this is over?”

He hesitated. “If that is what you truly want, I will respect your wishes. I just hate to see you like this.”

Kai knew he’d misspoken the instant the words left his mouth.

“And I hate that a fanged asshole kidnapped me from my home,” I snapped, unable to stop myself. “I hate that this is the first time I’m leaving your stupid island in five damn years.” No longer in control, I leapt to my feet and stared down at the King with every ounce of contempt I’d ever felt for his family. “I hate that my father doesn’t even know where I am or if I’m alive. I hate that my brother grew up mourning me. As if losing his mother wasn’t enough, another member of his family was simply gone.”

Kai’s expression was blank, controlled. His jaw tightened and a muscle in his neck twitched.

Get mad, I silently dared him.

In the window, I saw my reflection. Blood-red flames flickered from my fingers like fiery claws.

When Kai said nothing, my annoyance piqued. “Sorry you asked?” I demanded.

His response was both infuriating and satisfying, if not a little surprising.

“Are you going to hit me?” he asked, head tilted to one side. “You look as though you would enjoy nothing more than punching me. Or the window, perhaps.”

Though I did have the urge to smack someone or something, I wasn’t going to do it. The decision had nothing to do with the fact he was a caster king. More so than anything, it was that I really tried to avoid physical fights outside the arena.

“You look like you want me to smack you,” I snapped in a lame comeback. My fury had abated enough to remember that it hadn’t been Kai who’d kidnapped me and stolen me from my family.

Slowly, he rose to his feet. Maintaining eye contact the entire time, his dark gaze blazed as bright as any flame I could have conjured. I’d heard tales of the powerful royal family. They were supposedly the best casters the world had seen in generations. Regardless of the rumors, I’d never seen or felt Kai’s magic so acutely before that moment. The gossip about his powers didn’t do him justice.

“I want you to feel something, Brie,” he said, words measured. “I want you to stop walking around like a zombie, emotionless. I want you to talk to me. I want you to be honest with me. I’m not a damned mind reader. You’ve changed since the luau,” he said. A hand quickly flew up when I opened my mouth to protest. “Don’t bother denying it. We both know it’s true. If you could just tell me why, we can work through it.”

“Yes, I have been,” I admitted. “Things are different now, Kai. It was hard enough dating a prince. Now, you’re the king.”

My relationship with him had shifted when the crown transferred to his head. Life beneath the dome had also shifted drastically. When we’d started dating, tensions beneath our races were high. Still, it was nothing compared to how it had been since the fae learned it was our magic that powered the dome. The casters needed us to survive. As the king’s fae girlfriend, I was at the heart of all of it. There was so much controversy, I couldn’t begin to process it.

“I never asked for any of this,” I continued through gritted teeth. “I never wanted to worry about dinners with foreign dignitaries or the proper protocols for a photo-op.”

Kai tried to back up, but the bench seat was too close. He sat heavily and stared up at me, the anger in his expression giving way to a cool stare that he normally only wore when one of his advisors was about to deliver bad news.

“What are you saying, Brie?” he asked calmly. “Are you really willing to give up on us so easily?”

I blinked. “What? No. That’s not what I’m saying at all.”

His shoulders relaxed some. “What are you saying?”

“I’m just saying that when I tell you I don’t want to talk about something, I need you to let it go. I have a lot of shit on my plate right now.” I took several steps backward and crossed my arms over my chest.

Kai shook his head and muttered under his breath. “They told me this was a bad idea.”

Arching an eyebrow, I waited impatiently for him to elaborate.

“My advisors,” he continued. “They urged me not to grant your travel application. They were concerned about this.”

My blood ran as cold as the ice crystals frosting the window. “About what?” I asked tightly.

“They were worried that the stress of returning to the mainland might be too much for you to cope with.” Kai met my eyes without blinking. He was telling the truth.

His explanation may have been the official reason his advisors gave him. Unofficially, I knew they were worried I might contact L.A.’s faction of the rebellion.

You need to be careful.

I reconsidered.

You need to tell him the truth. Now.

My lips parted, but the words didn’t come. That icy stare he’d given me when he thought I was ending our relationship would be so much worse if I told him the whole truth. Not only would our relationship be over, but it would be a painful blow to his heart that I’d only begun dating him for the rebellion.

“You are the strongest person I know,” Kai continued, voice softer than before. “I know you will not break under pressure. Just like I know that you and I, together, can change the system in our kingdom. It will not be easy. Things will probably get worse before they get better.” Standing again, he wrapped his arms around me. “Just don’t give up on us, Brie. Please. When you’re ready to talk, I will be here to listen.”

Relaxing into his embrace with my head against his chest, I pictured a future that would never come to pass. I did believe that Kai wanted to make serious changes to the way things were done. I also believed that he would follow through to the best of his abilities.

And I knew that I wouldn’t be the one at his side when this glorious new world became reality. That honor would probably go to some fae from Madame Noelani’s who would be willing to stand three paces behind Kai at all times. When that happened, I would be lucky to raise a toast from the nosebleed section.

No, I reminded myself. You’ll be lucky just to be alive.

Chapter Thirteen

“Is this your first interkingdom fight, Maybrie?” a caster reporter asked. A pen was tucked behind her ear along with strands of her blonde bob.

“It is,” I confirmed with a nod and pleasant smile.

“The Interkingdom Championship for your first fight outside Hawaii…,” the reporter mused, looking at me expectantly.

“Is there a question…?” I prodded.

Evine was by my side in a flash. “Maybrie is very excited to be representing the Hawaiian Kingdom at this tournament,” she exclaimed to the entire horde of press at the tarmac meet-and-greet.

My nostrils flared, but I managed to avoid saying something I would regret once it was put in print. “Yes, I am very excited. This is a huge honor.”

“Will you be attending any official political functions while in L.A.?” a tall, very rotund fae called from the back.

“My relationship is—”

“We are done here,” Evine said over me, her voice polite yet firm. “Unless you have more questions about the fights specifically?”

The rebuke was more subtle than mine would’ve been, though it was quite effective at shutting down that particular line of questioning.

“You’re scheduled to fight a vampire in the first round. How have you prepared for that match up?”

I’m fighting a vamp? That’s news to me. Thanks a lot, team of people who were supposed to prep me.

“Well…,” I began uncomfortably.

What was I supposed to say? The truth—that I only just found out being in the interkingdom fight—made me sound ill-prepared. Which I was. With the nature of the championship and the quality of fighters, I should’ve had months of training, dieting, and abstaining.

I glanced to Evine for help. Of course, she only stepped into the conversation when she saw fit, and she apparently found this topic one I was equipped to handle on my own.

“Honestly, I just found out I would be coming, so I didn’t do any opponent-specific training,” I admitted finally.

A few people laughed, and I smiled. It was nice to have reporters asking me questions that weren’t about Kai. Or the baby Kai and I hadn’t conceived. Or the wedding Kai and I hadn’t announced. Or the crown that would never sit on my head.

“I’ve fought vampires before,” I continued. “They are tough opponents for obvious reasons. In the past, I’ve treated them just like any other opponent.”

“I imagine your fire magic helps, though?” A short fae close to the rope that held the press back gave me a sly smile. “I would say that’s a pretty big advantage.”

“It can be,” I agreed.

“How many opponents have you killed in combat?” the man beside her asked.

“That is really not—” Evine tried.

“Less than you might think, but more than I care to know,” I said evenly.

The small fae reporter snorted and averted her gaze.

“We have time for one last question,” Evine said loudly. She scanned the sea of reporters. Her gaze landing on a tall, slim woman. She was a shifter, though I couldn’t tell which kind. Evine gestured to the woman, whose hand was held timidly in the air. “Yes, you.”

“Thank you. I’m Cat Lerner from Beat Heat,” the woman said to Evine. Then, she turned to me. “I understand you’re from the area originally, is that right?”

Where is she going with this? I wondered, dread weighing in my stomach.

“Not too far away,” I replied carefully.

“Do you have any plans to see your family?” Cat’s eyes caught and held my own. The woman smiled, even as her laser gaze bore holes through my soul.

Do I know her? I wondered. Unlikely, since there hadn’t been shifters in Fae Canyon, and the Hawaiian Kingdom didn’t let them leave any easier than they let fae. What’s she really asking? It felt like there was more to her question.

You spent too long as a spy, I told myself, willing my heart to stop pounding.

There were so many eyeballs watching me grope for a response, so many ears waiting to hear what I’d say. I had dressed in Sarah’s jumpsuit, strapped on some heels, and painted my lips red to make a very bold statement: this trip was about me and about the fact I’d qualified for this prestigious tournament. And now was my chance to tell my story to the world, to express my stance on fae versus caster rights, to let every fae in every kingdom know that their magic powered the domes. But I didn’t. My nerves weren’t ready for it.

“I am in L.A. to fight,” I said quickly. “Sorry, I misspoke. I’m in L.A. to win.”

The woman grinned. “Can I quote you on that?”

“Please do.”

Evine stepped in front of me as a dozen or so reporters snapped their final pictures. “Thank you all for coming,” she said, firmly shutting down the interview.

She began nudging me along the tarmac toward a line of SUVs where Kai and Botto waited with Kenoa and the bodyguards. Harton fell in step on my other side, and he and Evine marched me away.

“How was I?” I asked Harton out of the side of my mouth.

His poker face split into a quick smile. “Very good. Very diplomatic.”

“Not bad for your first time,” Evine added grudgingly.

Kai greeted me with a warm smile and offered me a hand as I climbed into the backseat. Harton, Evine, Botto, and Kenoa joined Kai and me in our car. Most of the advisors had already left for the hotel, and the remaining bodyguards traveled separately in SUVs that drove ahead of and behind us.

“I thought we were doing some official handshake thing with the king and queen?” I asked, once we started moving through downtown L.A.

The window tint was dark but still allowed me to see the city. It wasn’t all that different from downtown Honolulu, with tall office buildings and coffee shops on every corner. The architecture was different, though, more modern. We had many of the same clothing labels in our Fashion District, though ours featured fae and shifter designers, as well.

“Change of plans,” Kai said smoothly. “It seemed they were double-booked, I am afraid.”

Had I not been so distracted by all the signs for movie and recording studios, I might have realized he was lying. The thrill of being somewhere new was all-consuming. I’d thought Cala crazy for all her sightseeing suggestions. Now, I wished I’d paid more attention to the recommendations she’d given. A sense of wanderlust washed over me, and I had the urge to explore.

“What’s next on the agenda then?” I asked no one in particular.

“You’re slotted for two hours of private training,” Botto answered. He sat across from me between Evine and Kenoa. “I looked over the official packet on the flight over. It looks like you are entitled to two hours of private training every day. We can also use the public facilities whenever we want.”

“Public facilities?” I asked, whipping my head to face my trainer. “Meaning anyone can come watch me?”

Training was the only time when I could practice moves and mess up without judgment. Well, the other fighters and their trainers might judge me, but that was different. With an audience, it would feel more like a performance instead of practice. I really didn’t like the sound of that.

“Don’t worry about that.” Botto waved off my concern. “I have some friends here. They’re boxers who own a gym in West Hollywood. If you need more private time, I’m sure we can work something out.”

“You might need to. A vampire in the first round?” I shook my head. “Not ideal.”

“Yeah, I just got that info this morning. I planned to tell you during our session.” Botto shrugged. “You’ve fought vamps before. I don’t know much about this guy, but I plan to find out what I can.”

“I can take care of that for you,” Kai offered, seeming to feel a little left out.

Our roles were reversed for once. I was the one at the center of the conversation, while he was the one expected to sit and listen quietly.

Botto shook his head. “That’s part of my job. I can probably find out a lot just by asking around. Appreciate the offer, though.” My trainer turned back to me as the car slowed in front of a modern take on a fairytale castle. “Meet me in the lobby in one hour.”

Between the hotel security and our bodyguards, our group made it inside the hotel without too much trouble. I didn’t exactly preen for the cameras, but I didn’t shy away either. I was used to attention before a big fight. Well, maybe not quite this intense, but it was part of the game. I felt myself slipping into player mode.

Our penthouse suite was located on the highest rung of the North Tower. Laid out in a circle with floor-to-ceiling windows, the space provided an extraordinary view of L.A. The Hollywood Hills were visible to one side, while the ocean lapped the shores in the opposite vista. In the center of it all was Calypso Palace, a sprawling estate that took up six blocks in every direction.

“It doesn’t look much like a palace,” I commented to Kai as I gazed out the window at the royal residence.

“I believe Calypso Palace used to be a movie studio. The studio’s final production was to be a space opera. Then the Freeze came, and it was abandoned.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Apparently, most of the furniture is actually from that movie set.”

“Interesting,” I mumbled.

Kai laughed. “You say that as though you don’t believe it. Personally, I find the history of it all very interesting.”

Turning in his arms, I stood on tiptoes and placed a light kiss on his cheek. “You and your history have fun. If I don’t hurry, I’m going to be late. And if I’m late, Botto will kill me. Or you. Probably both of us.”

I started for one of the two bedrooms off the main area.

“I have some business to attend to while you are gone,” Kai called after me. “If I am not here when you return, I promise to be back in plenty of time for this evening’s festivities.”

I waved a hand dismissively over my shoulder. “Okay. Have fun.”

The training facility was located adjacent to the Los Angeles Coliseum, where the actual tournament would take place. Unlike my normal gym, this one was mostly open air. The public section, where anyone with a ticket could gawk at the fighters while they trained, had arena-style seating. The stands were packed. With so many observers taking notes, I guessed they were sizing up the competition; either other fighters and trainers were previewing opponents, or bookies and gamblers were looking to make informed bets.

Kai had wanted to send at least two bodyguards along with me, but I drew the line at showing up to practice with an entourage. Harton was plenty. There was so much security at the training facility. A fight coordinator named Bruce checked me in and then showed Botto, Harton, and me to a private gym in one of the annex buildings surrounding the main facility.

“You have two hours. All the equipment is treated to withstand fire, should you want to practice your magic. Only fighters, trainers, and event staff are allowed in the annexes, so you do not need to worry about privacy,” Bruce informed us. “Someone will let you know when your time is up. You are welcome to use the locker rooms. Those are off-limits to the public, as well. Any questions?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Thanks.”

Harton followed Bruce back out into the hallway, where he took up his post outside the door. That left Botto and me alone for the first time since the L.A. fight had been announced.

“How are you doing? For real?” he asked, hands on hips.

I shrugged off my gym bag. “I don’t know. I’m nervous. Though, I’m probably not as nervous as I should be. It still feels sort of surreal,” I admitted.

“Well, it’s about to get very real, very fast.” Botto walked to the far end of the room and turned to face me. “These competitors will be at least as good as the best fighter you’ve faced in Hawaii. They will be faster, stronger, and out for blood.”

“Out for blood?” I scoffed. “It’s not like I’m the one to beat or anything.”

Botto squinted his eyes. “But you are. You might not be favored to win the tournament right now, but every single person here wants to beat you. Badly.”

“Why?”

He fixed me with a dubious stare. “Do you really have to ask?”

No, I really didn’t. The answer was obvious. Many of the other fighters probably thought me a traitor. They probably thought that because I dated a caster king, that I thought I was better in some way. I would have thought the same in their position.

“Screw ‘em,” Botto said loudly.

I laughed. “Yeah. Exactly. They can try their best.”

“You mean it?” Botto’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Let’s see you prove it.”

Chapter Fourteen

Sweaty and physically spent, I returned to an empty suite with a note on the dining room table. Though the message was in Evine’s handwriting, the message was from Kai saying that he’d see me at the Opening Ceremonies. I probably should’ve been annoyed, but the quiet was welcome while I got ready for the big night.

Evine stopped by on the pretense of offering help while really giving my outfit a once-over. She was obviously annoyed that no one had allowed her to review my attire choices prior to leaving Hawaii.

Botto, Harton, and Evine rode with me from the hotel to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Evine peppered me with last minute reminders: smile, always; only speak if spoken to; don’t engage with fans who yell questions about Kai.

“I’ll have eyes on you the entire time,” Harton promised.

The fact he didn’t realize my concerns were about my ego and not my physical safety was sweet.

“I’m not worried,” I told him.

Ever since Pele’s, Harton had been intensely serious while on duty with me. Not that he’d treated guarding me like a joke before the attack, but his lighthearted nature had grown noticeably somber since. That energy was part of why I’d requested Harton when Kai insisted that I needed a shadow at all times, and I hoped it would return.

Bruce was at the door of the SUV the moment we pulled up to one of the back entrances to the arena.

“Maybrie, you look ravishing,” he declared when I emerged from the car.

“Thank you.” I smiled and took in his dark-green tuxedo with velvet piping. “You look very handsome yourself.”

Bruce beamed. “How kind of you. Now, if you and your trainer will follow me.” He gestured us toward a door being held open by two male casters with earpieces.

“I’ll be staying with Ms. Maybrie,” Harton said, leaving no room for argument.

“Of course, of course.” Bruce smiled thinly. “As this is a special case, you are, of course, welcome backstage.”

“I’ll come, too,” Evine declared.

“Oh, no. I’m afraid not,” Bruce replied with feigned sorrow. He waved to a young woman standing off to the side. “There is a place for you in a designated area of the stands. Jessica here will escort you to the friends and family section.”

Jessica smiled at Evine. “Gladly. Ma’am, if you will come with me.”

Evine’s displeasure only gave me a momentary jolt of satisfaction. Despite her constant condescension, I would’ve been more comfortable with a few more familiar faces around. Even if one was pinched and disapproving

Bruce led the rest of us inside to a holding area where Botto and Harton were told they could wait. Then I was directed to the line of fighters waiting near the entrance tunnel that led inside the arena.

“You’re the last scheduled arrival. We’re about to get started,” Bruce informed me.

I was handed off to another event coordinator named Littia, who placed me at the very end of the line of fighters. The whole process was making me feel a lot like I was on an assembly line.

The lights flickered three times, effectively silencing the arena crowd.

“Good evening, Los Angeles!” a woman’s overly enthusiastic voice cried.

I couldn’t see her from my vantage point, but I could picture the type of person that went with such a high-pitched yowl.

“My name is Kelly Kat,” she continued, pausing for the considerable roar she received from the crowd. “That’s right, L.A., I’m your hostess for the evening!”

Cue another round of cheers.

Who is this girl?

“Let me start off the evening with a warm welcome to our very special guests, King Ronald and Queen Katherine!”

The applause was almost as enthusiastic as it had been for Kelly Kat. When the heir to the Calypso Throne, Prince Gavin, was introduced, the raucous cheers for him eclipsed them all. Prince Eduardo, the son King Ronald hoped to marry off to Sarah, didn’t have a very large fanbase. At best, his claps were polite and obligatory. Princess Marilyn, or The Hollywood Princess, as Kelly called her, was by far the most popular member of the royal family. Not only was she reported to rival Helen of Troy for the face to launch the most ships, but she engaged in many charitable causes.

Once the L.A. royals were out of the way, Kelly went on to introduce the few visiting royals. Not every kingdom with a fighter in the tournament had a monarch in attendance, thank Gaia. That would have taken all night.

Finally, it was time for the ridiculous parade of egos that was the main event.

“Our first contender hails from the Floridian Kingdom in the Southeast Americas,” Kelly began. Her hushed tone made her sound like a documentarian hunting in the wilds of an exotic land.

The were-tiger at the front of the line sprinted down the tunnel, pounding his chest and chanting something indecipherable. Or maybe he was simply grunting. It was hard to say.

There was dramatic lighting in the arena like a spectacular concert, and a booming announcer rattled off stats for the guy in the spotlight. Meanwhile, the shifter demonstrated his abilities for the crowd, changing effortlessly between human and animal forms. His tiger shape was enormous and powerful, while as a human he was lithe and quick.

“Give it up for Cody Dickinson!” Kelly’s voice was so nasally that it bordered on annoying.

Only then did I realize that I should probably be taking notes on the fighters as they were announced and making a mental catalog of faces, names, and abilities. Since I trusted Botto would handle it, I tuned out.

Despite being surrounded by people, no one was looking at me. It felt unbelievably refreshing. Since that would probably change once everyone realized who I was, I planned to enjoy these moments of anonymity…or try. Thinking of everyone waiting to see King Kai’s girlfriend, I grew self-conscious about the red silk dress I was wearing. Cassie had been focused on conveying strength and a sense of royalty. But would the crowd think I was trying too hard? Would they take one look and think that my tacky style wasn’t worthy of the most eligible king in all the kingdoms?

That’s not the point of tonight. Tonight is about you and your kickass skills.

Even as I told myself the lie, I knew that the crowd didn’t care about me as a fighter. They cared about me as Kai’s girlfriend and nothing more.

My mouth was parched and sticky by the time I’d neared the front of the queue. The lump in my throat was impossible to swallow down.

So, make it about you, I thought, as I squared my shoulders and let my fakest smile fall into place. Show them you’re more than a royal dalliance.

“And now, the woman you have been waiting all night to meet,” Kelly began in that stupid hushed tone. “She hails from the tropical paradise of the Hawaiian Kingdom, one of the fiercest fae competitors the Interkingdom Championship has ever seen. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Miss Maybrie Hawkins!”

Kelly Kat’s passionate introduction was met with the sound of crickets. Flustered, she hurried on. “Maybrie is the reigning champion of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s fight pits, with over a hundred victories in the ring!”

Polite applause followed the announcement, but it was nothing compared to their reaction to the other fighters. Even the foreign competitors had received more than the restrained claps that I did, and they were from places that half the audience had never heard of.

What did you expect? I asked myself.

Though I didn’t know, it was definitely not this eerie silence. My heels sank slightly into the loose dirt on the arena’s field.

Gaia, please don’t let me fall, I thought.

The walk to centerfield felt like it took longer than the flight from Hawaii. The stadium was much larger than the one back home; at least three times the size, if I had to guess. Kelly Kat zoomed overhead on a small announcer’s platform that allowed her to make the rounds of the entire arena.

Mimicking the other introductory laps, I walked in sweeping steps around the center of the field. Kelly read my stats with the same exuberance she had for the other contenders. Maybe even more. There was also a small and awkward fireworks display. You know, nothing fancy. No one seemed to notice or care about the theatrics. They just wanted to stare at me like I was an animal doing tricks at the carnival.

My cheeks were on fire, the pounding of my heart audible.

Screw them, I thought, recalling Botto’s warning about the other fighters’ feelings toward me. It seemed the crowd shared the reticence of my opponents. These people may have wanted to gawk at me, but they sure didn’t like me.

When I was fighting, the crowd disappeared. It was just me and my opponent in the arena. In my current scenario, the audience was my opponent. I couldn’t stare down each and every judgmental face, but I held my head high and met quite a few challenging gazes.

“Miss Hawkins is rumored to be the strongest fire fae to ever fight in the Hawaiian Kingdom.” Kelly smiled down at me from her platform with a great, sweeping gesture that she clearly intended as a cue.

This is your chance, show them you’re worth talking about as a fighter, I thought.

Only, this entire ceremony made me feel like a prized cow at auction. I didn’t want to show these jerks my magic. It didn’t matter to me who they bet on; I wasn’t going to make any money from it. They would all see that I was a serious contender at my first match. That was when they would learn not to underestimate me. Plus, I figured the other trainers were taking notes, just as Botto would be, and I didn’t want to give a sneak preview. Showing the extent of my magical abilities at the Opening Ceremonies would just be giving away free tickets to the big show.

Nonetheless, I had to do something, to put on some sort of performance. Coming to a stop in the center of the arena, I tipped my chin up and summoned a small flicker of flame in my left palm. With my right hand, I waved to the audience, feeling like an absolute moron. Scattered applause rewarded my lame effort.

Kelly Kat hovered in the same spot with a grin frozen on her smooth face, waiting for me to do another trick. In a moment of sheer lunacy and panic, I shimmied my shoulders and wiggled my hips like I was playing with a hula hoop. Then, because I’d already committed to the strange display, I made a ring of fire and swiveled it around my midsection while two-stepping.

Quiet laughter was followed by a few uncertain cheers. from a contingent of distinctly female voices. Whether they cheered because they thought I was making a mockery of this exhibition or because they enjoyed my moves, I didn’t know. I didn’t even know what I was doing, let alone whether I was trying to prove a point.

“Casters, fae, and shifters—one more time, Maybrie Hawkins!” Kelly exclaimed, starting off the clapping that never really caught on.

Thankfully, the rest of the contenders joined me in the center of the arena. For a long minute, they waved and blew kisses to the audience. The crowd threw flowers, stuffed animals, and candy in response. I smiled my fake smile right alongside the competition.

“In just over twenty-four hours, these legends will begin their bid for an Interkingdom Championship title!” Kelly yelled over the near-deafening roar from the stands. “Once more, I give you Cody Dickinson….”

One by one, fighters broke away for a final lap around the arena.

Almost over, I thought, as I waited impatiently for Kelly Kat to call my name.

“And finally, the dancing fire fae, Maybrie Hawkins!”

Finally.

I’d made it through the first part of the Opening Ceremonies, and what didn’t kill me definitely gave me thicker skin.

A second airborne platform appeared overhead alongside Kelly, this one equipped with turntables.

“Alright, guys! Who’s excited for D.J. Moneymaker?” the hostess hollered as the night’s first performer launched right into his set.

The worst of the torture is behind me, I thought.

All I wanted was to collapse into bed, but my duties were far from over. VIP guests were already flocking from the stands to the concourse tunnels. For the next two hours, the lucky invitees would be able to eat, drink, and dance with the fighters. General admission ticketholders were permitted to watch us all interact from the stands. Between all the mixing, mingling, and being watched, I was also expected to give interviews.

How could a spy for the rebellion even find time to pass messages with so much mandatory crap to do? I wondered.

Harton and Botto were among the first non-fighters granted entrance to the arena floor. They came straight for me with identical expressions firmly in place.

“Dancing?” Botto demanded under his breath. “You did a dance?”

“Was I supposed to turn into a human torch?” I countered with mischievous eyes.

He blew out an exasperated breath while Harton hid a smirk. “Don’t make too many waves, Brie,” my trainer warned.

There wasn’t a chance to explain that I’d simply panicked, that I didn’t have an ulterior motive. Evine and Kenoa joined us, and the former had a list of people I ‘just had to meet.’

“Where’s Kai?” I asked Kenoa, as Evine shuffled me toward Princess Edwina of the Alaskan Kingdom.

“He’s talking to King Ronald right now,” Kenoa informed me.

“—she’s a very big fan—”

“I think he’s trying to let you have some time as a fighter before he makes his entrance,” Kenoa continued talking over Evine, who was throwing out random facts about the princess I was about to meet.

“—saw you about three years ago—”

“Thoughtful of him, I guess,” I mused.

Evine cleared her throat loudly to draw my attention. She smiled broadly and gestured to a very pretty fae standing in a gown of ivory silk with swirls of pearl embellishments. The princess’ blue-black hair was twisted into an elegant bun and topped with a delicate pearl and diamond tiara.

“Princess Edwina, allow me to introduce Maybrie Hawkins,” Evine said in the most formal tone I’d ever heard her use. Even with the deferent tone, she added a curtsey for good measure.

The princess extended her hand to me. “It is an honor,” Edwina said sweetly.

Her age was hard to judge. She looked about sixteen but carried herself like someone much older.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Your Highness,” I said politely.

“I once saw you fight when I visited the Hawaiian Kingdom with my family several years ago. I was very young, but I remember you being very impressive,” Princess Edwina praised me.

As a fae, she wouldn’t have taken a trip with her family to Oahu, which meant she had to have visited with her in-laws.

“You mean the Alaskan royal family?” I asked for clarification.

Edwina smiled knowingly. “The Alaskan royal family is my family. My grandfather is King Archibald. My mother is Princess Marigold, the king’s daughter with the Fae Queen Emerald. My father is also fae, the Fae Prince Paulo.”

Curiosity got the better of me before I thought too much about how rudely my questions would come across.

“Your grandfather married a fae? The Alaskan queen is a fae?” I blurted. Why had no one told me this? I suddenly felt like less of an oddity.

“Yes, King Archibald is married to a fae,” Edwina explained patiently, obviously used to these sorts of inquiries. “He is also married to a caster and a shifter.”

My mouth dropped open.

“Tri-marriage is still customary in our kingdom,” the princess continued. She giggled softly. “Enough about me. Is this your first time in L.A.? There are so many sights you must see while you are here. Personally, I do the haunted studio tour every time I’m in town. It would be a great honor if you would accompany me while you are in town.”

I was still too shocked about the polygamous marriage to respond.

“As long as we can work the trip around Miss Hawkins tournament commitments, I don’t see why that shouldn’t work,” Evine interjected smoothly. She placed a hand on my shoulder. “Forgive me, but you are scheduled for an interview, Maybrie.”

“If you’ll excuse me?” I said to the princess.

“Of course. I hope to speak with you soon,” she replied graciously.

With a gentle hand on the small of my back, Evine guided me through the thickening crowd and into the concourse where the press was interviewing an earth fae from New York. From the sound of it, he was heavily favored in his first fight. Botto and Harton flanked Evine and me as we came to a halt to wait for my turn with the vultures. Kenoa stayed several paces behind, keeping an eye on everything going on around us.

I fanned my face and tugged the neckline of my dress up. Finally, it was my time to step in front of the press. The interview flew by in a barrage of questions about technique and diet, which were routine and easy to field on my own. Since I was the last interview, the reporters dispersed as soon as it ended.

“We should return to the party,” Evine advised as the room emptied. “There are a lot more people—”

“I think Brie deserves a breather,” a voice interrupted from the shadows.

I smiled as the last of the press left, and Kai entered from the other side of the room.

“If you could all give us a minute?” he asked the others, his gaze locked with mine.

Evine, Harton, Kenoa, and Botto went without protest, closing the door behind them. Kai’s arms were instantly around my waist and mine around his neck. I kissed him hungrily, our lips parting too soon for me.

“How are you?” Kai asked, resting his forehead against mine.

I groaned. “I wish everyone would stop asking me that.”

His deep laugh rumbled in his chest. “I know that must have been hard.”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

Kai squeezed me gently. “Fair enough. For now.” His lips brushed my cheekbone. “If only because we really do need to get back, unfortunately.”

We remained where we were for several more moments before Kai threaded his fingers through mine, and we headed back to the party. Harton cleared the path ahead of us, while the others walked behind Kai and me. In the short time we’d been gone, people had packed in tighter than a jar of pickles. Nearly all of the eyes were locked on me and my royal beau.

The king smiled down at me reassuringly. “They are all just jealous,” he told me.

“That’s not the word I would use,” I muttered.

Kai laughed breezily as we joined the festivities. With him by my side, I did feel stronger. Not quite invincible, but his confidence bolstered my own, and his cheery mood was infectious. I found myself genuinely smiling as Kai introduced me to a few of the royals in attendance at the exclusive event. Aside from visiting monarchs, the guest list was a lot different than it would’ve been in Hawaii. A lot more flash than class.

“Princess Edwina, this is Maybrie Hawkins,” Kai began after the two exchanged pleasantries.

“I have already had the pleasure,” the princess assured him.

“Oh?” Kai arched an eyebrow. “That is wonderful. I had hoped you two would find one another.”

The lights dimmed considerably, quieting both the thumping music and chatter in the arena. The opening notes of an alternative remix with a waltz beat began to play. Slowly, stars appeared on the dance floor, hanging in midair. King Ronald and Queen Katherine took centerstage. While their moves were flawless, the dancing lacked passion.

Kai took my hand and bowed slightly. “May I have this dance?”

“If you do not, I will,” Princess Edwina teased me.

More couples were joining the royals on the dance floor, so at least we wouldn’t be the center of attention.

I smiled at the king. “Why not?”

Kai twirled me beneath his arm, the red dress swirling around my feet in a pretty spiral. There, between the stars, we moved like no one was watching. Kai was an amazing dancer, and I’d learned the waltz from an instructor far superior to any who taught at Madame Noelani’s—my father.

When I was very small, Dad would have me stand on his feet while he went through the steps, counting the beats aloud so that I could learn them.

“Next time, you lead,” he would say every single time we danced, yet my turn never came.

I’d always imagined my wedding would be the first time.

Don’t think about the past. Not now. Live in the moment. This moment.

It was surprisingly easy to follow my own advice. The storm clouds that had been growing more noticeable in his eyes since the luau parted as we moved effortlessly around the other couples. He’s at peace for now, I thought. So was I, I realized. When Kai looked at me with such tenderness, such love, such vulnerability, it was hard to care about much else. The secrets I kept were easy to lock away, temporarily bridging the chasm between us. We were just two people in love, dancing.

A sharp elbow to the kidney interrupted the blissful reverie. Annoyed but determined not to let one small disturbance rock my snow globe-worthy daydream of a world where Kai and I had a normal relationship, I muttered an apology over my shoulder.

“Five years and that’s all you have to say to me?”

I froze mid-step. That voice. I recognized that voice.

No. It can’t be. My heartrate increased tenfold.

“Brie?” Kai’s tone was full of concern.

I ignored the king, turning slowly to face a ghost from my past. The last time I’d seen her was in a cavern at the base of the bluffs near Fae Canyon. We both had been so scared that night. Once I’d accepted that not all of us could make it home, I’d found solace in the fact my captivity meant freedom for my friends. Or, so I’d told myself repeatedly. Particularly in my early days beneath the dome, when fear and despair were my only friends and hope and desire were my greatest enemies.

Equal parts elation and despondency, tears stung my eyes as I took in the girl who’d been like family to me.

She’s alive.

“Sienna,” I whispered her name on a sharp intake of breath, still unable to believe she was really standing there.

My old friend’s lips curved into an almost seductive smile, yet her eyes remained flat as she wrapped her thin arms around my shoulders.

“Hello, Brie,” she said softly, tone frosty enough to send chills up my spine. Sienna squeezed me tightly, the gesture lacking any warmth. “Looks like you’ve done pretty well for yourself. At least one of us has.”

Chapter Fifteen

Admittedly, it wasn’t the greeting I would’ve expected.

“Your Majesty.” Sienna gave Kai the same simpering look that didn’t reach her eyes, along with a flirtatious wave. She then spun in a flurry of pineapple-yellow silk and melted into the crowd on the dance floor.

My feet moved of their own volition. Mumbling incoherent apologies as I shoved through the crowd, I followed Sienna’s bouncing blonde waves. An alarmed Harton called after me, but it was Kai who caught hold of my arm.

“Brie, what’s going on?” he asked, brows drawn together.

I yanked free of his grip. “I just need to talk to her. Alone.”

Kai nodded reluctantly.

Sienna was quick. During my brief exchange with Kai, she’d managed to make it all the way to the exit. The music had changed to a faster song, and more people were moving onto the dance floor. The security at the door didn’t try to stop me, but they did give me curious looks as I hiked up my dress and charged onto the concourse. There were only a few people out there catching their breath and chatting where the music wasn’t so overpowering.

“Sienna, wait!” I called, as she moved farther and farther from the party.

She didn’t so much as glance back. Still, I was on a mission. Seeing Sienna had ignited an inferno of emotional baggage. She was a tangible symbol of all I’d lost the day the vampires kidnapped me from Fae Canyon. Suddenly, I was desperate to be close to her, to relive the happy memories of my childhood home.

My pursuit of Sienna took several turns before we ended up at a dead end. My friend turned to face me, her back literally against the wall.

“Stay away from me,” Sienna snapped, the air stirring around her.

“Sienna, I thought you were dead,” I said quietly.

Unsure where her head was, I stopped with enough space still between us that she wouldn’t feel threatened. Perspiration dampened my skin and made loose pieces of hair stick to my face. My breathing was ragged, both from the run around the arena and the lump in my throat.

“Well, I’m not,” she snapped. “And you and I have nothing to say to each other. Move out of my way. I need to get on with my life. You obviously have.”

Shaking my head, I knew there had to be a way to break through her icy façade. There was a gust of wind so powerful that I stumbled back several steps. Several long, tense moments passed in eerie silence. Finally, Sienna took several steps forward and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. Hatred boiled in her light eyes.

Is she going to hit me? I wondered.

Though no physical blow ever came, she did deliver a gut punch with her words.

“You’re a traitor, Brie,” Sienna spat.

Every ounce of her venom pierced me in a place I didn’t know I could feel anymore. My mouth opened several times to protest, but nothing came out. My brain couldn’t make sense of both her presence and her accusation.

“What are you talking about?” I stammered.

“You’re a traitor,” she said again, as if the words hadn’t been branded on my flesh the first time she’d uttered them. “You disgust me, Brie.”

The words slapped me across the face. I didn’t understand Sienna’s vitriol. My friend looked at me the way most people looked at month-old fish that had been smelling up their refrigerator.

“You stand there pretending to be all innocent and sweet,” she continued, slowly moving closer to me. Her voice was low and full of righteous anger. “How’s your life, Princess Priss? Is it everything you said you never wanted? Does your Hawaiian king know how little loyalty means to you?”

Every word shot me through the heart. While it was obvious Sienna meant to hurt me, she couldn’t have known just how deeply her comments would cut. Unwittingly, she’d just touched on the darkest bruise in my relationship with Kai. What exactly was she referring to, though? How had I been disloyal to her? I’d tried to save her. Everything I’d done that fateful night had been to give her and Gregory time to reach safety. I’d thrown myself into the lion’s den so they could get help.

“Sienna…,” I began, but I was unsure how to continue.

She didn’t keep me in suspense long. “Gregory died because of you,” she spat. “You left him in that cave to flit off to a better life, and he died.”

I couldn’t breathe. No. That can’t be right. He can’t be dead.

My knees went weak as Sienna advanced closer.

“Did you consider for one second what happened to me?” She sneered and let out a bark of humorless laughter. “Of course you didn’t. Gaia, how did I never see how selfish you are?”

Selfish? I thought, outraged.

I’d made a lot of mistakes that night in Fae Canyon, starting with sneaking out of my home. Nevertheless, my intentions had been good. Did Sienna really believe otherwise?

“I did what I thought was best for all of us,” I said slowly, like speaking to a young child.

“Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night?” she hissed, coming even closer.

I threw my hands in the air. “What should I have done, Sienna?”

“Anything,” she spat, eyes narrowed to slits. “Anything would’ve been better, because you did nothing.”

“I led them away from you guys.” Though I’d meant for it to be a declaration, my rasping voice ticked up at the end so it sounded like a question.

That’s what I’d done…right? Doubt clawed away at my anger. Is it possible I’m only remembering that night the way I want to remember it?

“You left me,” Sienna growled, voice low and gravelly. Then, in a more measured tone, she continued. “You said we should split up. I wanted to stay together. But no, you didn’t want us holding you back.”

I shook my head vehemently. “That’s not what happened. I only suggested we split up so I could lead the vampires away!”

A part of me agreed with Sienna. Gregory’s death was my fault. If I’d refused to go to the cave that night, they wouldn’t have gone without me. If I’d suggested going home after seeing the Night of Four Moons, they would’ve agreed. I’d played the what-if game too many times over the years.

“You. Left. Me,” Sienna repeated, emphasizing every word. Her eyes flitted around the empty hallway but never landed on anything, including me. “You tried to save yourself, and you never cared what happened to me or Gregory.”

My old friend didn’t seem quite as confident in her last statement, or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part.

Whatever the case, I risked a step toward her. “I didn’t leave you, Sienna. And I am so sorry about Gregory. More sorry than you can possibly know.” Another tentative step. “We all agreed on the plan—that I would lead them away from you, the cave, and Gregory. Remember us talking about it?”

Sienna’s scoff was so cold, the temperature in the hallway dropped several degrees. “You left him to die.”

We have two vastly different recollections of that night, I thought wearily.

“I left the cave first,” I began slowly, trying and failing to hold Sienna’s erratic gaze. Is she always like this? I wondered. “I was bleeding, Sienna. The blood drew their attention. The vampires were supposed to follow my scent away from the cave. And they did. I managed to kill one.”

Sienna rolled her eyes. “Oh, I know. That bonfire is the reason I got caught. What were you thinking, killing a vamp? They’re immortal and have very long memories. They hold grudges for an eternity.”

You’re telling me, I thought, recalling Mat’s dead stare as he murdered Queen Lilli. He hated me for killing his brother just as much as I hated him for stealing my freedom.

“I’m aware,” I snapped. “But if you’ll recall, I didn’t have a lot of options. It was him or us.”

Her stare could’ve sliced a diamond. “I paid for your magic show, Maybrie.”

“What do you mean?” I asked numbly.

Though I wanted to understand what logic she was using to make these assertions, I hated that a part of me was glad she refused to give specifics.

“Gregory died because of you,” Sienna repeated. “I was sold like a fucking horse to the Californian Kingdom because of you. And you…,” she sneered with disgust. “You went off and created a fairytale life in paradise with a caster!” Outrage and pain flashed in her light eyes.

The weight of her accusations was too great. I sank to my knees in the red silk gown that was supposed to make me exude confidence.

“I sacrificed myself to give you a chance,” I said. The words came out in a muffled choke as I struggled to swallow a sob.

“You sacrificed us. Gregory and me.” Sienna’s response left no room for arguments, no room for differing opinions. “That’s the choice you made.”

Though I’d often thought of how my heart would break when telling Kai the truth, I’d never understood the meaning of those words. My chest was struck with an intense pain. Breathing was suddenly a chore.

Was this really how she remembers that night? I wondered. Was I looking back with rose-colored glasses? No. Not possible, I told myself.

Though I’d long ago locked away memories of that night, I could recall every detail when I allowed myself to. Right down to the satisfaction I’d felt watching the vampire burn, the salty ocean breeze, the sheer terror that I would be caught, and the look in Mat’s eyes before he sank his fangs into my throat.

My brain tried to untangle Sienna’s twisted recollection of events but couldn’t. Then, I got angry. Climbing to my feet, I gave my former friend a venomous stare.

“Whatever you think did or did not happen that night, you have no idea what I’ve been through in the five years since,” I said coldly. “You don’t get to stand there and tell me that I sacrificed two people I loved like family to run off with a prince. Believe me, my life has not been a fairytale.”

She still refused to look me in the eye.

Lowering my voice, I continued in a less hostile tone. “I imagine that is something we have in common.”

“We have nothing in common.”

A blast of air slapped me across the face. Stunned, I stumbled backward. Sienna pushed past me.

“Sienna, wait!” I called after her. She slowed but didn’t turn, which I took as a good sign. “Listen to me, please.”

Sienna wasn’t the fae I remembered. If I could only get through to her, maybe she still could be. She turned and met my gaze over her shoulder.

“Do you honestly believe that I meant to hurt you? That I let the vampires catch you?” My tone was measured, the words coming out in a staccato beat.

Fat tears streamed down her cheeks, though her expression remained hateful. I stepped forward, naively believing we’d managed a breakthrough. When I reached to comfort Sienna, she leapt away as though my palms were aflame. But it wasn’t pain that registered in her shimmering eyes. It was disgust. Sienna was repulsed by my touch.

Her watery blue eyes held a terrifying promise of action to come. “You have no idea what you set in motion, do you?”

When she turned and fled, I let her go without protest. Her words were cryptic, the sort of empty threat people say when they don’t have a clever response. Nevertheless, I had a feeling that if those words held depth, I should decipher them sooner rather than later. Head hanging, I stared at the ground and tried to figure out how to handle this new development.

“Brie?”

I looked up to find Kai standing in the hallway. Harton and Kenoa were there, too, but hung back a respectful distance.

“I don’t want—”

“You don’t want to talk about it. I know.” He forced a smile. “I hate the timing of this, but the photographers need us for an official picture.”

Without a word of protest, I accepted the hand he offered.

In a whisper, Kai added, “I’m not going to let this one go easily.”

“I didn’t expect you to,” I muttered back.

The vultures were already circling the entrance when Kai and I returned to the party.

“Who’s your friend, Brie?” one paparazzo called.

“What were you two fighting about?” another demanded.

“Are you in a love triangle?” a third wanted to know. “Kai, who’s the other woman?”

Security shooed the gossip hounds back to let us pass. My hair was a mess, and my face had to be blotchy. Naturally, the cameras caught dozens of candid shots of me looking like a hot mess. My fears over my appearance were confirmed when Evine hurried forward and blanched.

“What have you been doing?” she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. This won’t do. Come with me.”

Before I could object to her manhandling, Evine whisked me from Kai and off to a powder room where attendants waited to fix me. I stared blankly ahead while my hair was brushed and restyled. More makeup was painted on my face. All the while, I kept hearing Sienna’s angry accusations in my head.

You left me. You sacrificed us. You’re the reason Gregory is dead.

It was all too much. The people hovering around me induced a bout of claustrophobia. Without warning, I leapt to my feet. The stylists protested. I needed some space, some air to clear my head.

“Please, Miss Maybrie, it will only be—”

“Not necessary. Thank you, though,” I added hastily, hurrying for the door without a glance in the mirror.

Evine was waiting in the hallway for me.

“Can I just have a minute to myself?” I asked almost pleadingly.

For an instant, I swore I detected sympathy in her gaze. “I am afraid we’re already behind schedule. There’s no time.”

“Right. Okay,” I muttered.

“Brie, this is part of the job. As the king’s official girlfriend, you do have certain obligations, even if they seem trivial to you,” Evine said gently, though there was a sternness to her tone that let me know she wasn’t messing around. “The king needs you right now.”

“You’re right.” I plastered on a fake smile. “I’m ready.”

For the next several hours, I played my role as royal consort perfectly. My cheeks hurt from all the smiling, and my head ached from the small talk. I met more royals, including the host city’s king and queen. They were as stuffy as the worst casters beneath our dome, treating me like invisible arm candy after initial introductions were out of the way. Instead of feeling affronted, I appreciated the fact I didn’t have to think about mundane conversation. Smiling like a fool, I stood there while Kai and King Ronald talked.

My mind was other places, my eyes constantly sweeping the crowd. I kept expecting to see Sienna again. Every time I caught a flash of long, blonde hair, I thought for sure she’d come back to the party. She never did. At least, I never saw her.

Probably for the best, I decided. A private showdown had been bad enough. If there was a confrontation inside the party, we would be a public spectacle.

After what seemed like days of socializing and glad handing, we finally said our goodnights and slipped out into the warm California night.

“You were perfect tonight,” Kai said with a tired smile.

Just the two of us were in the back of the SUV.

“You’re a bad liar,” I replied, staring out the window absently.

“I’m serious,” Kai protested. He intertwined his fingers with mine and squeezed gently. “No one could have known you were upset.”

“Small victory, I suppose,” I mumbled.

“I do not care if you think I am being pushy, we need to talk about what happened tonight with that girl. Sienna, right?”

Tears I’d been fighting all night filled my eyes, and a sob escaped my throat.

“She was with you the night you were taken?” Kai asked gently.

“I thought she got away,” I sniffled, wiping my nose with my free hand. When I couldn’t contain the words anymore, they burst from me with heavy sobs. “All this time, I thought she was free and living in Fae Canyon. At least, I had hoped. I had convinced myself that was the truth. It needed to be true. And Gregory…he’s dead. Dead! It’s all my fault, Kai. All of it.”

Gathering me in his arms, Kai made soft, soothing noises that did nothing to soothe me. Neither did his sentiments. “It is most certainly not your fault, Brie. I know you know that. Give Sienna time. She was probably just surprised to see you. I am sure she will come around.”

“You didn’t see her, Kai. She’s so pissed. She hates me.”

“Would you like for me to see what I can learn about her circumstances?” he offered. “Maybe I can facilitate an arranged meeting somewhere where you two can talk once the shock has worn off some?”

He was trying to help, a fact I greatly appreciated. Nonetheless, this was my problem. It was my issue to deal with if and when I was ready. I needed my own shock to fade before I could face Sienna again.

“I’ll let you know,” I told Kai.

Snuggling into him, I breathed in the slightly spicy scent of his cologne as he kissed the top of my messy hair. Kai’s tuxedo shirt was streaked with remnants of my foundation, sparkly eye makeup, and mascara, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“This is not over, Brie,” he muttered.

That’s what I’m afraid of, I thought.

Whether it was because I was ready or whether Kai intervened, I was certain that Sienna would be back. It was unclear if she’d purposefully bumped into me on the dance floor, but she definitely hadn’t been surprised to see me.

‘You have no idea what you set in motion, do you?’

Her words echoed through my mind, growing more ominous with every repetition.

Though I had no clue what she’d been talking about, I was determined to find out how I could stop that particular train before it wrecked.

Sorry Kai, I thought miserably. This is far from over.

Chapter Sixteen

Thanks to a strong cup of cinnamon tea, I was able to sleep that night. Not much, though—it was after midnight when I returned to the suite at Riggs Hotel and before sunrise when I woke. The bed felt cold and empty. It was weird how quickly sleeping beside Kai had become routine. I missed him. I missed the reassuring warmth of him beside me.

Get used to it, I told myself.

A lump formed in my throat. The window for telling him the truth was growing smaller with each passing day. At least, the window when I’d be able to tell him myself. I decided to take advantage of the king while I still could.

I’d given Botto my word to be good and sleep in my own bed. I’d also promised there would be no hanky-panky until the tournament was over. But I hadn’t made any promises about cuddling.

I slid from my bed and crept through the silent suite to Kai’s room. Crawling beneath the covers, I collapsed into his arms.

“Morning,” he mumbled groggily. “What time is it?”

I kissed his cheek and smoothed dark strands of hair back from his face. “Not time to get up. We have a few hours.”

He curled his body around mine.

I’m going to miss this, I thought, inhaling the scent of his evergreen bodywash that mixed with the salt of the ocean. The smell permeated his skin regardless of how many showers he took.

“Just promise me that if Botto catches us, you’ll tell him it was your idea.” Kai’s lips quirked into a smile, though his eyes never opened.

“Promise,” I swore.

Luckily, it was Kenoa who pounded on the king’s door several hours later. The water fae didn’t wait for an invitation and only blinked once when he realized Kai wasn’t alone in bed.

“Rise and shine, kids. Hands to shake, people to impress,” Kenoa called as he flipped on the lights. “Brie, Evine is on her way up,” he added before leaving.

As though ensuring we were fully awake, Kenoa closed the door loudly.

“Thanks for the warning!” I called after him. I gave Kai a quick peck on the lips. “Duty calls, I guess.”

I started to roll away, but he caught me around the waist and pulled me on top of him.

“Not so fast.” He grinned up at me. “I’m the king, remember? Evine can wait.”

“What about Botto?” I teased, as his hands slipped beneath my oversized shirt.

Kai’s touch was cool against my flushed skin. He trailed kisses along my shoulder and up the side of my neck until his lips found mine. In one swift move, he flipped me onto my back and pinned me beneath him. I laughed against his mouth, and he drew back panting. Desire laid heavy in his eyes.

“Even kings have to abide by the orders of a man like Botto,” he replied gravely. With that, Kai was off the bed and headed for the bathroom. “I would ask you to join me in the shower….”

He trailed off, leaving the invitation open. I sighed heavily as the water started running behind the closed bathroom door.

How are sexually frustrated and focused the same thing? I wondered.

Evine was rifling through my closet when I returned to my own bedroom. She’d already selected several options for that morning’s breakfast and seemed neither surprised nor bothered by my current lack of pants.

“I think you need a dress for this occasion. One of the sheaths would be best,” she said in lieu of a greeting. “You have worn red twice now. Let’s go with a more neutral color today.”

“Whatever you say,” I replied, waving a dismissive hand in her direction. Marching past her, I headed to the bathroom for a very cold shower.

“Flats, too, I think,” she continued, as though I hadn’t spoken. “Mr. Botto doesn’t want you standing out, and you are already tall.”

One hand on the bathroom door, I gave Evine a wry smile over my shoulder. “I’m one of, like, seven female fighters in this tournament. I could wear a bedsheet over my head, and I would still stand out.”

Evine scoffed. “Well, of course you would. What a ridiculous thing to say. The press would be all over you if you wore a bedsheet, Maybrie. Honestly.”

Someone woke up without her sense of humor, I thought.

“I’m good with whatever you decide, Evine,” I called. “I have no intention of arguing with you over my wardrobe today.”

True to my word, I didn’t even roll my eyes when I saw the basic ivory sheath and chocolate flats she selected. Evine had also taken the liberty of going through my jewelry box, and she’d set aside a simple gold bangle. I smiled as I clasped what was my first gift from Kai around my wrist. He’d given it to me to commemorate my one hundredth fight, long before our relationship had become something complex.

Harton escorted me downstairs to the banquet hall of Riggs Hotel for the Breakfast of Champions but melted into the background once we were safely inside. The royals, both native and visiting, were invited as a courtesy, but anyone else wishing to attend had to cough up a small fortune for a ticket. Again, I was a little surprised to see such a young, trendy crowd in attendance. In Hawaii, exclusive social gatherings were only attended by stodgy society families that liked to toast to their own greatness.

I found Botto almost immediately, talking with one of the only female trainers I’d seen thus far.

“Brie, meet Ablona. Ablona, meet my number one girl.”

I held out my hand to the were-bear. “Nice to meet you. How do you guys know each other?” I asked. Their body language suggested they weren’t new friends.

“Our mothers are from the same clan in Montana,” Ablona informed me, a big grin for Botto on her face. “I’m a local now, though. Been in L.A. for about twenty years.”

“Twenty years? How old were you when you were taken?” I asked bluntly. Realizing how rude I sounded, I tried to backpedal. “I just meant, you look so young.”

“I am, sort of. I’m twenty-six.” Ablona’s smile turned sad. “My mother and I came here seeking refuge after our clan was attacked. The only way they’d let us in was if we agreed to fight in the pits.”

“Ablona is the only woman in history to win the Interkingdom Championship,” Botto interjected.

“Wow,” I nodded appreciatively. “Impressive.”

The trainer shrugged off the compliment. “The way I understand it, my little club is about to double in size.”

Having neither eaten nor consumed a drop of caffeine, it took a minute for her words to sink in. She thought I was going to win the whole thing?

“Of course,” she smiled cheekily, “you’ll have to beat my guy first. I’m not just saying this because I’m his trainer. Andres is the one to beat.” Ablona scanned the room, presumably looking for her fighter. “I don’t see him, but you’ll know when you do.”

Okay….

“Ablona was just filling me in on what she’s heard about your vampire,” Botto explained.

“Yeah, not much to tell, I’m afraid.” Ablona rested her hands on shockingly ample hips. “He’s representing the Greek Isles, but I’m pretty sure he’s actually from Italy. He uses a stage name, Nico Suave. From what I understand, he’s only been fighting a few years. Still, I hear he’s very good. I’m not sure this last bit is actually true, but I hear he can still shift even though he’s vampire.”

I’d met casters turned vampires who could still perform magic, but never a shifter turned vamp still capable of taking on animal form.

“Awesome. I’m fighting the unicorn of shifter/vampire hybrids in the first round,” I grumbled.

Ablona placed a large hand on my shoulder, one side of her mouth sliding upward. “That’s intentional, darling. People aren’t even betting on the winner; most are putting money on whether or not you’ll incinerate him. Either way, a lot of bookies out there are loving you right now.”

“Just what I live for, to make other people money,” I groaned.

Over the next two hours, I met three more trainers. They all had some connection to Botto, including a were-tiger that had once fought in the Hawaiian Kingdom before buying out his contract and selling his trainer skills to the highest bidder. Despite all the interest from the coaches, only one fighter attempted to speak to me. Her name was Jasmine, an earth fae/caster hybrid who was born and raised in L.A.

“She’s one of King Ronald’s illegitimate daughters,” Botto added hurriedly as the woman sauntered toward us.

“How many does he have?” I asked. I barely moved my lips when asking the question, already smiling at the female fighter.

“Not sure.” Botto held a massive hand in the air and waved at Jasmine. “How are you, Jas?”

Jasmine wore a gauzy, two-piece outfit that showed off her defined abs. In a shade of turquoise that highlighted her aquamarine eyes, the ensemble was a riff on a business suit. She leaned in and gave Botto an air kiss on each cheek, careful to keep her magenta lip paint from transferring to him.

“You get better looking every time I see you,” Jasmine cooed, squeezing my trainer’s bicep to test the firmness.

“Same,” he replied with a pleasant smile.

Botto was a hard read; I couldn’t decide if he enjoyed Jasmine’s flirtations, or he was just being nice.

He cleared his throat. “Have you met Brie Hawkins yet?” he asked, gesturing to me.

Jasmine flashed blindingly white teeth. “I have not, but I won’t lie and act like I don’t know who you are.” To my surprise and horror, she hugged me. “We girls have to stick together, right?” She winked at me.

Unsure what to say, I simply smiled. My female friends were all pretty laid back. Even Sarah was low key, and she was the heir to her family’s kingdom. Jasmine was something entirely different. I didn’t know whether she was genuine or one of those mean girls common in human movies.

“I hear you’re fighting Nico Suave in the first round,” Jasmine continued brightly. “Careful—he’s a charmer.”

“If his charms are his best weapon, I’m not worried,” I said dryly.

Her laugh was like machine gun fire; short bursts in perfectly timed intervals. Jasmine tossed her shiny and perfectly curled hair behind one shoulder. “You’re funny. This one time, at a fight in Barcelona, there was a were-giraffe named Tia who slept with Nico before the tourney and then had to fight him. Not a good sitch, if you know what I mean. She lost horribly and couldn’t fight again for months.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to be an issue.” I caught Botto’s eye, and he shrugged.

“Oh, right. Of course not.” Jasmine rolled her eyes at her own supposed forgetfulness. “You’ve already found King Charming, haven’t you?”

This had been where the conversation was headed even before it started. Not wanting to play into the overt game, I made a noncommittal noise.

“Once upon a time, my father wanted to arrange a marriage for me with Kai,” Jasmine said breezily, tossing her hair again. She leaned closer as if to tell me a secret. “My father is King Ronald.”

How long have you been waiting to work that into the conversation?

“Should I be calling you ‘Your Highness?’” I asked innocently.

Botto stepped on my foot. Hard.

“I don’t have a formal title.” Jasmine’s shoulders tensed, but her response came out silky smooth. Her brilliant smile shifted back into place. “I suppose things have a way of working out for the best, don’t they? If I’d agreed to the match, Hawaii wouldn’t be about to have their first fae queen.”

“I would be queen, period,” I said coolly. “No fae title necessary.”

Botto’s hand clamped down on my shoulder, his fingers biting into my skin. I heard his voice inside my head, lecturing me for falling prey to this type of psychological warfare, a common mistake among unskilled fighters.

“Speaking of His Majesty….” Jasmine’s attention had shifted over my head, to something behind me. No, someone. She waved daintily, lips curved into a come-hither smile.

I felt Kai’s presence as he moved to stand behind me. The weight of his hand on my hip felt reassuring.

“Hello,” he said, looking down at me curiously.

Awkward silence followed. Since Jasmine said she’d nearly been engaged to Kai, I figured they knew each other. It never occurred to me to introduce them. Botto, too, appeared unclear on the right protocol, while Jasmine grinned at the king expectantly.

“Kai, you know King Ronald’s daughter, Jasmine?” I finally prompted.

His eyes narrowed for a split second, as though trying to place her face within his memories. I knew him well enough to know he didn’t recognize her, but Kai was too well versed in social etiquette to say so.

“Yes, of course. How are you, Jasmine?” he asked easily.

“Very well. Enjoying getting to know the future fae queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom.” The smile she offered me was conspiratorial, like we shared a secret.

“Speaking of my kingdom, duty calls. Brie?” The segue managed to sound perfectly natural, and I marveled at his people skills. “The reason I so rudely interrupted your conversation is that I wanted to let you know I am having lunch with Princess Nana of Indonesia. I wanted you to attend, but I’m afraid the only time she is available is during your practice session.”

Why did he want me there? I wondered.

With so many curious ears around, I didn’t dare ask. I didn’t want to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing that I was clueless.

“I’ll see you back at the suite before the dinner tonight?” I asked instead.

Tender affection warmed his dark eyes. “Hopefully before then.” He glanced up at Jasmine and Botto. “I apologize for the intrusion. If you will all excuse me? Jasmine, it was wonderful to see you. I am sure we will see each other again before the tournament is over.”

I used Kai’s exit as a lead-in for my own. Talking so fast that she wouldn’t have a chance to protest, I repeated the king’s final words almost verbatim. Then, I marched for one of the buffet tables with Botto on my heels.

My trainer selected an assortment of pancakes—one banana nut, one chocolate chip, two apple cinnamon, and one raspberry lemon—three types of bacon, a bowl of oatmeal, and a mini quiche that made my mouth water. I grudgingly ordered a pineapple and kale smoothie. We wandered the periphery of the crowded hall and chose a table that gave us a good vantage point for studying the other fighters.

Around bites of fluffy egg baked in an even fluffier pastry, Botto caught me up on all the gossip he’d learned since our arrival in L.A. Ablona’s fighter, Andres, was the one to beat according to just about everyone, even the bookies. Interestingly, Jasmine was heavily favored to make it to the finals.

“She’s that good?” I asked Botto doubtfully.

Man, I pegged her all wrong, I thought.

He shook his head. “She’s really not. Her opponents do have a tendency to have ‘off’ days when they face her, though. She’s a powerful caster said to have a fondness for emotional manipulation spells.”

I smiled. I hadn’t been wrong at all. “So, she seeks out her competition, starts chipping away at issues that clearly bother them, and then finishes them off in the arena with a spell that breaks them completely?”

Botto looked up as though considering my blunt analysis. “Yeah, that sums it up. My advice is to stay away. I wanted you to at least meet her, but you should keep your distance.”

“And this vamp-shifter hybrid, Nico Suave? Had you heard the rumor about his ability to still shift?”

Botto frowned. “Yeah. I didn’t say anything because his tactics won’t work on you.”

“Have you seen him yet, though?” I scanned the room, as though I would be able to easily spot the guy who called himself Nico Suave.

“Not that I know of.”

I sipped my smoothie and watched my competitors schmooze and pose for pictures with admiring fans.

“Who are all these exclusive guests?” I asked Botto, gesturing with my cup to the crowd.

My trainer raised his eyebrows. “Really? You don’t recognize any of them?”

“No, should I?”

I took a closer look at a couple sitting at the table beside ours. They were both fae, they were both shiny like newly polished gemstones, and they both wore very expensive designer labels. They were vaguely familiar in the generic way many conventionally beautiful people tended to be. Perfectly symmetrical features came together in faces that were likely shaped with a scalpel or magic.

“Well, those two are on that soapy drama with all the half-naked people doing mundane things,” Botto informed me.

Sadly, I knew exactly what he was talking about. “Cove of Redemption? Oh wow, that’s River Solomon and Wendy Lyse?”

“Please don’t fangirl on me,” Botto mumbled, looking around to see if anyone was paying attention to us.

“I’m not.” I waved my hand dismissively. “I’m just surprised. Are all these people celebrities?”

Botto nodded and did another scan of the immediate area. Satisfied that no one was listening, he said in a low voice, “Yeah. Instead of a place like Madame Noelani’s, pretty fae and shifters in L.A. are sent to Hollywood Academy. If they’re lucky, they become these folks.” He made a sweeping gesture meant to encompass the entire banquet hall. “The A-list. They’re treated a lot like fighters in the Hawaiian Kingdom, but slightly better since they are international celebrities. Well, some of them are.”

Interesting.

“Do they have contracts like we do?” I asked, genuinely curious.

Botto nodded. “Ridiculous ones from what I hear. The royal family only gives a very small percentage of their paychecks, so no one is ever able to earn out. Every time they get a salary increase, their expenses seem to increase proportionally.”

Gaia, I really don’t know anything about the other kingdoms, I realized. First Princess Edwina had shocked me with her description of life in the Alaskan royal family. Now Botto was telling me that L.A. captives were sent into a celebrity mill. What revelation was going to come next?

“Finish your smoothie,” Botto interrupted my mental musings. “There are some people I want you to meet before our practice session.”

I wrinkled my nose. “What people? I’m sort of over the whole socializing thing.”

My trainer grinned. “Don’t worry, they’re the kind of people that aren’t at this breakfast.”

Chapter Seventeen

Harton, Botto, and I rode together from Riggs Hotel to the gym in West Hollywood that was owned by Botto’s friends. Harton waited outside the gym after doing a sweep of the interior.

“What makes these guys so special?” I asked Botto once we were seated in a small, cluttered office, waiting for his friends to return with coffee.

“Harry fought for a while,” Botto began. “They called him the Vampire Slayer.”

“They did,” a deep voice agreed from the doorway. The man had a scar down one side of his face that gave him a hard, weathered appearance, but his eyes were warm when he smiled. “I wasn’t very good in general, but I did take down the biggest, meanest vamp who ever competed.”

Harry offered me a cup of steaming java, which I accepted gladly.

“Tye was better,” Harry continued, handing Botto a second mug.

The second man who joined us was taller and leaner than Harry. He had fine strands of pale-blonde hair that did little to hide the fact he was balding. His nose was flat, like it had been broken badly on more than one occasion and never set properly.

“I just lasted longer,” Tye corrected his friend, pushing things aside to lean against the desk. He gave me a lopsided grin. “I fought for three decades, and I never broke the century mark.”

While Botto’s friends were nice, I didn’t understand the point of our visit. On the way over, I’d been convinced he wanted me to check out the space in case I wanted additional private training. So far, we’d barely looked at the facility.

Take advantage of the downtime, I told myself. They just want to talk to you.

Harry and Tye asked me questions about my training regimen, specific fights of mine they’d either seen or read about, and if I had any pregame rituals. Tye chimed in with memories of his bigger fights, including a surprising loss to a were-donkey after a night of partying.

“Back then, in L.A. anyway, fighters were more performers than athletes,” he explained. “It was all about the show, so trainers didn’t care if you showed up drunk or on no sleep. As long as you went out and entertained the crowd, they didn’t bother you. They also thought we were disposable.” Tye pointed to his nose with two fingers, one on each hand, which was when I realized he was missing a total of five digits. “The casters didn’t fix us up all pretty when we got hurt like they do with you all now. Their attitude was the more scars, the better the show.”

Tye studied my unmarred skin and intact bone structure wistfully.

“They still think we’re disposable,” I said, memories of Tanner tightening my throat momentarily.

“She’s got you there,” Harry spoke up, crossing thick arms over his chest as he leaned against the office wall. “You also didn’t lose those fingers in a sanctioned fight, Tye.”

The shift in the room was palpable, even if I didn’t understand the reason. Harry’s tone had been light, teasing even, which meant it was his words that made all three men tense.

Looks like we’re about to get to the point of this visit, I thought.

The glances being exchanged between Botto and his friends started my pulse pounding and made my stomach flip. I suddenly wished Harton was with us.

“No, I bet one finger away in a game of craps,” Tye said finally. He winked at me, so I thought he was kidding. It was hard to decide. “The other four have names, though.”

This time, his even tone and demeanor left no doubt he was serious, I just didn’t understand what he meant.

“Two have the same name: Charlotte.” Tye studied my reaction. Since I was still confused, there wasn’t much for him to see. “She was a faeling taken from the Freelands in Northern Canada.”

Realization dawned. “You all are with the rebellion,” I said knowingly.

“Not quite,” Harry replied. “We do work with them, but we aren’t members exactly.”

“We’re more like hired mercenaries,” Tye added.

“You are hired mercenaries,” Botto corrected.

I sat back heavily in my chair, forgetting about the coffee in my hand and sloshing it all over my ivory dress. Harry tossed me a hand towel that had been sitting on the desk. Botto took my coffee mug and set it atop a stack of papers on the desk.

“Thanks,” I muttered, dabbing at the dark liquid already soaking into the light fabric. Giving up on the cause, I looked at Botto. “Are you one of these hired mercenaries?”

How much does he know about my involvement with the rebellion? I wondered nervously.

“I’ve been known to help out when and where I can,” my trainer said carefully.

“We heard you were known to do that as well, Brie,” Harry added pointedly.

My gazed darted from Harry to Tye and finally settled on Botto. “If you want to ask me something, just ask,” I said calmly.

My racing heartbeat was likely audible to all three men in the office, but I forced myself to hide my outward signs of panic. I wasn’t stupid, I understood the subtext. Still, I wanted one of them to say it. I wanted one of them to ask me directly.

“You were a member of the Hawaiian faction of the rebellion, right?” Harry asked. “Before the collapse of the dome?”

Damn. That happened a lot faster than I had anticipated.

Inhaling deeply through my nose, I blew the long breath out through my mouth and nodded slowly. A great weight lifted off me with the admission.

If only telling Kai could be this easy, I thought wistfully.

“I didn’t know about the dome or what Christina had planned for the luau,” I said quickly, still unsure of their intended endgame. Whatever it was, I wanted to make it very clear that killing casters wasn’t my style.

“We know,” Botto assured me.

That was almost too easy.

“How do you know?” I pressed. “Unless you’re more than an infrequent ally with the rebellion?”

Laughing in the face of my accusation was not the reaction I expected from Botto.

“I don’t have any insider knowledge, or whatever you’re thinking,” he said. “I know you had nothing to do with that batshit crazy plan to bring down the dome because I know you. You would never be part of a plan that included the murder of innocent people.”

I sagged into my chair. Botto didn’t need me to explain or defend myself. After the confrontation with Sienna, I’d been worried that maybe I didn’t know myself as well as I thought, that maybe my intentions weren’t always so good.

“I wouldn’t have,” I swore, even though I knew it wasn’t necessary. “I didn’t.”

Though I expected my promise to lighten the mood in the room, all three faces staring at me were impossibly dower. Adrenaline coursed through me as I steeled myself for bad news.

Botto cleared his throat. “I had suspected you were involved with Christina and her brood ever since you were dating Tanner. My suspicions were confirmed much more recently, though.”

My heart leapt into my throat. “Did Kenoa say something?”

With a reluctant nod, he confirmed my suspicions. “Kenoa wanted to make sure I knew that you were under suspicion of rebellious acts against the kingdom.”

Closing my eyes, I sucked in a deep breath as a stab of pain sliced through my heart. The situation was more perilous than I’d appreciated. My time was up. I had to tell Kai the instant I saw him next. There was no other choice if I didn’t want him to hear it from someone else.

“He only told me because he knew I’d be questioned,” Botto continued. “He said that if I chose to accompany you to L.A., and something happened, I would be implicated.”

I hadn’t even processed the first revelation, but he kept lobbing new information at me.

“Kenoa threatened you?” I asked after a beat.

Botto shook his head. “It was a heads up. Not a threat.”

Narrowing my eyes, I pressed for more. “What did you tell him?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Botto shrugged as if that said it all.

I supposed it did. Either he’d come along knowing that I was a member of the rebellion and not caring, or his faith in me had clouded his judgment, and he’d come to L.A. believing the best of me. Whichever it had been, his presence was the most blatant statement he could’ve made.

“Are you sorry you came?” I asked uncertainly.

“I came because of this, because of them. We all want to help you, Brie.” Botto searched my face for understanding he didn’t find.

Deep down, I knew what he was implying. Again, I wanted to hear him say it. That would make it real. He didn’t disappoint me.

“Rebelling against the crown is treason,” he continued. “The king can’t pardon it, and you’re not safe. Brie, you’re on borrowed time. They’re going to arrest you when we return from the trip. There are too many people who know at this point. It’s an inevitability.” He took a deep breath, his massive chest puffing out beneath his black polo shirt. “Which is why you can’t go back to Hawaii.”

“That’s where we come in.” Harry pointed to himself and Tye. “The rebellion does mostly mass extractions, but we specialize in smuggling one person out at a time. We can get you to the Freelands.”

Are we really discussing this?

I could barely catch my breath. It wasn’t that I hadn’t considered running on my own. Hearing someone else suggest it made my situation more real, though. A part of me hadn’t really believed I would ever reach the actuality of this happening. I had hoped but not believed.

“Why are you willing to help me?” I asked, stalling for time while my brain debated my next move.

Harry and Tye exchanged looks, but it was Botto who spoke. “You are already a force throughout the kingdoms. You’re a badass fae who’s poised to be the next queen of a caster kingdom. And not a ‘fae queen’ like a surprising number of kingdoms allow, but just a queen. People either love or hate you. Your arrest will be world news.” My trainer leaned in and locked gazes with me. “And you will be arrested.”

No. No. No. I let my head fall as my hand rose to pinch the bridge of my nose. You were a fool to believe this would end any differently.

“If Kai finds a way to save you from execution, the backlash will be outrageous. If he doesn’t intervene, the backlash will be outrageous. If you disappear…your crimes will vanish along with you,” Botto finished softly.

If only that were really true.

“We are helping you because it is best for mankind at this time,” Harry added with a sad smile. “Open rebellion will come one day, but your execution does not need to be the catalyst.” He winked at me. “Plus, we hear you can afford our fee.”

I blinked. Seriously? They were soliciting me because I was rich?

“He’s kidding,” Botto assured me. “These two don’t work for payment, at least not in the traditional sense.”

Um, what does that mean?

“Think about it,” Tye told me. His face was stern as he continued with a grave warning. “Not for too long, though. There’s a lot of planning that goes into moving a high-end product like yourself.”

Is that a compliment?
It doesn’t matter. Focus. This is serious. They are offering to save your life. As an added bonus, you’ll also be free again. It’s not a bad deal….

Why did the offer sound almost too good to be true? I didn’t believe in white knights, so the fact these two—well, three including Botto—had appeared in my hour of need was troublesome.

You’re paranoid, I thought. I looked to the man I trusted more than most people in my life. Would he betray me? I wondered.

A month ago, I wouldn’t have asked myself such ridiculous questions. That was before Christina had used me and then left me to clean up her enormous mess. Before Kenoa issued his ultimatum and demanded that I tell Kai the truth.

On the flip side, was I really in any position to turn away a helping hand? I’d thought getting captured and/or dying for my friends was noble in some way. Maybe that was selfish of me, just as Sienna claimed. Maybe I should have fled instead of running right into a fight. Maybe if I hadn’t decided to play hero, I would have reached Fae Canyon in time to send help for Sienna and Gregory and all the others who’d already been caught.

If I stayed, this fight wouldn’t be literal. And yet, my life would be at stake. If I stayed, Kai would have to decide between my life and his kingdom. With tensions so high already, my arrest might be all the spark necessary for full-scale revolt; Botto was right about that.

If I ran, would my crimes ever come to light? Knowing Kai’s advisors, they’d keep the truth hidden to save face. With me gone, there would be no reason to press the issue. I would slowly fade from the public’s interest after the royal family released a public explanation about my absence at the king’s side. Eventually, I would be nothing more than a footnote in history, merely the fae fighter that Kai dated briefly before his marriage to some caster princess from another kingdom.

“I’ll let you all know soon,” I said finally. “First, there’s something I need to do.”

Chapter Eighteen

My training session passed in a haze. Botto yelled at least a dozen times that my lack of focus was going to get me killed. How was I expected to concentrate on throwing fireballs at moving objects after he’d just taken me to a secret meeting with two fae-smuggling mercenaries? Couldn’t a girl get a break?

“Look, I know you have a lot going on inside there.” Botto stood inches from me and tapped the side of my head as I gulped water at the end of practice. “But you have to win tomorrow, Brie. Once you’re eliminated, you will immediately be on an airship back to Hawaii before we have time to extract you. Getting you out of Hawaii, even before an actual arrest goes down, will be damn near impossible. After a warrant is issued?” He frowned. “Forget it.”

“I get that,” I snapped, taking out my fear and heartbreak on the one person who didn’t need an explanation for my crappy behavior.

“Whatever it is you need to do before you make a decision, do it today.” Botto’s voice was firm, though not without empathy. “That should help clear your head. After you win tomorrow, give us your answer. Then, all you have to do is stay in this competition until the guys can finalize plans to get you out of L.A.”

“How long is that?” I asked uneasily.

“Until you’re crowned the winner.”

Oh, that’s all? I thought wryly.

That afternoon, I returned to the suite at Riggs Hotel. Sitting alone, I stared out the window and practiced the speech I would give Kai the moment he walked through the door. Evine came by three times to inquire about my outfit for the evening’s dinner at Calypso Palace. Much to her annoyance, I shooed her away each time.

How was I supposed to tell her I wouldn’t be going to the palace that evening with Kai? No matter her agenda, I had to tell the king about my secret before we left for the evening. In case Kai decided to throw me in jail and this was my last opportunity to be clean for a while, I took a long, luxurious shower.

I was still in my bathrobe, hair slightly damp and very frizzy, when Kai finally showed up twenty minutes before our scheduled departure time. I was on my feet in a flash, the words I’d practiced on the tip of my tongue. Then…his smile lit up the dark suite with a warm glow of exuberance I desperately needed.

“A hundred apologies, Brie,” he said quickly. “The meeting with Princess Nana went better than I could have hoped. I cannot wait for you to meet her tonight.” He flipped the light switch on, concern instantly replacing the glee. “You aren’t dressed for dinner. Is everything okay? Is Sarah okay?”

“Your sister is fine,” I said quickly. “As far as I know, anyway. I haven’t talked to her or anything, but I haven’t been told there’s anything wrong.” Words tumbled out, my voice squeaky, as if I’d been caught in a lie during intense interrogation.

Kai moved to stand in front of me and placed a hand on my arm. “You are scaring me, Brie.”

Join the club, I thought, because I was terrified.

No opponent had ever seemed so daunting as the truth.

“We need to talk,” I said. That brilliant opening line wasn’t exactly the one I’d spent the last several hours deciding on.

At first, he looked relieved. Almost happy.

He thinks I’m about to confide in him about Sienna, I realized.

The decision to plunge forward was painful and yet, instantaneous.

“About the luau and your mother’s death.” His expression hardened to stone even before I added the words that would seal my fate. “And the rebellion.”

Kai dropped his hand, like touching me was suddenly the last thing he wanted to do. He backed up several paces, and his expression turned cold. The king gave no verbal response. He didn’t ask any questions. He waited silently for me to go on, for me to enumerate my crimes for him.

Start at the beginning.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Then, vowing to plunge forward without a filter, I began my story.

“I joined the rebellion because I was angry about what happened to me,” I told him. “To be honest, I am angry. It’s not right to kidnap people to use as battery sources for your dome. I don’t care if we are just ‘lowly fae,’ we’re people.”

Every muscle in Kai’s body was rigid. His jaw was clenched so tightly that his back teeth ground together.

“I didn’t know anything about the fact you needed us until recently,” I continued and shrugged. “Casters can’t survive without us, yet you all treat us like we’re nothing. Does that seem right to you?” I didn’t wait for an answer, which was good because I doubted Kai would have given me one. “After spending time helping fae who were in far worse situations than mine, I started to believe more than ever in the importance of ferrying people back to the Freelands. That was my goal, always; to help fae return to their previous lives. I thought it was the rebellion’s goal, too. I was wrong.”

Kai held my gaze for several long moments before turning his back to me and going over to the mini bar. Aside from wine with dinner, the king rarely drank. The two large tumblers of booze that he downed in rapid succession were much more telling than his blank expression.

“I didn’t know Christina and the vampires were targeting tentpole casters until right before the luau,” I pressed. “She swore to me that the depletions weren’t the work of our organization.”

When I’d rehearsed this speech, I’d imagined Kai would be an active participant. His silence threw me off. I couldn’t tell whether he was angry or hurt or…disgusted. I watched him pour a third drink.

He swallowed the contents in one gulp, set the glass on the bar, and finally asked, “Why are you telling me this now?”

Not on my list of possible responses.

I pulled the halves of my robe tighter. “I think you know the answer to that.”

“My advisors were right about you all along.” He shook his head ruefully, hands on his hips. Kai’s voice was cold, without a single trace of his former affection for me. “You made a fool of me.”

I wished Kai would have just yelled. I could have handled that. The disappointment in his eyes broke my heart.

“That was never my intention. I swear.”

“What was your intention?” he countered.

The whole truth, Brie. He deserves it.

“When the rebellion learned you asked me on a date, they tasked me with figuring out how much your family knew about our organization,” I admitted.

“You’ve been spying on me since our first date.” It wasn’t a question, so I didn’t give him an answer. “Now that you’ve decided to tell me the truth, it’s because you fear my advisors are close to finding proof of your misdeeds? I can only assume you are hoping I will intervene on your behalf. You want me to save you.”

His deadpan tone was a shot through the heart.

I looked down at the ground and swallowed around the lump in my throat. “No, I don’t. I’m telling you now because I have always wanted you to hear the truth from me. Believe it or not, I fell in love with you.”

The last part was an impulse declaration, but I wanted him to know that as truth. I didn’t want Kai to spend the rest of his life believing our entire relationship was a sham. I’d fallen for him the same way that any tragic love story would’ve gone down; it was never going to end well, but that didn’t make our feelings for each other any less real.

Kai’s smile was humorless. “I wish I could believe you. I really do. At least then I wouldn’t waste time dwelling on how I missed all the signs.”

Jumping to attention, I exploited the small crack in his armor. “You can believe me.”

“The woman who killed my mother? No, I could never believe the word of that person.”

Arguing that I technically didn’t kill Queen Lilli seemed like a tactical error. Kai’s temper was too controlled. One wrong word, and he was likely to explode.

“I didn’t know what Christina and the vampires had planned,” I repeated for lack of something better to say.

“Ignorance isn’t the same as innocence,” Kai said flatly.

There were so many thoughts running through my head, but only one mattered in that moment. “What happens now?” I asked him in the most confident tone I could muster.

My fate hung in the air between us. His impassive expression never changed. The barrier he’d built around his emotions was impenetrable.

“Do your hair and your makeup, and then put on a nice dress,” Kai instructed. His tone was like a military commander, and it immediately threw me off-kilter.

“You still want me to come with you to the palace?” I asked uncertainly. Though it should have been a positive sign, the invitation didn’t feel that way.

“Yes, we are going to pretend our relationship is fine until I decide the best course of action to move forward.” He leveled me with a look that made me feel about six inches tall. “You are very good at pretending; the last several weeks have proven that much.”

What would he have done if I refused? I honestly didn’t know. That wasn’t why I agreed without protest. I agreed because I felt I owed it to him. If this was the way he wanted to deal with my betrayal for now, I would go along. The longer Kai held off on making a decision, the longer Botto’s friends had to orchestrate an extraction. With the truth out in the open, running seemed like the obvious choice. The only choice.

“I’ll get ready,” I promised.

Cassie’s selections for the evening all seemed too risqué, too much like I’d stand out. Luckily, I had thrown in a simple, black evening gown from a society party I’d attended with Tanner. The dress was silk, floor-length, and off the shoulder. It was older but still in good condition. Strappy black heels gave me a few extra inches of height that I didn’t need. My makeup was heavier than usual, though only to cover my blotchy, red skin that betrayed my anxiety.

Bland, I thought, staring at my reflection in the trifold mirror in my bedroom. It’s a safe choice. Perfect.

I had yet to cry. It was likely that I was too numb for it, or that Kai’s lack of reaction was so unanticipated, I didn’t know how to feel. At any minute, an army could bust in and arrest me. Or Kai could bust in and say he understood my position. I wanted him to say that he could forgive me. Until the king decided how to handle this betrayal, both possibilities existed. I was in limbo, and it was torture; all my senses were in overdrive.

The gold bangle Kai had given me before we started dating was sitting on my vanity. The shiny gold surface caught my eye in the mirror. Maybe it was manipulative to wear a piece of jewelry he gave me as a reminder of the good days, but my moral bar was on the lower end when it came to extending my own life. Very little was beneath me. I slipped on the bracelet. Two spritzes of rose perfume later, I was ready to go.

Kai was waiting for me in the main room of the suite, looking through his phone. Even when I entered, he didn’t look up. Given his responsiveness in the past, it was an unsubtle ‘fuck you.’

“Ready?” he asked curtly, his eyes still on his phone.

“Yes,” I replied calmly.

Standing, he headed for the door. Much to my surprise, he held it open for me.

“Thank you,” I told him.

As I passed, Kai noticed the bangle on my arm. His hand darted out and closed around my wrist. I froze, positive that he was about to rip the gift from my arm. His touch was surprisingly gentle, sending me for another loop-de-loop.

“That is the second time you’ve worn it on this trip.” Kai stroked the shiny metal with one finger, his eyes a million miles away.

Something passed between us in the precious milliseconds that followed. My breath caught, wishing against all reason that it might be what I wanted to see.

All hope isn’t lost.

Kai felt the power of our memory, too. No matter his unspoken cues, I was certain of it. The moment ended too quickly, with Kai practically thrusting my arm away.

“It is very beautiful,” he said stiffly.

“Thank you.”

Desperate to spare us any further awkward conversation, I hurried ahead to walk with Harton while Kai hung back and spoke to Kenoa. I kept one ear on their conversation, but it didn’t pertain to me.

That’s going to be an ugly discussion, I thought. When Kai told Kenoa about my betrayal, would Kenoa admit that he’d already known? Would that drive a wedge between the two men?

Just another crime for my rap sheet, I assured myself bitterly.

“Feeling better?” Harton asked as he stepped into the suite’s private elevator.

The small elevator was already packed; between Kai’s security and that provided by King Ronald as a courtesy for the evening, there were a lot of ears listening.

“Much better, thanks,” I lied smoothly.

I hadn’t thought to ask what excuse Kai gave for my lateness, but illness made sense as an absolute pretext without further explanation.

Three SUVs were parked out back of Riggs Hotel. Kai and I were riding in the middle one with guard vehicles both in the front and the rear. It was overkill in terms of security in my opinion, but the showing was more politically motivated than anything else. Kai was a foreign king, and many monarchs were distrustful of their counterparts. That fact was more evident among those who ruled the Kingdoms of the Americas; territory wars had fallen out of fashion a generation before, but they were still a great fear of many.

Kenoa rode with us, which somehow made the situation both more and less awkward. The two men talked about several of the night’s guests, and I was surprised to learn that three other fighters would be in attendance.

Kenoa attempted to include me in the conversation, but he couldn’t get Kai and I to say much to each other. The water fae eyed the two of us suspiciously. I knew the moment he realized what had gone down. My mouth suddenly dry as sand, I met Kenoa’s pointed gaze and nodded once. He gave no indication that he received my unspoken message, but I knew him well enough to know that he understood. I’d affirmed that both his greatest wish and greatest fear had come to fruition. There was no more denying any of it.

The rest of the car trip passed in silence. It was the silence of admissions. It was the weighted silence that came with the buoyant air of confessing things that should never see the light of day. It was, purely speaking, the silence of truth. We were holding our breaths for the future gravity that would eventually land in our laps. We were fucked.

In honor of the evening’s affair, Calypso Palace was lit up for all of L.A. to see. Most attendees were royals or high-ranking members of world governments. There were a few Hollywood celebrities; only the crème of the crop for an official royal function. Honestly, I hadn’t expected any famous faces, so the fact there were any was interesting. The Hollywood set hadn’t even accounted into my anxiety over the situations that I’d anticipated in Los Angeles. In that moment, I was thrilled that I hadn’t considered the levels of celebrities that I’d be mixing with; everything else about the meetings was overwhelming enough without those thoughts.

Nonetheless, I was painfully aware of the actress who stepped into the small elevator with us. When we arrived in the lobby, everyone climbed aboard escalators that lead to beautifully landscaped indoor areas. We followed suit, as if we knew where we were going, but the fact we were lost must have been evident. We were quickly engaged by the charismatic smile of the actress. She’d been the star of a movie I’d loved since I was a ten-year-old. Much to my chagrin, the others in my party hadn’t noticed her until she offered to guide our party to the designated meeting spot.

“You’re looking for the garden?” she asked nonchalantly.

“Um, um…shark.” Kenoa replied, as smitten as a ten-year-old at a teen choice award.

“Take that hallway there, through the parlor,” she offered. “The garden is just past the sitting room.”

Instead of fawning over her, I tried to play it as low-key as she was. “Thank you for giving us directions. Have a great evening.”

Kai and I made our formal entrance along a blue carpet that had been rolled down the white, wide steps leading into the garden. We posed for the cameras, smiling and laughing like we were in love. The charade made my stomach hurt, though not nearly as much as when Kai dropped the pretenses. As we stepped off the carpet, we waited in silence in the receiving line for formal greetings to the king and queen.

“Your Majesty, Brie, it is wonderful to see you both.” Princess Edwina appeared behind us in line. She wore a cerulean gown that highlighted the blue strands in her black hair, worn in loose waves around her shoulders. Tonight’s tiara was a delicate lattice design made of thin platinum strands with a large sapphire front and center.

Kai flipped on the breezy smile. “You as well, princess. Are you alone this evening?”

Before she could answer, a handsome caster in a crimson tux with rubies on the lapel appeared beside the princess. He and Kai exchanged a manly hug.

“Kenneth, how are you?” Kai asked the caster, genuinely excited to see his friend.

“Can’t complain.” Kenneth replied. He grinned broadly, revealing twin dimples. Then, his face fell. “I am so sorry to hear about your mother. Really, she was a good woman.”

Kai’s jaw tightened as he nodded graciously. “Thank you.”

“And this must be the famous Maybrie Hawkins.” Kenneth turned his sparkling silver eyes my way and held out a hand. “I’m Kenneth Renard. It’s nice to meet you.”

Once introductions were out of the way, I let the other three talk amongst themselves while I pretended to listen. Edwina tried to catch my eye a few times. She knew something was off between Kai and me. Friendly as she seemed, I had no interest in spilling my treasonous secrets to the Alaskan Princess.

Finally, it was our turn to greet the Californian royal family. Kai and King Ronald exchanged light small talk before he moved on to Queen Katherine. An aid gestured me forward. I stepped in front of the king and curtsied.

“It is nice that you were able to attend,” King Ronald said formally. “On behalf of the kingdom, welcome to Calypso Palace.”

Evine had given me a list of acceptable, benign comments to make when introduced to important people. I went with the first one that popped into my head.

“You have a beautiful home, Your Majesty.”

It wouldn’t have mattered if I’d said ‘I’m about to hurl on your shoes,’ because King Ronald didn’t hear me. His focus was already on Kenneth Renard, who the king greeted like an old friend.

Who is this guy?

Queen Katherine was slightly more talkative, if only because Prince Gavin and Kai were chattering away like ladies at tea.

“Have you seen many palaces, dear?” the queen asked when I told her she had a lovely home.

“Just Iolani Palace,” I replied sweetly.

“Ah, yes. I am to understand you are already living with the king. How lovely for you.” It looked like it took a lot of effort to keep her lips from forming a snarl.

Trading barbs wasn’t my strong suit, and I didn’t want to make waves for Kai. Instead of replying, I said nothing until Kai finally moved on to Prince Eduardo, and I was free to leave the queen.

“Best of luck tomorrow, Maybrie.” Queen Katherine’s smile was almost genuine.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I curtsied one more time and hurried onward.

Prince Gavin was just as talkative with me as he had been with Kai.

“Have you had a chance to tour the studios?” he asked me.

“Afraid not.” I shrugged. “I’ve been pretty busy with functions and practices.”

“Well, the studios are a must see.” Gavin clapped his hands, a spark in his light eyes. “I will arrange a private tour for you and Kai.”

“Oh, no.” I shook my head. “That is a very sweet offer, but I—”

The prince shook his head emphatically. “It is no trouble,” he said, speaking over my protests. “I will have the details sent along to your aid as soon as I have them.”

Yeah, because Kai’s going to love spending the day with me, I thought wryly. Still, I smiled and thanked Prince Gavin for his hospitality.

Prince Eduardo was just as bad as Sarah had suggested. There was a smarmy quality to him that made me feel like I needed to shower after his eyes raked me from head to toe.

“You are a very beautiful fae,” he said, eyes glued to the hint of cleavage I had exposed.

I wrapped my shawl tighter around my shoulders, making sure to cover my chest completely. He spoke like he was talking to a racehorse, telling the thoroughbred that she was a magnificent example of her species.

Tonight is about Kai. Don’t screw it up for him, I told myself, putting on my fake smile.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” I said politely.

“I would love to have you and Kai for dinner. We can celebrate my engagement.” He winked at me. “Of course, until I walk down the aisle, I am a free man.”

Gaia, help me, I thought.

Kai must have heard our conversation, because he turned from the second oldest of King Ronald and Queen Katherine’s children. He slipped an arm around my shoulders, though his touch held no warmth.

“Let us not get ahead of ourselves,” he told Prince Eduardo. “Remember, my sister is also my heir. The matter of her marriage has become a different conversation than it was in the past.”

Eduardo eyed me with his lecherous gaze. “I’m sure you’ll have a little prince or princess of your own soon enough.”

Kai’s grip became almost painful, though I didn’t pull away.

Grin and bear it, I told myself.

“Your father and I have yet to reach an agreement.” With that, Kai steered me away from Prince Eduardo.

The prince and I exchanged formal introductions, and then I moved on to the final member of the royal family, Princess Marilyn. She was stunning, easily one of the most beautiful women I’d ever met. Her plum-colored gown made her blue eyes appear almost purple. Straight, white teeth peeked out from behind glossy pink lips when she smiled. I curtsied per protocol, but the princess offered me her hand.

“I have been a fan of yours since I saw you fight that—forgive me, I am not sure the correct terminology. He was a fae that teleported around the arena.”

Tanner, I realized, my bruised heart squeezing impossibly tighter. She saw my one and only fight against my boyfriend.

“They’re called dimensional fae,” I told her politely.

The princess’s grin widened. “Yes, of course. That was a fight for the ages. You have been my favorite ever since. In fact,” she leaned closer as though to tell me a secret. “I am on the selection committee for the Interkingdom Championship, and you were my number one choice.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I matched her huge smile. “Thank you. It was wonderful to meet you,” I told Marilyn and moved out of the way.

Kai was waiting for me at the end of the receiving line, hands folded behind his back. He said nothing as I approached, though he did place a hand on the small of my back to guide me through the crowded space.

Cocktail hour was held in another sprawling parlor. Three bars were set up in addition to servers walking around with trays of champagne and an assortment of wines. Kai grabbed two crystal flutes from a passing waiter and handed one to me.

“Thank you,” I said with a shy smile.

He glanced down, lips parting into a broad smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

When I saw Princess Edwina and Kenneth approaching, I waved to make sure they didn’t detour on their way over. I needed something or someone to break up the undeniable tension between Kai and me. The princess and her date were both great conversationalists, easily switching from one topic to the next as we all sipped our drinks.

Kai had told me to pretend, so that was what I did. I smiled as I told stories about my time spent on the Hawaiian beaches with Cala and Rocko and Everly. Talking about Everly made my gut clench. I still needed to make things right with her.

Will I get a chance to do that now? I wondered.

I’d be lucky if I saw any of my friends again. If I accepted Botto’s offer, I wouldn’t be returning to Hawaii. Ever. It was a sobering thought. Until that moment, my only consideration had been myself and what was best for me. If I returned to Oahu, to the Hawaiian Kingdom, I would be executed for treason. Sure, Kai’s council would give me a trial, but we all knew I would be found guilty. My confessions to Kai and Kenoa were proof enough that I had conspired with members of the rebellion. My own words would seal my fate.

Running is my only option. I will never see Cala or Everly or Sumi or Rocko or Jon or anyone else again.

“I spoke with your assistant—Evine, is it?”

Caught up in my own head, it took a minute for Princess Edwina’s words to break through the depressing thoughts.

“Um, yes, Evine,” I said finally.

The princess narrowed her eyes but didn’t acknowledge my delayed response. “She said you have tomorrow afternoon free, after your fight. She put me on your schedule for a girls’ outing. I hope that’s okay?”

Kai stood next me, close but not quite touching. He and Kenneth were talking about some polo match they’d both attended in Monaco. I placed a hand on his arm to get his attention. Normally, I wouldn’t have asked his permission to hang out with whomever I pleased. Well, I wouldn’t have before...

“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” I began, giving both guys my fakest winning smile. Attention on Kai, I continued, “Princess Edwina has invited me for a girls’ afternoon tomorrow.” I looked at him expectantly, unable to bring myself to flat-out ask for his approval.

The king slid an arm around my waist, resting a hand on my hip lightly, as though the silk was uncomfortable to the touch.

Don’t kid yourself, it’s you. He doesn’t want to touch you, I reminded myself.

Kai’s dark gaze darted between Princess Edwina and me. “May I ask where it is you plan to take Brie?” he asked the Alaskan royal.

“The haunted studio tour.” Edwina grinned at both of us. “As I told Brie, it is my favorite L.A. attraction.”

What’s with the studio tours? I wondered. Both Edwina and Prince Gavin were emphatic that of all the things to do in Los Angeles, the studio tours were a must see.

Kai looked down at me, eyes flat and emotionless. The princess glanced between us uneasily.

Stellar job at pretending, I thought dryly.

The king continued his silence as he gave me that dead-eyed smile that made my insides wriggle. When I didn’t speak immediately, Kai arched an eyebrow, prompting me to say the words that stuck to the roof of my mouth like peanut butter.

“Would it be alright if I went?” I managed, only choking a little on the question.

Kai didn’t miss a beat. “Of course. I will make sure Kenoa is available to accompany you.”

I swallowed thickly. “What about Harton?”

“Yes, Harton will serve in his regular capacity as your bodyguard.” The smile he gave Edwina and Kenneth was carefree, as if all was bright and beautiful in the world. “You cannot be too careful in a foreign territory.”

The princess laughed. “I have three that shadow me at all times when I am traveling.” Her gaze cut to the perimeter of the room, where men and women in black suits stood against the wall, trying and failing to blend in.

I spied Harton talking to a pretty female shifter, both bodyguards careful to keep one eye on the room and one eye on each other.

“Your guys will have good company,” Edwina added.

Bells chimed three times, which apparently signaled dinner. Instead of going inside the formal dining room, ushers had us line up outside the double doors. King Ronald and Queen Katherine were at the head of the line, with their four children and their dates directly behind them. Because Kai was a king, we were directly behind the California princes and princess. Interestingly, Edwina and Kenneth were placed behind Kai and me.

Who is this guy? I wondered yet again. Because Princess Edwina was fairly low in the Alaskan royal line of succession, it had to be Kenneth who ranked above the handful of foreign monarchs.

Kai and I walked side by side through the double doors. An usher greeted us with a formal bow and showed us to our seats for dinner. Surprisingly, we weren’t seated together. Kai was to sit near the head of the massive table with King Ronald, while I was placed near the middle.

Kai grabbed my hand as I turned to follow the usher to my assigned seat. The fake smile he’d been wearing like armor all night fell into place. “Polite conversation only,” he muttered under his breath. “And I need you to try harder. I saw the way Edwina was watching us. She knows there is something wrong. She will not gossip, but others will if they grow suspicious.”

For the briefest of moments, the barrier he’d put up to keep his emotions in check slipped away. Pain shone in his obsidian eyes. A fist squeezed my heart. My breath hitched. Catching even that small glimpse into Kai’s psyche and knowing I was the cause of his sorrow was so much worse than his emotionless stare.

I nodded and forced a smile since more and more people were being ushered inside the dining hall. The young male fae who’d shown us inside was still waiting for me to follow him to my designated chair.

“I got this,” I promised Kai, gently pulling free of his grip.

All emotion had vanished from his expression; that dazzling but counterfeit smile was back in place. “Make sure that you do.”

It’s a little hard to pretend our relationship is perfect when my life is hanging in the balance.

The retort was on the tip of my tongue, but that was where it stayed.

I stood behind my assigned seat and kept my eyes forward, watching the parade of important people march inside. I didn’t have to wait long to learn my dinner companions. On one side of me was Jasmine, and on the other was Wendy Lyse from Cove of Redemption.

Gaia, save me, I thought.

Once all one hundred invitees were assembled around the long table, King Ronald cleared his throat loudly. The table quieted. “Thank you all for joining us tonight,” the king began in a booming voice that echoed off the high ceilings. “On behalf of Queen Katherine and myself, welcome to Calypso Palace.”

Beside King Ronald, the queen beamed. She wore too much makeup, I decided. I had a feeling she was rather plain beneath all the powders and eye shadows and lipstick. I watched the queen carefully as her husband gave a long, rambling speech about the importance of comradery between royals in these trying times. Queen Katherine projected confidence and poise, yet there were slight tells that belied her almost perfectly crafted persona. She held her hands loosely in front of her as she focused her attention on her husband, but one of her thumbs kept moving like she was scratching her nail across the opposite palm. Twice, her cheek twitched.

A nervous tick? Maybe she’s chewing the inside of her cheek.

“In the past year, over a dozen kingdoms throughout the world have quashed rebellions,” King Ronald was saying when I tuned in to his mind-numbing speech.

Maybe I should have paid more attention, I thought, my ears perking up at the mention of rebellions across the globe.

“These ne'er-do-wells threaten our way of life,” the king continued, his voice growing stronger and louder. He gestured to Kai. “Only last month, rebels managed to bring down the dome in the Hawaiian Kingdom and assassinate the sitting monarch. We cannot allow this type of behavior. As the rebel movement grows stronger, so must we. We, the leaders of the world, need to maintain good relations and form stronger bonds between our kingdoms so that we may stomp out these miscreants who wish nothing more than for the world to descend into chaos.”

I took great offense at his terminology. And chaos? No, that was not the rebellion’s goal. The movement was—or, at least had been when I joined—fae and shifter freedom. We wanted to end the casters’ tyrannical reigns. And now that we knew fae magic powered the domes, we had leverage.

We? I reminded myself. You have nothing.

“This evening, we have a variety of guests from all walks of life,” King Ronald went on. “But we all have one important thing in common: we are the people others look to in times of crisis. We must put on a united front. We must make it clear that insurgents will not be tolerated beneath our domes. We must spread the message that those individuals choosing to rebel against the governments that have housed, clothed, and fed them—not to mention saved them from the frozen wastelands—will be dispatched.”

My heart was in my throat and my stomach was somewhere around my ankles. The timing of King Ronald’s diatribe was uncanny. Though, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised. The rebellion had been gaining steam in many areas, according to Christina. A dinner with royals, government officials, and celebrities who others followed without question, was the perfect opportunity for the Californian King to demand unity among the rulers and tastemakers of the world.

“In my kingdom,” King Ronald said as he scanned the long table, “we do not tolerate treason. It is a capital offense, a crime that deserves swift justice.” He paused to let his words sink in before he dropped the other shoe. “We currently have three members of the rebellion in our dungeons.”

My stomach heaved, and I had to swallow back the bile rising in my throat. I knew where this was going. It was the same place my treasonous acts would take me if I returned to the Hawaiian Kingdom. I wanted to cover my ears so I wouldn’t have to hear the end of the king’s speech.

“Each traitor will meet their fate publicly during the Interkingdom Championship,” the king finished triumphantly. As if this were great news, he raised his wine glass in toast.

All those around me raised their wine glasses, too. I wasn’t supposed to make waves. And yet, I refused to reach for my own glass of white wine. I would not toast to the execution of rebels. I wouldn’t toast to the execution of anyone. The very thought made my blood boil. It took all my willpower to keep the fire raging through my veins from bursting out of my hands.

As much as King Ronald’s proclamation made me want to smack the smug smile off the monarch’s round face, fear tied my tongue in knots and kept me rooted to my chair. Any lingering doubt over whether to accept Botto’s offer vanished.

I would not sit in a dungeon and count down the finite number of breaths left in my body. I would not be paraded into the same arena to be executed where fans had chanted my name in glory. Death would be my final opponent one day, but that day would not be any time soon. I had a lot of living left to do before I succumbed to the one adversary I could never hope to beat.

All around me, people clinked glasses and smiled at one another. They cheered the end of lives that, if they were like me, had been spent helping fellow fae and shifters achieve freedom.

Bastards.

Chapter Nineteen

“They’re always watching. They see everything. You need to be more careful,” a soft voice muttered on my left.

My heart skipped a beat as I turned slowly in my chair to face one of the most famous actresses of our time. Wendy Lyse was beautiful, with a glossy mane that looked right out of a shampoo commercial. Wide, expressive, hazel eyes with gold flecks were enhanced by the thick, gilded rope that hung around her slender throat.

“I don’t know what it’s like where you’re from,” Wendy continued in the same hushed tone, “but here, they notice even the smallest act of defiance.”

My stomach felt like it took a tumble down a steep hill. “I wasn’t trying to be defiant,” I lied.

Wendy’s gaze flicked to my wine glass. “All the same, you should be more careful.”

I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. Even Kai’s mother, who’d been no friend to fae, had not expected my people to toast to our own confinement.

You aren’t in Hawaii. And a formal dinner at Calypso Palace is no place for this conversation.

I decided to change the subject. Channeling my best friend, I looked Wendy up and down and proclaimed, “Oh. My. Gaia. You’re Wendy Lyse!”

Several people on either side of us turned to look. Thankfully, Kai was far enough away that he appeared not to have heard.

Wendy flushed but managed a smile. “You watch Cove of Redemption?”

“Huge fan,” I swore.

Wendy knew I was lying. I knew I was lying. But neither one of us acknowledged it.

White-gloved servers appeared with the first course, a beet and goat-cheese salad. It was colorful, I decided, looking down at the rainbow of vegetables on my small, crystal salad plate. I didn’t have an appetite. Between Kai’s reaction to my part in the rebellion and discovering King Ronald was a huge prick who thought fae should be more appreciative of the scraps the casters threw our way, I felt as though I’d never be hungry again

You’re here to keep up appearances, I reminded myself. I picked up one of my four forks and pretended to enjoy the beet salad.

It was just before the fish course that Jasmine finally decided to engage me in conversation. Thus far, she’d been chatting the ear off the Thai prince seated on her other side.

“These can be such dull affairs,” Jasmine began, as she sliced off a small bit of white fish.

“Oh, I don’t know. They aren’t bad.” I shrugged and sipped my water, desperately wishing it was wine. But I’d promised Botto no alcohol.

You made that promise before you set your life on fire, I reminded myself. Still, I did need a clear head if I wanted to live through the next several days.

Jasmine laughed. “You are very well suited for politics.”

She wasn’t the first to make that comment recently. And yet, I had a hard time determining whether she meant her words. Maybe it was because I didn’t like Jasmine, but everything that came out of her mouth sounded…suspicious.

You’re paranoid.

“Yes, you’re so diplomatic,” a voice drawled in my ear.

I didn’t need to look up, I would have recognized that venomous tone in my sleep. Sienna.

Can this night get any worse?

“Gregory might disagree, of course,” Sienna continued, as she swept crumbs from the white tablecloth around my place setting.

My former friend stood between where Wendy and I sat, but that didn’t stop Jasmine from eyeing Sienna curiously. At first, I thought the other fighter might engage Sienna further, ask what she was talking about. Then, Jasmine showed her true caster colors.

“Are you bothering a guest at my father’s table?” she demanded, in a tone that sounded dangerously close to the one Sarah used when defending me to Evine.

“It’s fine, Jasmine,” I interjected.

The other fighter’s nostrils flared. “It is most certainly not fine.”

Her gaze narrowed on Sienna, who’d turned the color of snow, except for two bright patches of color high on her cheekbones. Despite our differences, and my promise not to rock the boat for Kai, I couldn’t sit silently as Jasmine berated someone I’d once called my closest friend.

“She was only asking if I cared for a different wine,” I improvised.

Unfortunately, Sienna didn’t want my help. “I don’t need you to stand up for me,” she snapped.

“Excuse me?” Jasmine’s eyes flashed.

Nearly everyone in the immediate vicinity looked over to find the source of the raised voices.

Oh, wonderful. Just freaking wonderful. Kai is going to kill me. Literally.

“It’s fine, Jasmine,” I said firmly.

She talked right over me, her words and focus for Sienna. “Do you know who this is?” Jasmine demanded and gestured to me.

Oh, Gaia. Please let this be a dream. Please let me wake up. I pinched myself but nothing happened.

A caster wearing a snooty expression hurried over.

“Miss Jasmine, is there a problem?” he asked around a forced smile. “Perhaps I can be of assistance?”

“There’s not a problem,” I insisted. “Just a misunderstanding.”

Sienna’s eyes darted from me to Jasmine to the newly arrived caster. Beneath the anger and hatred there was a healthy amount of fear. My childhood friend hadn’t meant to make a scene. I hadn’t meant to escalate that scene. Jasmine…well…I was pretty sure she lived for scenes.

“Brie, darling, is this woman giving you a problem?” Kai was suddenly behind me, one hand clamped down on my shoulder in a vice-like grip.

“No, not at all. It was just a misunderstanding,” I repeated.

By this point, almost everyone at the dinner was watching and listening to this extremely uncomfortable exchange.

How did this get blown so far out of proportion?

Kai turned to the caster in the coattails, who probably had some stuffy title like Head of Household or Master of Banquets. “I apologize for the communication error. It seems everything is fine here.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” The butler peered down his long nose at me. “Miss Maybrie, if you need anything, it would be my pleasure to attend to you myself.”

In that moment, I contemplated bursting into flames, if only to give all those prying eyes and gossiping mouths something else to talk about. Instead, I simply smiled sweetly.

“Thank you, sir,” I told the butler, who nodded and gave me a small, yet respectful, bow before rounding on Sienna.

“Come with me, girl.” He took her arm and led her away.

Head hung low, Sienna followed without comment.

Kai squeezed my shoulder. “Are you okay?” His tone suggested he actually cared about my well-being, the dead stare in his eyes did not.

Patting his hand, I replied, “Fine. Really.”

He leaned down on the pretense of kissing my cheek and whispered in my ear. “Can you please try to get through the rest of this dinner without issue?”

My fingers tightened around the fork and knife in each of my hands. “I’ll do my best,” I said, barely moving my lips since Wendy and Jasmine were very obviously trying to eavesdrop.

Kai’s mouth was cool when it brushed my skin. “Please do. And when I return to the hotel tonight, we will discuss that girl.” He left without waiting for an answer.

“Fire fae, right?” The question came from Wendy.

All I could manage in reply was a head tilt and a very rude, “Huh?” I was too busy trying to neutralize the sudden spike in my blood pressure.

The actress smiled sadly and gestured to my hands. “Those utensils are 24K gold, which has a pretty low melting point.”

I looked down. The fork’s tongs had flopped forward, and the knife was actually dripping gold on the tablecloth.

“Freaking hell,” I muttered under my breath.

I waited until the cheese course was over before excusing myself to go look for Sienna. Was it stupid to intentionally seek her out after Kai demanded I cause no more issues tonight? Probably. So why did I do it? I couldn’t say. Not precisely. A lot of people hated me lately, and more than a handful of those people I’d once called friends; I owed Everly an apology way more than I owed anything to Sienna.

Can you even tell yourself the truth? My inner voice demanded to know.

“Can I help you find the facilities, Miss Maybrie?”

I knew before I turned around that it was the same butler from earlier standing behind me. Taking a deep breath, I counted to five before turning to face him, a smile glued to my face.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name,” I began sweetly.

The older gentleman’s facial muscles didn’t so much as twitch, though his cloudy eyes did sparkle. “Thomas, Miss Maybrie. I am Head of Household Staff at the palace.”

My smile became a little more genuine. “I knew your title was something like that.”

“Did you need help finding the facilities?” Thomas repeated.

Saying yes and moving on would have been smart, but recent events had left me feeling a little reckless. So, I took a chance on Thomas.

“Actually, I was looking for the fae server, from earlier.”

There was no need to elaborate.

“Ah, yes.” Thomas glanced right and then left down the empty hallway. “Sienna.”

He knew her name. Good sign, I decided.

“I allowed her the rest of the evening off.”

“You didn’t fire her, though?” Can you fire someone who doesn’t have a choice about the work? I wondered.

Thomas gave no answer, which left my mind ample opportunity to invent worst-case scenarios. Only once the silence became uncomfortable did I clear my throat audibly and admit, “I was hoping I could speak with Sienna, if she’s still here?”

I thought for certain he would tell me she’d gone home or was too busy polishing the goldware. Instead, Thomas hesitated, visibly uneasy in the position I’d put him in, and I let myself hope that he would relent.

“Five minutes. I just want to talk to her,” I pressed.

Thomas hesitated once more and then replied, “She has already returned to her apartment. I can provide you the address, but I should warn you—the area is not safe for a royal consort.”

While I couldn’t think of a way that I would be able to sneak out to visit her anytime soon, I still said, “Yes, thank you. The address would be great.”

Thomas gave me the address, along with the name of the neighborhood and the cross streets, none of which meant anything to me.

“Thank you. I really appreciate it,” I told him.

“Please do not mention it, Miss Maybrie,” the servant replied pointedly.

“I understand. I won’t,” I promised. “Thank you very much.”

By unspoken agreement, we started back for the banquet hall together. Thomas walked directly beside me until the double doors came into view. He then fell back several steps.

This whole system is idiotic, I thought.

“Miss Maybrie?”

I turned and smiled at Thomas over my shoulder. “Yes?”

“They call the area where Sienna lives Faetown,” Thomas said, just loud enough for me to hear.

The subtext was clear: A royal consort wouldn’t be safe in Sienna’s neighborhood, but a fae would; one that didn’t look like a royal consort, obviously. Now, all I needed to figure out was how to get my fae butt out of my royal hotel suite.

Chapter Twenty

After dinner, I returned to Riggs Hotel. Not exactly alone—Kenoa and Harton were all but handcuffed to me.

“I thought Kai wasn’t having dinner with King Ronald for a few days?” I asked Kenoa.

Kenoa chose his words carefully. “The king wanted to make sure they were able to speak before we return to Hawaii. Since that could be sooner rather than later….” Kenoa shrugged. “Kai wants to have the conversation and get it out of the way.”

“Does he really think Brie is going to lose?” Harton asked. The question either proved that he really didn’t know that Kai and I were at odds or that the bodyguard was a very good actor. I wasn’t sure which, not that it mattered.

Neither Kenoa nor I answered. I headed for my bedroom, the quiet of the penthouse suite a welcome change after the loud dinner chatter at the palace.

“Please open the door again once you’ve changed,” Kenoa called after me.

“Are you worried I’ll jump out the window and hasten my death?” I replied, not bothering to look at him over my shoulder.

“I’m playing as nice as I can right now. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

I paused in the doorway to my bedroom. To still my shaking hands, I clutched the doorframe. “Whatever.”

The request was insulting, which was why I only partially complied. My first thought was a reflection spell to trick Kenoa’s eyes into thinking he could see inside the bedroom, when he was really looking at a closed door. There were a few problems with that spell, though. First and foremost, I wasn’t practiced enough to cast it. So, instead of a magical solution, I went with a technical one. I left the door open just a crack, no more than two inches, and kept the lights low.

Of course, this lack of privacy worked both ways. When Kai returned to the suite, long after I’d crawled under my covers, I heard him speaking to Kenoa. Their conversation drifted clearly into my room despite their hushed tones.

“How’d it go?” Kenoa asked.

There was a clinking sound, like ice cubes being deposited into a glass.

“He offered Prince Gavin this time,” Kai replied.

Liquid gurgled as one of the men poured a drink.

“What’d you say?”

Kai chuckled tiredly. “That I would have to speak with my sister.”

It was Kenoa’s turn to laugh. “That’s going to be a fun conversation.”

I knew I shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, but Kenoa shouldn’t have made me leave the door open. Sliding out of bed, I tiptoed closer to the door so I wouldn’t miss a word.

“That’s all my reign has been, one difficult conversation after another.” From where I stood in the darkness, just out of view of both men, I saw Kai sink onto the sofa beside Kenoa. Both men sipped from tumblers of amber liquid with only the city lights outside the windows to illuminate the room. Kai stared straight ahead at nothing in particular, while Kenoa kept glancing toward my door.

Come on. Talk about it. You know you want to, I thought, as though I could will the king to bring up the topic of my duplicity with his best friend.

“What have you learned about the girl?” Kai finally asked after a long stretch of silence.

Girl? What girl? Me? That’s what I’ve been reduced to? Tears pricked my eyes and spilled over.

Kenoa shook his head. “Not much. Either she’s well protected, or there isn’t much to find. She arrived in L.A. about five years ago. She went through the studio program and did a few local commercial bits. She managed to land a reoccurring role on a show called One Night. It should have been a big break for her. Despite big ratings, the show was canceled halfway through the first season.”

Sienna. Kai asked Kenoa to find out everything he could about Sienna.

“Why? What happened?” Kai wanted to know.

“Officially, the network released a statement saying they wanted to go in a different direction.”

The king took a swig of his drink. “And unofficially?”

“It’s just a guess,” Kenoa warned, “but I think it has something to do with the death of the star actress. There’s a lot of shady stuff circling, but the weirdest part is there are three completely different ways she’s reported to have died. One official report says it was a car accident. Another says she drowned in the ocean. A third suggests she fell down the stairs while drinking and broke her neck. There’s nothing clear about the case at all.”

“Hmm.” Kai drained his glass and rose to refill it. “And after all this, what happened to Sienna?”

“That’s a little murky, too,” Kenoa admitted. “She was cast as the lead in that action thriller Castoffs. She even started filming but quit about a week in.”

Kai’s eyes went wide as he looked up from the drink he was fixing. “She quit? That was an option for her?” The king held up the bottle of liquor to his friend and added, “Ready for a refill?”

The water fae lifted his glass and jingled the half-melted cubes. Kai added more ice and liquor before sitting again.

“Sienna requested to be relocated to the palace staff, which was granted by someone in the royal family,” Kenoa finally answered Kai’s question. “I don’t know who she was involved with at the time, but she was evidently seeing someone who lived there. Whoever it was, they grew tired of her within a few months. That’s when she asked to go back to the movie studios. Without an ally inside the family, she was denied. She’s been at the palace ever since.”

Poor Sienna. No wonder she’s so angry.

In that moment, I understood my old friend and her attitude about my relationship with a royal.

“So, nothing remarkable,” Kai commented.

“Well, I don’t know about that.” Kenoa leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, drink glass held between two large fingers. “This only jumped out at me because we just did Brie’s travel application, but Sienna’s arrival date in Los Angeles is three months after Brie’s.”

“Yet they were, according to Brie, taken on the same night,” Kai chimed in. He stood and began pacing. “Interesting.” He smacked his lips. “Very interesting.”

‘Interesting’ wasn’t the word I would use. Mat and his vamp cronies had kept Sienna for three months after they’d turned me over to the Hawaiian royals. That was a long time to be used for blood and magic. After that hell, she’d been sold to the Californian Kingdom. I didn’t blame Sienna for hating me. What I’d been through was bad. What she’d been through was much worse.

“See if anyone knows what happened to Sienna in those three months,” Kai requested after a moment of contemplation.

Seriously? I wondered. She was tortured. Isn’t it obvious?

“She must have told someone,” Kai continued. “Everyone needs a confidant, right?”

Kenoa’s dark eyes flicked to my door again. “I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” he grumbled.

The king followed his friend’s gaze, jaw tightening. “What has she been doing since you returned to the hotel?” he asked Kenoa.

“She went to bed almost immediately.” Kenoa studied Kai carefully.

Say something. Bring it up, I silently urged the water fae. He didn’t disappoint.

“Want to talk about why you two are fighting?”

Kai averted his gaze as though the city lights were suddenly fascinating to him. “I would appreciate it if you continued to stick close to Brie.”

“Yes, of course.” Kenoa took a healthy sip of whiskey and narrowed his eyes at Kai’s back. “I know she’ll fight it, but I think we need to up her security. The threat level is only climbing.”

There was a long stretch of silence.

This is it, I thought, wiping my sweaty palms on my pajama bottoms.

Kenoa knew that I’d told Kai the truth. I also had a strong suspicion that Kai knew Kenoa was aware of my deception. And yet, neither seemed to want to say anything to the other directly. The tension was thick enough to choke on.

Finally, Kai turned back to face his friend. “Brie won’t put up a fight. She will understand the concern for her safety.”

Ah yes, my safety. A convenient excuse.

“Her fight is late tomorrow, the last match of the day,” the king said. Kenoa already knew, of course, though he didn’t interrupt. “I think it would be best if she stayed at the hotel until she needs to head over to the stadium.”

“That would be safest,” Kenoa agreed evenly.

“It’s not that.” A muscle in Kai’s cheek twitched as annoyance verging on anger flashed in his eyes. “I am sure you have heard by now, but just in case you have not, King Ronald plans to execute members of the rebellion as part of this tournament.”

Kenoa’s controlled expression faltered. “No, actually, I hadn’t heard.”

“He announced it at dinner tonight.” Kai shook his head ruefully. “I tried to talk him out of it, but he is intent on making a show of power. Brie does not need to witness it.”

Several minutes later, I crawled back into bed with a tiny spark of hope in my heart. Kai still cared for me. At least a little bit. That was enough to help me get a few hours of much needed sleep.

*****

I woke up early and jumped in a long shower. Fight days were very ritualistic for me. It wasn’t a superstitious thing; I was just set in my ways. Of course, I’d never had quite such a heavy heart or burdened mind on a fight day before, and I doubted my usual protein-packed smoothie was really going to help.

There was a tray with coffee and dry toast waiting for me when I exited the bathroom in my robe. I drank the coffee black and watched the artificial sun rise over the ocean. Judging by the noise in the suite’s living room, advisors and bodyguards arrived to deliver updates to Kai and go over his revised schedule. The talk was bland and ordinary, much to my relief.

It was still fairly early when someone knocked, and my bedroom door opened before I could answer. I’d dared hope my visitor was Kai. Of course, it wasn’t. The maid had come to deliver my smoothie and a note from Botto. There was a single word written in his block handwriting: Focus.

Kai was scheduled to attend the entire day of festivities at the arena. Before leaving, I’d hoped he would wish me luck or give even the smallest indication that I existed. Instead, the king and his entourage left without a word. That was when I finally trudged into the main room with my smoothie and my coffee. Normally, I would have spent this time listening to a very carefully curated playlist that I’d spent years perfecting. Instead, I listened to the deafening silence and wondered if this would be one of the last times I’d have the luxury of absolute quiet.

The maid returned a third time with a plate containing one scrambled egg, one strip of turkey bacon, a bran muffin, and a second carafe of coffee. I skipped the food again but did refill my coffee mug before Botto arrived mid-morning.

“How did you sleep?” he asked without preamble.

I took in the dark circles beneath his bloodshot eyes and his scruffy chin. “Better than you, I’d guess.” I made a sweeping gesture with my arm. “Come on in.”

My trainer’s keen gaze swept the suite. “You haven’t been watching the tournament stream.”

“No, I haven’t,” I agreed, though Botto hadn’t phrased it as a question.

“Good. Leave all the recon to me. You need to focus.” He crossed to the breakfast cart and plucked the single strip of bacon off the plate, consuming it in two bites.

“I’m focused,” I protested, refilling my coffee yet again.

Botto frowned at the mug. “You’re caffeinated, not focused.” He pried the cup loose from my fingers. “You shouldn’t even be drinking coffee.”

“I have a lot on my mind.” I snatched the mug back, sloshing coffee all over our hands.

Botto didn’t fight with me further over the dark roast. His sigh was just as tired as his expression. “You need to win today, Brie.”

“I know.”

“The king’s advisors want your head almost as much as your opponents want your blood,” Botto advised me.

“I know,” I repeated more firmly.

“I heard Kenoa on the phone late last night. He seems to think your arrest—”

“I. Know,” I practically shouted. “I told Kai last night,” I admitted in a much more reasonable tone.

Scrubbing one hand over his stubble, my trainer groaned loudly. “Oh, Brie. You didn’t.”

“He hasn’t said anything. To anyone. Not even Kenoa,” I swore.

Botto opened his mouth as if to speak but reconsidered at the last minute. After a moment, he blew out a long breath and placed his hands on my shoulders, looking me square in the eye. “He will, though. Kai won’t keep your secret forever. He can’t keep your secret forever, Brie.”

“I know.” This time, the words were barely a whisper. I swallowed thickly before adding, “That’s why I want to take your offer. If it’s still on the table?”

His smile was sad. “It’s for the best.”

“I honestly don’t know if it is.” I shrugged like this wasn’t the hardest decision of my life. “Running feels cowardly but living feels…necessary.” I exhaled shakily.

I did feel better now that I’d told Botto my decision. Nonetheless, I was about to embark on a very new, very scary chapter in my life, and I genuinely didn’t know how I felt about it. “So, what happens now?”

“Now, you focus. You win. And you live to fight another day. I will take care of the rest.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Heading into the Los Angeles Coliseum for my first interkingdom fight was one of the more intimidating experiences of my life. I’d had plenty of overwhelming experiences, but it was difficult to compare those to the tens of thousands of people watching and judging me as I entered the main arena. At least this time I received applause and a few catcalls.

Dust blew up from the ground with every step I took, like a scene of an Old West showdown complete with pistols at sunset. The round coliseum had seating that rose to heights far above those of the Hawaiian fighting pits. It felt as though every eye in the world was on me in that moment—those physically in the arena and everyone watching from home, too.

Not everyone out there is your enemy, I reminded myself.

Cala, Rocko, and Sumi would all be watching this fight. That thought made me hold my head higher as Kelly Kat rattled off some of my career highlights. The more impressive wins elicited louder applause from my small contingent of supporters.

However, nothing about me got the crowd going like the mere mention of my opponent, the shifter-vampire, Nico Suave. People loved him. If I hadn’t known better, I would have assumed he was from L.A. No lowly peon in the fighting pits would’ve carried himself that way—this guy had won and liked the taste of it. Nico sauntered across the field like he owned the place. A checkered snapback sat lazily upon his head and spurred boots clanged with every step. With faint freckles and a mischievous grin, something about him made me feel like I was about to battle a roguish imp.

That amusing illusion was shattered when he shook his head dramatically. Where there’d been longish hair atop his head a moment ago, a mane gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. The teeth that showed in his lazy grin transformed into razor-sharp fangs. Despite the diffident air radiating from him, this guy was not to be screwed with. He danced on the balls of his feet like a boxer, much to the delight of his fans.

“This is it folks!” Kelly cried loudly. “Final chance to place your bets for either the fiery Maybrie Hawkins or the smooth-talking hybrid, Nico Suave, from across the frozen seas.”

Four referees joined Nico and me in the center of the arena.

“I want a clean fight,” the head ref told us.

The instruction was more of an inside joke than a warning; fighting pit “rules” were anything goes. Especially when there was magic involved.

One by one, the referees backed away so they wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire once the whistle blew.

This is it. Nothing matters except winning. You must win this fight.
You must. Your life depends on it.

Nico offered me a grin that showed off both canine incisors and vampire fangs. Not a sight you see every day. The werelion-vampire crossed the center of the circle with his arm extended. Ever the good sport, I met him in the middle to shake hands. The head ref blew his whistle. Our palms still clasped, used the leverage to yank me toward him and off-kilter. With a sweep of his leg, I was suddenly eating the dusty ground.

They did warn me he played dirty, I reminded myself as the air whooshed from my lungs.

With my life hanging in the balance, I wasn’t in the mood for a clean fight either. Instead of releasing Nico’s hand when I fell, I clutched it tightly and used the momentum. My opponent had two choices—to break an arm or to join me on the ground. There were no mats, only the hard, unforgiving earth. My upper back slammed into the packed dirt. My teeth rattled, and the air flew from my lungs, yet again. Nico hadn’t fared much better, as he’d been caught off guard. His shoulder took the brunt of the impact.

I knew I had to keep Nico from shifting for as long as possible. His vampire speed was dangerous enough; a lion that moved as quickly would leave me little choice but to employ my fire magic.

Nico snapped his sharp teeth at my neck, close enough that one grazed my skin and drew blood. I swung my fist back and threw a right hook directly into his grinning mouth. I felt the skin on my knuckles split as several of those teeth scraped my hand. While he recovered from the reverberations of his skull, I flew to my feet. Two well-placed kicks had him in the fetal position.

Just as I wondered why he didn’t move, Nico hooked a leg around the back of my calves. I fell to my knees. In a move that I didn’t expect, his other heel wrapped around my neck and yanked me to the ground. Pinned by my throat, I squirmed without success. Nico couldn’t attack offensively in this position, but neither could I.

Lions enjoy toying with their prey, I realized.

With a low, exaggerated moan, I let my muscles slowly go limp. My bare arms itched as I felt fur emerge beneath them. The heavy breath blowing into the back of my head became a growl. A swishing tail against my ankles told me that the shift was complete.

As if the weight of my body was too heavy to hold up, I rolled away from the spooned embrace of the were-lion. With a languid swipe, he pushed me farther away like a discarded toy. Nico climbed to his feet and stretched, showing off his sleek lion physique. He was practically lazy as he batted at the air around me.

The moment his back was turned, I slammed a heel into the lion’s soft underbelly. When he stumbled, I threaded my fingers into his flowing mane. Yanking him toward me, with all the strength I could muster, further disoriented the majestic animal. Between protecting his underside and my pulling his head away, the lion’s body bowed.

Without hesitation, I channeled my rage and fear and pummeled the few vulnerable areas on a lion’s body. Nico roared with anger. Both his shifter and vampire strength should’ve been enough to escape me, but he didn’t try to do so. His jaws gaped widely, once again aimed at my throat. I took the opening he provided. Driving my fist into the lion’s open mouth, I slammed my fist into the back of his throat.

The impact had the desired effect, and I felt the sick crunch of a windpipe collapsing beneath my knuckle. Yanking my arm back from the dangerous terrain of his jaws, the edges of Nico’s teeth sliced against my hand again, deeper this time. The burn of my flesh being sliced open reverberated up my arm.

Ignoring the sharp flames of pain, I jumped to my feet. Nico’s prone form was sprawled in front of me, sputtering for air. Tears glistened in his eyes as he stared up at me in disbelief. He’d held back initially because he’d been too cocky, too sure of his abilities to take a female fighter seriously. And now, it was too late. Even a vampire couldn’t recover that quickly from a blow to his windpipe.

Stepping on his throat with one heeled boot, I grinned down at Nico’s impish face with no real feelings of triumph. “Ready to call it?”

Nico had partially shifted back into human form, though his lips were more purple than seemed healthy. With a short nod, the were-lion conceded. The stadium’s crowd cheered politely, but they were obviously surprised by my victory without an ounce of magic needing to be used. No doubt they’d hoped I would turn him into a bonfire before it was all over. I wasn’t sorry to disappoint them.

“And the winner of round one…Maybrie Hawkins!” Kelly Kat’s voice boomed through the arena.

I’d never felt less like a winner in my life.

There was more polite applause, though I did notice my fan section was louder now that I’d secured my first win so easily. With a fake grin, I waved to the crowd. My eyes found the Royal Box, where Kai sat side by side with King Ronald in fancy thrones that had been carved specially for this tournament. Both men stared down at me. Both were expressionless. I caught Kai’s eye. Though my triumph had gained some credit with the crowd, the king was unaffected.

What did you expect? One win would fix it all?

It was a ridiculous notion. I needed to stop dwelling on the idea that there was anything to fix. My relationship with Kai wasn’t broken. You couldn’t break something that never existed.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Brie! Over here! Did you expect to win in the first round?”

“Why didn’t you use your magic, Maybrie?”

“You showed too much mercy!”

“Fae don’t belong in the fighting pits!”

I heard reporters yell out as Los Angeles police and event security helped Harton, Kenoa, and Botto clear a path to the car. I kept my head down, in no mood to deal with reporters and their stupid questions and opinions. Evine was likely to give me hell for refusing an interview.

She’ll have to deal with it, I told myself.

Harton hurried ahead and yanked the rear car door open. Sensing their window of opportunity waning, the crowd of reporters pushed forward like the tide coming in. The security entourage pushed back to no avail. My arm was bandaged where Nico had cut me, and I cradled it against my chest protectively. Still, when someone grabbed my elbow to get my attention, a jolt of pain shot up and down my arm. Adrenaline still running high after my match, my fight-or-flight instinct took over. I struck out at the person closest to me, which happened to be a short, squirrely looking caster with brittle bones that broke on contact with my fist. Blood spurted from his nose like a geyser.

Shit. Shouldn’t have done that.

Horrified at what I’d done, my jaw dropped open. I sputtered an apology that my victim was unlikely to hear over the surrounding crowd. Kenoa curled one massive arm around my shoulders and shoved anyone who dared get too close again with his free hand. Botto started throwing elbows like a linebacker making way for his quarterback.

“Stay back,” Kenoa snapped. To me, he muttered, “Just keep moving. Head down. Let me do the punching.”

Kenoa all but threw me inside the car and then jumped in behind me. The vehicle was already in motion when Harton fell onto the floorboards at my feet.

“Wait, where’s Botto?” I demanded as the car picked up speed.

The partition lowered, and my trainer’s haggard face appeared. His right eye was red and swelling rapidly. “I’m here, Brie. You okay?”

I hugged my arm tighter to my body. The pain was growing steadily worse. Thank Gaia for Samira’s healing tonic, I thought. The vial was in my bedroom in the hotel suite.

“I’m fine,” I promised.

“Are you sure?” Harton climbed up into the seat beside me. “You look a little pale.”

“Fine,” I repeated but quickly reconsidered. “Until Kai’s advisors see me on the news punching a caster. Then I probably won’t be so fine.”

“Where is the king?” Harton’s gaze panned the car, like asking the question would make the Hawaiian monarch materialize.

“He had royal matters that demanded his attention,” Kenoa said smoothly.

Since it was a fight day, Evine hadn’t reviewed Kai’s daily itinerary with me, so I didn’t know whether the excuse was true. And honestly, I didn’t care. I was too keyed up to sit alone in my bedroom and pretend like Kai wasn’t just outside the door contemplating my fate. At least with him away, the suite wouldn’t be full of tension. Maybe I would celebrate my victory with a good dinner from room service.

“He’ll want to know about the guy Brie decked,” Harton said.

He likely knows already, I thought. Kai’s advisors were alerted the instant my name appeared on any gossip site.

Kenoa responded to Harton but looked at me. “I’ll deal with Kai and the other advisors.”

I liked to think he was doing me a solid, but I doubted it.

Getting back to the suite, I quickly located Samira’s tonic, the pain in my arm now radiating throughout my whole body. I put several drops beneath my tongue and headed to the bathroom for a shower. When I unwound the bandage, my injured skin had already begun to knit back together. By the time I’d washed all the blood and grime and sweat from my body, my arm was completely healed. It still ached just as badly, though. Then again, a deep ache was settling into all my bones and muscles.

I really should’ve sparred more in the last few weeks, I thought.

Instead of a pair of silk pajamas Evine had packed for me, I fished out sweats from my stash of workout clothes and padded into the living room to find a room service menu. I expected to find Kenoa and possibly even Harton on the couch, so it was a welcome surprise to see Botto there instead. He held a glass of ice to his puffy eye and worked his jaw back and forth as though to work out the kinks.

“Where are my babysitters?” I asked.

“In the hallway.” My trainer removed the ice, wincing when he touched the blossoming bruise on his cheek. “I told them I wanted to go over what I’d learned about your next opponent. Kenoa seemed to think that was safe enough to do without him. Plus, he needed to do damage control.”

Elaboration wasn’t necessary.

I plopped down in one of the chairs and sighed loudly. “So, why are you really here? To tell me tomorrow’s opponent can’t be bought off?”

At some point during my shower, the ease of the win had started to bother me. This was the freaking Interkingdom Championships. Every single opponent in this tournament was the best their kingdom had to offer. Nico Suave should’ve put up a greater fight.

Botto arched an eyebrow. “You think I can afford to pay a fighter to lose to you?”

He had me there.

“I won fair and square?” I asked doubtfully.

My trainer shrugged. “No reason to think otherwise. Just because the guy is a big deal overseas, that doesn’t mean he’s actually any good.”

Gaia, I really am paranoid. Now I’m seeing conspiracies everywhere I look.

“Then why are you here?” I repeated, shifting to make myself more comfortable. Sore muscles were normal after a fight, though it usually took longer for the adrenaline to wear off and the fatigue to kick in.

Botto frowned. “You should have accepted one of the tonics the medics offered you.”

“Samira gave me one, and I’ve used it. I’m fine, just a little more out of shape than I thought.”

He didn’t look convinced. “Make sure you get a lot of sleep tonight. This will be your last week in a bed for a while.” Leaning forward, his voice was barely above a whisper when he continued. “I don’t want to tell you too much. The less you know, the better—for everyone involved. You won’t be able to take much with you. Pack a small bag tonight with anything you absolutely can’t leave behind.”

“Tonight?” I sputtered.

Tonight was way sooner than I’d anticipated. It was too quick.

“No, not likely,” Botto confirmed.

Some of the tension in my shoulders eased. I still had time to say a proper goodbye to my current life, or at least something close to a proper goodbye.

“But you need to be ready. That’s what I came to tell you.” The ice in his glass had melted. Botto swirled it around before downing it like a shot. “And to see how you’re feeling. You may have thought that win was too easy but, from where I was sitting, you took a beating.”

“I’m sore,” I conceded. “I’ll live, though.”

Poor choice of words, I thought and giggled like a child. I’m losing it. I need sleep.

Botto apparently agreed with my mental assessment. “Go to bed before he gets back. I don’t know anything about your next opponent, not even a name yet. No matter who it is, you should act like they’re the best fighter you’ve ever come across. Don’t waste your energy on the king.”

Easy for you to say.

A knock on the suite door quieted us immediately. Since privacy was a thing of the past, I assumed the visitor would enter of their own accord. When that didn’t happen, I exchanged glances with Botto, who shrugged. My legs like rubber, I hobbled to the door.

“I’m coming!” I snapped when the visitor knocked again.

I yanked the door open to find Princess Edwina smiling down at me.

“I apologize for showing up unannounced,” she began pleasantly. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

“Um, no. Not at all.”

My sweatpants were a regrettable decision in that moment. Particularly when the princess was wearing a gorgeous royal-blue wrap dress and giant diamond stud earrings. Still, I didn’t want to be rude when she’d been so nice to me.

“Do you want to come in?” I asked.

Please say no. Please say no.

“Only if you are free for dinner? We can order in if you like?”

Having an impromptu dinner with a foreign princess was definitely not the way I wanted to spend my evening. I was exhausted, annoyed, and my muscles didn’t seem to be working quite right. The cowardly part of me wanted Botto to intervene, to tell Princess Edwina that I couldn’t have dinner with her because I needed to focus on my next fight.

How quickly you’ve become accustomed to others fighting your battles, I thought.

It seemed I wasn’t the only coward in the room, though, because my trainer remained silent.

A thought occurred to me—a dangerous, underhanded thought.

I smiled sweetly at Princess Edwina. “I would love to have dinner. Would you mind if we went out, though? It seems all I’ve seen of L.A. is this hotel room.”

By the time I’d thrown on a pair of silver evening pants and a white blouse, all the arrangements for dinner were settled. Someone, Evine likely, had made reservations at Broken Rulez, a trendy restaurant frequented by celebrities. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but where we went wasn’t important for my plan. All I needed was to get out of the suite before Kai or Kenoa showed back up.

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Harton muttered as we followed Princess Edwina to her SUV.

“It’ll be fine,” I soothed. “Princess Edwina has more than enough bodyguards for both of us. You could’ve stayed at the hotel, and I’d still be well protected.”

I wasn’t naïve enough to believe Harton would agree to stay behind. My poor bodyguard’s face was pinched, his eyes darting back and forth anxiously, and we hadn’t even left the hotel yet.

“His Majesty thought—”

“I’ll deal with Kai,” I interrupted.

“We should at least tell Kenoa,” Harton tried.

“There’s no need to bother him. He’s not even part of the security detail anymore,” I pointed out. “We told Evine. She’ll let everyone else know.”

Harton still wasn’t keen on the sudden outing, but he knew he was losing the argument.

Broken Rulez occupied the top four floors of the Jenkins Building and prided itself on its privacy. It could only be accessed via an elevator that ran from an underground parking garage directly to the restaurant, with no stops in between. Reservations typically needed to be made months ahead of time, and a famous or royal name was pretty much the only way to get a table even with the proper planning. Paparazzi clustered around the garage entrances. Thankfully, the window’s dark tint prevented the cameras from snapping our picture.

Princess Edwina and I were seated at a corner table on the top floor with a view of the city that rivaled the one from the penthouse suite at Riggs Hotel. The dress code was a lot more informal than I would’ve thought; a number of diners were in jeans and a few even had on frayed shorts.

Just as someone came over to fill up our water glasses, a line of servers marched toward our table.

“Compliments of the chef,” a server explained.

One by one, appetizers plates were set on the table along with a brief description of the dish. I wore my fake smile and nodded politely in response. None of the other diners paid us much attention. They didn’t seem to know or care who we were. The food smelled heavenly, but the first bite of eggplant dip soured my stomach.

“Are you feeling okay?” Princess Edwina asked when I pushed my plate away.

Why does everyone keep asking me that?

“Just tired,” I lied.

The princess continued to sample the array of appetizers, washing each bite down with a sip of red wine. Our conversation was light and easy and took little brainpower to participate in. It was a good thing, since I needed to devote most of my mental energy to figuring out how I was going to trick Harton into going along with my brilliant idea.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I invited you for dinner tonight,” Edwina finally said, not long after the main dishes arrived.

Plated beautifully with sauces and garnishes, there was a plain chicken breast and steamed broccoli for me and fettucine alfredo for the princess.

In retrospect, I probably should’ve questioned her motives. Dinner out with a foreign royal was the perfect excuse to leave the suite, and I hadn’t thought too much beyond that. Sure, Kai would still be upset when he found out, but hopefully he’d also appreciate that I was keeping up appearances. If not, better to ask forgiveness than be denied permission.

“Kai mentioned that you would be alone most of the evening,” Edwina continued. “And I thought it would be a good chance for just the two of us to talk.”

I’d cut my entire chicken breast into small pieces but had yet to eat. Bland as the food was—my fault, not the chef’s, as I avoided the sauce—my stomach turned at the sight. Stress was the culprit for sure, though a part of me did wonder if I was coming down with something. The deep ache in my muscles felt like the beginnings of the flu.

The princess concentrated on twirling her fettucine, too focused to notice my divided attention, and she just plunged forward. “A war is coming, Brie. Tensions between fae and casters have never been this fraught. Ever.”

Dramatic but probably true, I thought.

The boiled broccoli smell wafting up from my plate was overwhelming. Sweat beads broke out on my forehead, and the room started to spin. Going out to dinner had been a bad idea. I really should’ve been resting and recuperating. I reached for my water glass and drained it in one gulp. The server rushed over with a silver water pitcher and refilled the cup.

“Thank you,” I managed to say.

Edwina smiled tightly at the server, who gave her a polite nod before retreating. The princess waited until he was gone and then continued with what I was quickly realizing was a well-crafted speech.

“The shifters are angry at casters, of course, but also at fae because they think we dismiss them. Then, there is the divide between aristocracy and the common people. Many believe the monarchies are passé, that it’s time to revisit the idea of elected officials. Or, at least ensure officials who can better represent everyone.”

She paused for breath, finally meeting my eyes with an expectant look. I didn’t know what to say, so I drank more water and dabbed at my damp forehead with my napkin.

“I’m not sure I understand why you’re telling me all of this.”

My reply came out slightly slurred. Concern darkened Edwina’s gaze.

I shook my head. “Please don’t ask if I’m okay. I’m fine, I swear.”

The princess’ attention returned to her pasta. I downed another glass of water. The liquid sloshed in my turbulent gut, and it was all I could do to keep it from coming back up. Was this my karmic punishment for leaving the hotel when I knew Kai wanted me confined to the penthouse?

“Territory wars have already begun,” she said, as though there had been no break in the conversation.

“Is that the first sign of the apocalypse?”

Maybe it was the fact that my insides were vibrating, and a spider was spinning a web inside my head to trap my thoughts like prey, but all sense of decorum was gone. I didn’t care if Edwina thought me rude. All I cared about was not vomiting water on the princess.

Edwina’s lips twitched. “I think a fire fae from the fighting pits marrying the King of Hawaii is the first sign of the apocalypse,” she countered.

That actually made me laugh, which turned into a deep, rumbling cough.

“Brie—”

I held up a hand to cut her off. “I’m fine. But if you don’t mind, can we just get to the point of this conversation? I do have a fight tomorrow.”

Chicken juice pooled on one side of my plate. The herbs in Edwina’s alfredo were suddenly very potent. I pushed my plate to the edge of the table, and the server hurried over to whisk it away.

“A war between the races could be cataclysmic,” Edwina said somberly. “I also believe it’s unavoidable. The Hawaiian Kingdom will have to take a stand. Kai will have to take a stand. You will have to take a stand.”

I narrowed my gaze. “And you want me—us—to take a certain stand? One that’s in line with your beliefs?” I guessed.

Edwina swallowed audibly but had the good grace not to deny the accusation. “I do.”

Who knew dating a royal made you such a political pawn?

“And you came to me directly instead of talking to Kai…why, exactly? He is much more open-minded than most royals.”

“Oh, I know.” She rested her utensils on the sides of her plate and looked across the table at me. “He’s also a very new monarch, and his family is known to be reserved when it comes to military action.”

This time I reached for my water glass to stall for time while I came up with a response. I settled on a blunt one. “You want me to convince Kai to go to war?”

“I do.” The Alaskan Princess inhaled deeply through her nose, nostrils flaring slightly. “And I would appreciate that this conversation remains between just us girls, whether or not you decide to take up the cause. If you do me that favor, I will owe you one in return.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Over after-dinner coffee, I began to somehow feel even worse. The silk top I wore was blotched with sweat stains. My sense of smell seemed heightened to the point that everything and everyone reeked of something nauseating. So, I used my illness as an excuse to make a hasty exit from the restaurant with only my personal bodyguard.

I must’ve looked worse than I felt, if that was possible, because Princess Edwina didn’t appear suspicious in the least. If only Harton was so easy to fool.

“Harton, pull over.” I slapped a hand over my mouth. “I’m going to be sick.”

His hands tightened on the wheel. “You can get sick in the car.” He shook his head and muttered. “I knew this was a mistake.”

“Harton. Pull over.”

He pursed his lips. “No, Brie. It’s not safe. I’m sorry.”

I just wanted to lie down, but it was my only chance to talk to Sienna alone. Since I was winging this adventure, and I was too sick to make up lies on the fly, I decided to fess up. I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes to slow the spinning in my head.

“I need you to pull over somewhere specific.”

Harton made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a growl. “I knew it. I knew you were up to something.”

“I’m not up to anything. Not anything nefarious, anyway. There’s someone I need to speak with.”

With my eyes still closed, I could only hope the long stretch of silence didn’t mean he was ignoring me. I was asking a lot of him. Even as an unwilling accomplice, at the very least, my bodyguard was risking his job. If Kai thought my errand was more sinister than a simple visit to an old friend, Harton might be risking a whole lot more. I wouldn’t have blamed him for refusing me.

“The girl from Fae Canyon? Sienna, right?” Harton asked finally.

I sat up a little straighter and glanced across the front seat at him. “What do you know about her?”

“Just what I was briefed on.” His eyes cut toward me. “Why do you want to see her? What difference does it make? In a few days, we’re going back home. You’ll never see her again, if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t know why I want to see her. I guess…I guess I want to try and fix one broken relationship in my life.” Before I destroy them all by running away, I added silently. “I doubt anything I say will make a difference. Sienna really seems to hate me. But I need to try to make her hate me a little less.”

Harton let his head fall back against the seat and looked up, as if praying to Gaia for guidance. I leaned my forehead against the passenger-side window, the cool glass welcome against my sweaty skin.

“Please, Harton. I need to do this,” I said softly.

“You could’ve just asked me earlier. You didn’t need some elaborate ruse.”

We clearly had different opinions on what constituted an elaborate ruse, but I didn’t dare argue. Not when he was on the cusp of giving in.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I should’ve just been honest, but I never would’ve gotten out of the hotel if I had.” I gave him the sincerest smile I could manage. “I’m telling you now.”

This time it was definitely a growl that escaped his clenched jaws. “You have ten minutes with her. When I say we need to leave, even if it hasn’t been ten minutes, we leave. Those are my terms.”

“Thank you. Really. It means a lot to me.”

“Are you sure you’re up for this? I think if you just told the king why you wanted—”

“It has to be tonight,” I interrupted. “I’ll be fine. I can keep it to ten minutes.”

Sienna lived in a very rundown part of L.A. Wild dogs patrolled the streets in search of food scraps, their fur patchy and caked with filth. An ancient fae woman sat in a rocking chair on the sagging porch of a small, boxy house. She watched the car with cloudy eyes, fingers maneuvering large knitting needles in her lap. Three men stood just outside the front doors of Sienna’s apartment building smoking cheap cigars and guzzling even cheaper beer.

“You sure about this?” Harton asked as he parallel parked the car beside a cracked sidewalk with weeds growing through the cement.

One hand already on the door handle, I took a deep breath and nodded firmly. “It’ll be fine.”

I felt like I should just tattoo those words on my forehead.

Harton curled one arm around my shoulders, his free hand poised on the gun holstered at his hip. I knew our bodyguards carried human weapons, as did soldiers in the military, though they rarely used them. Our magical abilities were much more efficient than any man-made device could ever hope to be. Nonetheless, firearms added another layer of protection.

My legs were unsteady as Harton and I climbed the first flight of stairs up to Sienna’s apartment. The building stunk of boiled cabbage and gym socks.

“Someone’s brewing a nasty tonic,” I muttered, clapping my hand over my nose and mouth to dampen some of the stench.

A couple on the second floor was arguing loudly about the amount of money one of them spent on gambling the previous month. Harton and I exchanged glances as we passed. Two faelings played jacks with a little red ball on the next landing. The little girl stared up at my shiny pants and the gold bangle on my wrist. Her round eyes went wide.

Shit.

“You’re Princess Maybrie,” she said wonderingly. Reaching out a pudgy hand covered in purplish goo, she stroked my soft pant leg.

“I’m not a princess,” I said quickly.

“She’s the queen, stupid,” the boy faeling added.

“No, not the queen either.” I stepped around the children and glanced up at Harton expectantly.

He shrugged it off.

“You smell pretty,” the little girl told me.

“Um, thanks.”

Unfortunately, the little girl did not smell pretty. As terrible as it sounded, I needed to put distance between her soiled dress and my oversensitive nose immediately. Practically running, I scrambled up the rest of the steps to the fourth floor. With such thin walls, I assumed I’d be able to hear signs of life once we reached Sienna’s door. Her unit was the only silent one on the entire floor.

“Doesn’t seem like she’s here,” Harton commented.

I raised my hand to knock. “You mean, you hope she’s not here,” I corrected, banging three times on the door.

“Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world,” Harton grumbled.

My first attempt went unanswered. I knocked again, harder and more desperate this time. Again, nothing. Looks like Harton’s about to get his wish. But the third time really was the charm; the door swung inward silently, revealing a dark entranceway.

Theatrics. Awesome.

Harton caught my arm as I stepped inside. “Let me go first.”

He stepped inside, ready to gallantly take any burst of magic meant for me. A light clicked on, emitting a golden glow that softened the shabbiness of the peeling paint and the stained carpet. Sienna sat on a small couch with her legs curled beneath her. A long, silk robe hung from her shoulders with a matching negligee beneath.

And I thought only people in old movies sat around in those getups.

“You look like shit,” Sienna informed me in lieu of a greeting.

I stepped around Harton. “You aren’t the first person to say so.”

The door slammed shut behind us. Sienna studied me with a critical eye and then gestured to the tiny living room. “Welcome to my home. It’s not as nice as your palace, I’m sure, but I think it’s cozy.”

“It’s definitely cozy,” I agreed.

The couch had three big cushions and stretched nearly the entire length of the back wall, which said more about the square footage of the apartment than the size of the couch. There were no other seats, and Sienna didn’t offer to make room for us on the sofa. I moved closer, stopping just short of a dingy white throw rug.

“What do you want, Brie?” Sienna demanded.

“To talk. Without screaming.” The windowless walls crept closer in my peripheral vision. I blinked rapidly. Just a touch of claustrophobia. “I know you hate me. Maybe I deserve it.” Why did I smell bleach?

“Brie?” Harton’s hands clasped my shoulders.

I fell against him and then slid to the ground. My heart was beating too fast, my breath coming too slow. The illness I’d been fighting for hours came up and out all over Sienna’s white rug.

Gaia, what’s wrong with me?

Harton rubbed my back as he fumbled for his phone. Sienna rose slowly from the couch and stood over me. The green eyes I remembered so well from childhood assessed my condition with the professional detachment of a doctor. When she spoke, her words were directed at Harton.

“You should probably tell whoever you’re calling that she’s been poisoned.”

Poisoned? This can’t be happening. This is not how I’m supposed to die.

“How do you know that?” Harton demanded.

Sienna never got the chance to defend herself against his accusatory tone. The front door burst open. I moaned and rolled onto my back as uniformed officers poured inside Sienna’s tiny apartment. The last thing I remembered before passing out was Kai’s polished loafers striding toward me.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The next few hours passed in varying states of consciousness. I recalled the pain of my insides trying to crawl through my skin. I recalled someone who smelled like mothballs chanting in my ear. At one point, I was so cold that I might as well have been lying naked in the snow. Then came the fire. It was inside of me and all around me at the same time.

That was around when the hallucinations started. At least, I hoped the giant blue bat that offered me a slice of apple pie was entirely in my imagination. The tiger that asked me to afternoon tea could’ve been real, I honestly wasn’t sure one way or the other. There was a hot guy in scrubs who hovered beside my bed, literally at times, and promised the stars wouldn’t fall from the sky as long as I lived through the night.

When I came to, I was unaware of how much time had passed since I’d blacked out in Sienna’s apartment. It could’ve been three minutes, three hours, or three days. Only one dim light was on beside my bed, but I recognized my surroundings immediately; I was in my bedroom at the Riggs Hotel.

That’s got to be a good sign, I thought. If I’d been poisoned, I’d be in the hospital. Right?

My throat was raw. Sitting upright made me dizzy, but I felt a million times better than I had earlier. Voices from the next room wafted in.

“What were you thinking?” Kenoa demanded, sounding more disappointed than angry. Still, had the giant water fae taken that tone with me, I would’ve turned tail and run.

“Brie thought she couldn’t refuse Princess Edwina’s invitation,” Harton stuttered.

“I’m very sure that’s true.” If the situation hadn’t been so dire for my bodyguard, I might’ve smiled at Kenoa’s over-the-top sarcasm. “And I don’t care what Brie thought. I care what you were thinking when you went along with her ridiculous, dangerous idea.”

And that’s my cue.

I wobbled across the room, leaning heavily on the door for a moment before throwing it open.

“Stop. It’s not his fault. It’s mine,” I interrupted.

Both men turned to look at me. Harton was uncharacteristically pale and wore a miserable expression.

I’m a horrible person, I chastised myself.

“Don’t worry, there’s plenty of blame to go around.” Kenoa looked me up and down. “You should be resting.”

“I tricked Harton. I just wanted to see Sienna. To talk to her,” I insisted.

Kenoa had been pacing back and forth in front of Harton, who sat on the edge of the sofa looking appropriately abashed. The water fae stopped and fixed me with a piercing stare.

“Go back to bed, Brie,” he said, in a tone that suggested I should know better than to argue.

I crossed my arms over my chest defiantly. “No. You can be an asshole to me, but this has nothing to do with Harton. I will be more than happy to give you a full account of the evening once you let him go back to his room.”

Kenoa snorted derisively. “You should have thought about the consequences of your actions before you decided to go behind everyone’s backs.”

My mind might’ve still been a little fuzzy, but I wasn’t an idiot. Kenoa wasn’t just talking about tonight.

“I’m sorry,” I said simply. “I screwed up. I know that.”

“Do you?” Fury flashed in Kenoa’s dark eyes. “Do you know how much time is devoted to keeping you safe? Do you know how many people want you dead? This isn’t a game, Brie. Royal Intelligence picks up more threats on your life in one week than they’ve received on Kai in the past five years combined. Did you know that, Brie?”

I’d known the threat level against me was high, but the exact magnitude was surprising.

“You were poisoned. If we hadn’t shown up when we did,” Kenoa shook his head, “you might not be standing here right now.”

Admittedly, that was a sobering thought. But Kenoa’s attitude had my hackles raised, so I wasn’t about to concede any points to him.

“How did you know where I was?”

It was subtle, just a quick flit of his eyes, but that was enough to know that he was uncomfortable with the answer.

“You’re highly recognizable, and you don’t exactly blend in within that part of town,” he said evenly.

I decided to let this one go for now, even if I was ninety-nine percent certain he was lying. It was more important to ensure Harton didn’t pay too heavily for my stupid decisions. In hindsight, going to Sienna’s was more than just stupid. It was both dangerous and ultimately pointless.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to regroup. “This isn’t Harton’s fault. I made him take me. He didn’t want to, but I insisted.”

My gaze shifted from the surly Kenoa to my bodyguard, who looked as miserable as I’d felt just a few hours ago.

This is just the start. Everyone close to you will get hurt once you’re publicly exposed. The realization made my heart heavy.

“Go back to bed, Brie. This doesn’t concern you,” Kenoa replied quietly.

“Doesn’t concern me? Are you serious? This is about me and what I did wrong. You can’t punish Harton for my poor judgement.”

“It’s okay, Brie. I appreciate what you’re doing,” Harton interjected. “But my decisions are on me, not you. Kenoa’s right, you should go back to bed. You need to rest.”

It seemed both guys wanted to get rid of me. Well, that was just too bad. I wasn’t about to sit in the bedroom and listen while Kenoa berated Harton.

“What I need is for everyone to stop telling me what I need and what to do,” I snapped. Instantly, I felt bad for biting my bodyguard’s head off, particularly when his ass had already been chewed by Kenoa.

“Maybe if you’d listened to us, you wouldn’t have been poisoned,” a voice said from behind me. “Maybe you wouldn’t have almost died in a rundown apartment building with half-crazed were-dogs stalking the streets.”

I turned my head so fast, I probably had whiplash. Kai stood in the doorway of his bedroom, his expression annoyingly neutral, though he looked disheveled. My heart leapt into my throat, rendering me temporarily speechless. He’d lost the jacket and tie but still wore the suit pants and pale-blue dress shirt he’d had on at my fight. The dark stains on his shirt appeared more brown than red. Still, as a fighter, I’d seen my fair share of dried blood.

“I just wanted to talk to her. Why is that such a big deal?” I asked when I finally found my voice.

Kai took a long moment to answer. “I think you know precisely why this is a big deal.”

“I just wanted to talk to her,” I repeated, for lack of something better to say.

The king shifted his attention away from me and spoke to his best friend. “Brie needs to rest. Perhaps this should wait until we are back in Hawaii tomorrow.”

Tomorrow? No, no, no. We couldn’t leave. I couldn’t leave. It was too soon.

“Why are we going back?” I demanded, my tone tinged with hysteria. “The tournament isn’t over. I have at least one more fight.”

“Someone tried to assassinate you,” Kenoa pointed out.

“‘Assassinate’ is just a fancy word for kill. People tried to kill me last week at Pele’s,” I countered.

“Which is why I should never have allowed this trip in the first place,” Kai interjected.

“I should probably go…” Harton glanced from Kai to Kenoa to me for permission to leave.

Kenoa waved Harton toward the door. “Go. Stay in your room. Someone will be down soon to go over plans for tomorrow’s departure.”

“We aren’t leaving,” I snapped.

“This is not up for debate, Brie,” Kai said sharply.

Hands on my hips, I tossed him a glare. “Everything in life is up for debate.”

Harton scurried to the door as fast as a guy his size could manage and was gone before anyone could’ve stopped him.

Next, it was Kenoa’s turn to leave. “I’ll be around if you need me, Kai,” he promised. He turned and gave me a once-over. “You’re lucky to be alive, Brie.”

“Thanks, I guess,” I mumbled.

Kenoa slipped into the hallway, leaving Kai and me with no buffer between us. Neither the king nor I spoke right away. With Harton and Kenoa around, I’d felt much more like my normal, argumentative self. Once I was alone with Kai, all the reasons I had to avoid pissing him off came rushing back. I couldn’t look at his blank expression any longer, so I looked down at my pajamas instead. Someone had dressed me in a clean pair of sweatpants and baggy tank top from my gym bag. Someone had even thought to put fuzzy socks on my feet, which were only necessary because someone had dialed back the thermostat in the suite.

After several minutes of long, awkward silence, Kai crossed to the bar and poured himself a drink. Even if Botto hadn’t placed a moratorium on drinking, it was doubtful the king would’ve offered me a glass. Kai leaned against the countertop and scrutinized my appearance much the same way Kenoa had just a moment earlier.

I inhaled deeply through my nose and blew the breath out slowly through parted lips. Botto’s smuggling duo still needed time to organize my extraction from L.A. I needed to remain in L.A., and if I wanted to remain in L.A., I needed this conversation with the king to play out just right.

“I want to fight tomorrow,” I began evenly.

Kai sipped his cocktail and said nothing.

Great. He’s just going to let me talk myself into an early grave.

“You don’t owe me anything, I get that,” I continued.

That made Kai’s nostrils flare. “On the contrary, I believe I owe you a great deal.” His tone was sharper than any of Nico Suave’s fangs. “You have shown me just how easily I can be made a fool. I promise you, I will never make the mistake of trusting a pretty face again.
However, I do not owe you the courtesy of listening to any more of your lies,” he concluded.

Hold your temper. You deserve his ire and much worse.

“I want to fight tomorrow. That’s not a lie,” I replied, my voice low and controlled.

His drink sloshed over the sides of the glass as he slammed it down. “But it’s not the true reason you are desperate to stay, either. Is it, Brie?” Anger flashed across Kai’s expression.

Finally, I thought. Just yell. Let’s get this over with.

Infuriatingly, he didn’t raise his voice, though. He didn’t even use his voice. The intensity in his bottomless gaze spoke volumes.

Think. You have to tell him something.

“This is my first, and probably last, interkingdom fight. I’d like to see it through.”

As far as lies went, it wasn’t the worst I’d ever told. It wasn’t even a lie, really. Nonetheless, Kai was way too suspicious to buy such a boring excuse. So, I blurted out a much more believable truth.

“I’m not ready to go back to Hawaii.” I shrugged like the fate that awaited me beneath the dome on Oahu wasn’t weighing heavily on my mind. “Once the tournament is over, and there’s no longer a reason to keep up appearances, you’ll have to….” I trailed off, having no idea how to finish that sentence.

Placing both hands on the counter, Kai fixed me in the crosshairs of his narrowed gaze. “And what sort of appearance does it give off if I remain in a foreign territory—if I allow you to remain in a foreign territory—after someone poisoned you?” he demanded.

Maybe it was his poor choice of words, but my retort just popped out. “It would look like you’re not an asshole who controls my decisions.”

Kai slammed the heel of his hand against the bar in a rare display of anger. “Be serious! You nearly died. Do you understand what that means?”

His anger fueled my own, and I no longer felt the need for restraint.

“I nearly died. Me!” I shouted, jabbing my own chest so hard I was certain there would be a bruise later. “And since it’s my life, shouldn’t I be the one to decide whether to risk it? Or does being king give you dominion over that, too?”

Magic crackled in the air, both mine and his. Several lightning bolt fissures appeared in Kai’s liquor glass. The temperature dropped several degrees as the fire inside of me burned hotter and drew in the room’s warmth. Our collective breaths came out in angry white puffs.

“I will do whatever I need to do. Taking you back to Hawaii immediately is the best course forward.” Even with his temper running hot, Kai spoke in that annoyingly controlled way of his that won political allies while still being clear who was in charge.

“Oh, really? The kingdom?” I scoffed. “This isn’t about your stupid kingdom. This is about you and me. You’re punishing me for lying to you.”

Good job. This argument is really going to convince him to let you stay.

Kai’s eyes were like chips of black ice. He stared at me, shaking his head back and forth slowly as if surprised by my audacity. Then, he turned and gave me his back. “This is not punishment.” Hands shoved deep in his pants pockets, he spared me a quick glance over his shoulder. “Go to bed, Brie. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.”

My mouth fell open. Kai didn’t see my incredulous expression since he’d gone back to staring out the window and fuming inwardly. I, however, was still fuming outwardly. Tiny orange sparks flew from my fingertips and singed holes in a nearby chair as I spun and stalked into my bedroom. My fuzzy socks left flaming footprints in my wake.

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

Just before I slammed the door, I gave Kai a fiery flip of my middle finger just in case he was watching my reflection in the window.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Getting poisoned was tiring business. I slept like the dead from the moment my head hit the pillow. When I woke, the suite was eerily quiet and just as cold as it had been the previous night. A breakfast cart with pastries, eggs, avocado toast, and slices of honey ham was beside an informal dining nook that looked out on the city below. Kai’s bedroom door was shut, but the empty feeling in the hotel room suggested he wasn’t on the other side.

I eyed the muffins. If I wasn’t fighting today, I could add baked goods back to my diet. Decent food wouldn’t be so readily accessible once I ran, so I vowed to take advantage of it all. I poured myself a mug of coffee from a silver carafe and selected a cinnamon muffin, which I slathered with butter. Being poisoned seemed to trigger my appetite, because I didn’t stop with the muffin. I wolfed down a cheese Danish, three pieces of lavender cake, and all the ham. Then, I decided an omelet sounded like just the way to finish off this breakfast of forfeiters and ordered one from room service, along with a pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Moments later, someone pounded on the suite’s door. Surprisingly, my visitor waited for an invitation before barging in. When I opened the door, Botto took one look at the crumbs down the front of my shirt and plate full of pastry wrappers and shook his head.

“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded, hands on his hips.

“Carb loading.” I licked a smear of sweet cheese off my thumb. “Are you here to play messenger?”

Botto’s gaze narrowed suspiciously. “I’m here to go over strategy for this afternoon. Or have you forgotten you’re fighting today?”

“Sadly, you’re misinformed.” Turning my attention back to the breakfast cart, I fished out an apple fritter. “We’re leaving today.”

He crossed the room and sat opposite me at the table. “Says who?”

“Kai.” I tore off a corner of the fritter and popped it in my mouth. “Apparently, he doesn’t want anyone depriving him of his chance to kill me.”

Botto had been reaching for the coffee carafe but let his hand fall to the table. “What are you talking about, Brie? Did something happen last night?”

“No one told you?” I cocked my head to the side and watched the confusion grow in his eyes. “Guess not. It was an eventful evening; I was poisoned.”

Botto’s jaw dropped. Sipping my coffee, I waited for him to recover. I must have still been a little off-kilter, because it wasn’t until I told Botto that it really hit me. I’d been poisoned. Someone tried to kill me. Suddenly, I was pissed.

“How did this happen? When did this happen? Do they have the guy in custody?” Botto fired off one question after the next. He went for the coffee carafe again.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know,” I replied after a moment of thought.

Botto chose a bran muffin and began peeling the paper on one side. “Start with what you do know,” he instructed.

I relayed the scant details I had about my attempted assassination, which were few and far between. My trainer hung on every word as he dipped sections of the bran muffin in his black coffee.

“This really gums up the works,” he commented when I had finished.

My laugh was humorless. “Sorry that my brush with death is inconvenient for you,” I said dryly.

“It’s inconvenient for you, Brie,” he shot back in a low voice. Botto looked around the empty hotel suite like someone might be hiding behind the heavy drapes. “Let me see what I can find out about your departure plans. No one has said anything to me, and your name is still on the schedule for today.” He stood and frowned at the remaining bite of fritter between my sticky fingers. “Stop eating that shit. Make sure you have a bag packed like I asked. I’ll be back as soon as I know more.”

As the door closed behind him, I allowed hope to blossom within me. Botto hadn’t been informed that we were leaving today, and no one had pulled my name from the fight schedule. Those had to be good signs.

Why had no one told Botto about the poisoning, though?

Someone from the security team should’ve alerted him as soon as it happened. What about the media outlets? Had Kai paid them not to run the story? Or was it possible that no one had captured footage of me being carried out of Sienna’s apartment building?

Instead of sitting on my ass and waiting for Botto to return with answers, I decided to tap my own pool of resources. When I peeked out into the hallway, Lara was the only guard on duty.

Not my lucky day.

“Can I help you?” she asked in a flat tone.

“I’m looking for Harton,” I said with what I hoped was a winning smile. “Have you seen him?”

A smug gleam made her eyes sparkle. “Harton is confined to his room until further notice.”

There was no point asking why when I already knew the answer. “And Kai, where’s he?” I demanded.

“His Majesty,” Lara corrected pointedly, “is attending to government affairs.”

“I don’t suppose you could be more specific?”

The bodyguard shook her head.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so,” I muttered. In a louder, clearer voice, I added, “Can you at least tell me whether we’re returning to Hawaii today?”

If possible, Lara’s expression became even smugger. “It’s not my job to keep your schedule.”

She’s enjoying this, I realized. I had no intention of giving her any more satisfaction at my expense.

“Good thing there’s someone who gets paid to do that,” I replied with a wink.

Turning on my heel, I marched back inside and put in a call to Evine. The assistant sounded pleasantly surprised that I’d sought her out for once, instead of the other way around.

While I waited for her to arrive, I followed Botto’s instructions and packed a small bag. Unfortunately, the clothing I had with me in L.A. was entirely impractical for life on the run. At the bottom of my suitcase, I found a pair of lightweight wool pants that were a tad formal but would keep my legs from freezing once outside the dome.

Botto said only things I couldn’t live without, I reminded myself.

Numerous outfits were a luxury. Warm clothes, on the other hand, were a necessity. I set aside a pair of lined workout pants and matching zip-up hoodie. They weren’t going to keep me extremely warm outside of the dome but would hopefully be enough to prevent frostbite.

I didn’t have many personal items, none that I couldn’t live without. There was a scarf Cala had lent me that went inside the bag as a reminder of my best friend. I had a pair of socks that once belonged to Rocko. They were nothing special, but the dancing pineapples did make me smile no matter how crappy my mood.

“This is the sum total of crap I can’t live without?” I mumbled to myself. “Socks and a scarf. That’s pathetic.”

From inside my bedroom, Evine’s knock on the suite door was muffled. I shoved the bag beneath my bed and smoothed the bed skirt into place just as she let herself in.

“Maybrie?”

“Coming!”

Evine stood beside the breakfast cart, fixing herself a cup of coffee. Her lips twitched, fighting a scowl, as she took in my outfit of old sweats. Almost reflexively, Evine smoothed nonexistent wrinkles from her navy skirt suit.

“How are you feeling this morning?” she asked politely.

“Much better. Thank you,” I replied just as formally.

“Good to hear. The king was very worried about you when he and I spoke this morning.”

I somehow doubt that, I thought.

“His Majesty asked that I allow you to sleep in,” Evine continued, as she added almond milk to her mug. “He apologizes for leaving so early today, but he was called away on urgent business.”

“I’ve heard,” I said off-handedly, sitting on the couch. “What is this urgent business?”

Suddenly, the tablet Evine had in her lap became way more interesting than speaking with me. The tapping of her nails on the screen grated on my nerves.

“Evine?” I prompted when she didn’t answer.

Looking up, the assistant grimaced as though the coffee was too bitter. “I think it would be best if you spoke with the king directly.”

All the secrecy about Kai’s whereabouts was starting to give me a stomachache. Lara refusing to share information with me was one thing. Evine’s uncharacteristic clamming up was another one entirely; she usually loved informing me of Kai’s comings and goings.

This day was about to get a whole lot worse, I decided.

“Fine. You can’t tell me what Kai is doing,” I began. “Can you at least tell me what I’m doing today? There seems to be a lot of confusion about that.”

Expression visibly brighter, Evine sat up straight and pulled up my schedule on her tablet. “You are free until your fight this afternoon,” she told me.

“You had to look that up?” The snide remark left my lips before my brain fully processed what she’d said. “Wait, we aren’t leaving L.A.?”

Evine shifted uneasily in her seat. “I know there was talk of potentially flying home today.” She cleared her throat, eyeing me strangely through narrowed lids. “I was told you insisted on staying to finish the tournament. Is that not correct?”

Although Evine seemed more looped in than Botto, I got the impression she didn’t know the whole story. That was the problem; Kai had left me babysitters that were either intentionally misinformed or uninformed.

“No, you’re right,” I said quickly. “I told Kai I wanted to stay and fight. I just didn’t realize he found my argument persuasive.”

He had definitely not found my argument persuasive, that had been very clear. And yet, at some point between my fight with Kai and his talk with Evine, the king had changed his mind about leaving L.A. early. I wasn’t naïve enough to believe he’d done so because I said I wanted to fight. Something else was going on.

“After your match, you and His Majesty are hosting Princess Edwina and Kenneth Renard here for dinner,” Evine said, more at ease once we’d moved on to less awkward subjects. “I’ve reviewed the items you have yet to wear; I think the best options are the sapphire gown with the jeweled collar and the long-sleeved turquoise one with the open back. Do you have a preference?”

“Whatever you think is best,” I replied offhandedly.

An outfit for dinner with the princess and her paramour, or whoever Kenneth was, rated low on my list of worries. Evine had served her purpose, and I just wanted her to leave so I could prepare for my match. I didn’t even know my opponent’s name, for Gaia’s sake.

Actually, there was one thing I needed Evine to tell me before she left.

“Did you get in trouble for arranging my outing last night?” I asked her.

She smiled thinly. “His Majesty was just worried about you.”

So, she did. Great. First Harton, then Evine.

“Of course, no amount of security can prevent food poisoning, can it?” she continued.

Food poisoning? That was the excuse she’d been given for my illness? I couldn’t keep up with who knew what and why.

Not long after Evine left, Botto showed up at the same time as my omelet service. We compared notes from our respective information sources while he ate the egg, cheese, and mushroom goodness I’d ordered for myself. Harton was suspended for the remainder of the trip for defying a direct order, since he’d been told I was not to leave the hotel. Though I’d claimed full responsibility, that didn’t assuage my guilt that he was in trouble because of me. It seemed Evine had not been given the same mandate—I could only guess no one thought it necessary—which was why she was still handling my calendar.

Aside from Kai, Kenoa, Harton and, of course, Sienna, no one knew that I’d been intentionally poisoned. Both Makani and Kritter had told Botto the food poisoning story, and it was also one of the rumors making the rounds among the other fighters. No one so much as hinted at an assassination attempt.

“Why did Kai decide to cover it up?” I wondered aloud.

Botto sighed heavily. “It doesn’t matter. What’s important is that he isn’t dragging you back to Hawaii just yet.” His next words were barely above a whisper. “Do you have your bag packed?”

I shrugged. “More or less.”

“Good. Tomorrow night, after you win the tournament, we leave for the Freelands. First, we need to talk about tonight’s competition….”

Chapter Twenty-Six

“You will have to incapacitate him early on,” Botto told me yet again as we sat in the back of the SUV on the way to the Coliseum.

“I understand,” I replied, watching Kai out of the corner of my eye.

Both he and Kenoa had decided to escort me from the hotel to the fight. I’d hoped for the chance to talk to Kai alone and ask why he’d changed his mind about leaving, but he’d only returned to the suite minutes before it was time to leave for the fight.

“Kalliban has never lost to a shifter.” Botto’s leg bounced up and down. All his nervous energy was making me anxious.

“I’m not a shifter,” I stated the obvious.

“I’m just saying, you’re going to have to fight magic with magic if you want to win.”

The press snapped pictures of the car as we passed through the back gates of the Coliseum and of security whisking me inside. Thankfully, no one got close enough to invade my personal space again.

Once inside, Kai gave me a polite nod and muttered “good luck.” Then, he strode away with the King of Los Angeles.

“Brie?” Kai called after me.

My body tensed. He won’t make a scene in front of all these people. Exhaling slowly, I turned to look over my shoulder.

“Yes?”

“I met Kalliban once. He is a very powerful warlock but not terribly controlled. I also seem to recall that he was easily riled.” The ghost of a smile flashed across his face, lancing my heart.

For that fleeting moment, it felt like maybe things between us were fixable. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

“Thanks,” I said softly to his retreating back.

Botto clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Get your head in the game. This guy has killed more of his opponents than any other fighter.”

“You could’ve kept that fact to yourself,” I muttered.

“And you need to realize how serious this fight is,” Botto shot back.

“He’s right.” Kenoa piped in. “You want to live to see tomorrow? Focus on the here and now. Focus on the things you can control. You can control this match if you embrace your magic.”

“Suddenly everyone wants to offer advice,” I grumbled.

Alone in the private dressing room, I had ten minutes before facing my first caster in the ring. In Hawaii, casters didn’t fight in the pits. That was a hell even the witches and warlocks on the lowest rung of the social ladder thought beneath them. As a general rule, casters were more delicate than fae or shifters, physically speaking. Their magic was a different story; it might have been finite but, if used correctly, it was much more powerful than mine.

I sat in front of the mirror and told my reflection that Kai’s reasons for passing along his observations didn’t matter. Winning mattered. And to win, I needed not to dwell on my relationship woes. Like Kenoa said, I had to focus on the things I could control.

“You’ve got this,” I said aloud to myself. “Casters tire quickly. Just wear him out.”

Why hasn’t Kai told anyone I was poisoned?

“Fae are naturally stronger than casters.”

Why did Kai change his mind about leaving?

“You could suck all the warmth out of the arena and wait for Kalliban to freeze to death.”

Why hasn’t Kai told his advisors that you’re a member of the rebellion?

Botto pounded on the door three times. “Time to go, Brie!”

Win tonight, and you only have to do this one more time. I stood and plastered my fake smile in place. And then, you never have to please the casters again.

“Let’s go, Brie!” Kenoa demanded impatiently. “You have thirty seconds to get your ass out here!” In my mind, I heard his unspoken, “Or I’m coming in.”

“Come on, Brie!” Botto banged again. “You don’t want to keep your fans waiting!”

I might’ve reminded him that I didn’t have a lot of fans in the stands, but I would’ve been proven a liar soon thereafter. Kelly Kat was still in the middle of my introduction as I strode onto the field, and an audible roar went up in the northwest corner of the arena. My cheering section was growing by leaps and bounds, it seemed. Admittedly, the booing was also noticeable, but I much preferred any noise over complete silence. All eyes, both friend and foe, followed me.

Are there more spectators today? It sure felt like it. They don’t matter. Focus.

“And from the Kingdom of the Philippines, show some love for Kalliban!” Kelly Kat shouted.

The caster’s introduction was met with polite applause, and I took a sick satisfaction in the fact that the fanfare for me had been much louder.

Kalliban was all broad shoulders and bulk, seeming to be solid muscle with a light layer of padding. He didn’t try to crush my hand when we shook, like so many other opponents I’d faced.

This asshole doesn’t see me as legitimate competition, I realized.

That didn’t stop him from taking the offensive as soon as the whistle blew. With a silly shimmy, Kalliban shouted an incantation I didn’t recognize. His hand flipped out, and I braced for a hit that never came. Nothing flew at me, nothing attacked me, nothing happened at all.

Scoffing at the seemingly useless spell, I advanced on my competition. My arrogance was rewarded with an explosion beneath the first and only step I took. The detonation sent me flying backward.

“Kalliban draws first blood!” Kelly Kat exclaimed.

A collective whoop went up around the arena.

Focus. The crowd doesn’t matter.

I was indeed bleeding, but only from a superficial scrape on my shoulder. I was back on my feet immediately. Kalliban smiled, as though pleased I wasn’t going to let a little toss deter me. I started toward the cocky caster again, moving slowly. Apparently, I wasn’t cautious enough; after only a few steps, another blast knocked me off my feet.

He’d set up mines all around the field.

Concentrate. You just need to be smart about this. You need to get close to him.

Upright again and bouncing on my toes, I didn’t wait to see how many more surprises Kalliban had planted. Instead, I somersaulted through the air to cover the space between us as quickly as possible. When I landed in front of him, I leapt again to level a roundhouse kick to the side of the warlock’s head.

Unprepared for my attack, he didn’t even raise an arm to protect himself. The blow connected with an audible crack. Kalliban’s neck snapped back, but he managed to mutter a spell as he fell. My fist was already pulled back to deliver a follow-up left hook. And that was where it stayed. It was as though my arm was being held back by vines with a python grip.

Kalliban grinned up at me, revealing red-tinged teeth. “So, you’re the legendary fae princess I keep hearing about.”

There was nothing worse than a talkative opponent, particularly when I was already in a crappy mood.

“I’m not a princess,” I spat. Left hand still bound with invisible ties, I swung down with my right, only to be paralyzed by the same situation.

“It’s a shame you’re wasting all your potential,” Kalliban chortled as he rolled backward and onto his feet. He threw his hands up in the air, playing to the crowd.

Arrogant prick.

Kalliban circled me with slow, sweeping steps, like he had all the time in the world. The magical restraints were holding strong despite my repeated attempts to break free.

No problem. Just keep burning through your magic, asshole.

“What’s the matter? Did life in the palace make you soft, fae?” Kalliban taunted.

Come a little closer, we’ll see who’s soft.

The caster’s circles grew smaller and smaller until he was nearly within reach. He struck first with a jab to my ribs followed by an uppercut that made my teeth rattle. Kalliban didn’t use his fists, though, preferring instead to rely on his magic.

Keep it up, you’re doing all the work for me.

Gaining more confidence with each blow, the warlock delivered one bruising hit after another.

A little closer. I just need momentum.

As though obeying the thoughts in my mind, Kalliban inched closer, just out of range of my legs. Drawing my elbows back, I used the magical hold as leverage and kicked out with both legs on the forward swing.

His chin flew up as he stumbled backward. Doubling down on his magic, Kalliban reinforced the invisible bindings, adding leg shackles and freezing my entire body in midair.

“Where is your king now? What type of man sits on a throne while his love is humiliated?” Kalliban shouted to the arena at large.

The question garnered a lot of drunken cheers. I could just imagine Kai’s blank face and Kenoa’s snort of laugher. If Kalliban thought his mind games would work on me, he was about to feel really stupid.

Fight magic with magic. I repeated Botto’s advice.

Inhaling deeply, I summoned fire. My skin began to glow orange. Kalliban’s steps faltered, as did the spell holding me captive. I drew more heat to my ankles and wrists. The caster swayed on his feet. Whatever immobilization spell he’d performed had also linked us physically. While the temperature increase didn’t bother me, Kalliban wasn’t fire resistant.

He managed to hold on until flames shot up from my palms. I fell to the ground, landing in a crouched position and ready to pounce. Fighting my magic with his own had taken a toll on the caster, leaving him paler and shakier than the cocky jerk who’d paraded around the arena just minutes before. But he wasn’t finished yet.

As I leapt toward him, Kalliban conjured a set of green, swirling orbs that he fired toward my chest in rapid succession. Twisting mid-flight, I flipped out of the projectiles’ arcs. The enchanted orbs flew over my shoulder and exploded. A wave of power rippled through the stadium.

That’s it. Keep draining your battery, I silently egged him on.

Kalliban was clearly not accustomed to losing, and he really wasn’t keen on losing to a girl. Anger had him making stupid mistakes, like firing off a spell that sent icicles hurling at my face. The frozen daggers melted on contact with the shield of flames I had conjured.

My warlock opponent howled his annoyance.

Stop playing defensive. You need to attack, I coached myself, channeling my inner-Botto.

Since there were likely still some magical landmines scattered around the field, I bounced on my toes until I built up enough energy to propel myself up and over Kalliban’s head to land behind him.

Don’t hesitate.

With a grunt, I flung an aerial kick into the side of his skull. He staggered to one side before falling forward and crashing onto his knees.

End this.

My fist was waiting for Kalliban as he fell. An uppercut to the sternum should’ve finished him enough to call the fight. It didn’t. Kalliban muttered two words, and my muscles seized. The more I struggled, the worse it became. I was nothing more than a spasming pile of fae on the dusty, dirty ground.

Shit.

I’d underestimated the warlock. It was a stupid misstep for someone who was often underestimated.

Flat on my back, head lulled to one side, I stared up at the crowd that rose above me on all sides. It was a surreal moment as I realized they didn’t care if I lived or died. They just wanted to be entertained. Going into this fight, my supporters had been greater in number. The fickle nature of the crowd was laid bare as the stands screamed for Kalliban to draw more of my blood. The sheer brutality of it all ignited a fiery wave of fury deep within my soul.

I was no one’s court jester.

Fight magic with magic.

Even as I struggled to move my limbs, my tongue worked just fine. “Shardom aerielso.”

The spell that Samira had taught me had the desired effect; Kalliban flew backward like he’d been punched in the gut by a giant. His concentration broke, and I was free to move again.

Most fae fighters would’ve continued to battle with elemental magic. I was not most fae fighters. Plus, throwing fireballs wouldn’t have been nearly as satisfying to release the white-hot rage coursing through my veins. I unleashed a tidal wave of aggression on Kalliban, my fist connecting with his smirking mouth over and over until his jaw went slack.

“Why so angry, princess?” he slurred. Despite the taunt, Kalliban choked a little on the words. Coughing up blood, he spat on the ground.

“Ready to concede?” I countered.

The caster chuckled, spraying more crimson droplets on the arena floor. Slowly, he climbed to his feet. “It’s going to take more than that, faeling.”

I was tall, but Kalliban had at least a foot on me. Using my lower center of gravity, I barreled forward. When my shoulder connected with his gut, I kept my feet driving forward, channeling my anxiety over the future into this fight. It was like defeating the warlock had some greater cosmic importance than just me advancing to the final round.

With one more particularly hard shove, Kalliban toppled backward. His spine slammed against the hard ground, and a weak wheeze flew from his mouth. I’d given him the opportunity to lose with some of his dignity still intact. That offer had expired the instant he’d refused to tap out.

The warlock’s lips moved as he tried to eke out one last spell with the little useable magic he had left.

I screamed the incantation for a blocking spell that Samira had taught me. “Magnias enfilium!”

Panic flashed in Kalliban’s eyes as I advanced yet again. We both knew he was fighting a losing battle. And yet, he still had too much pride to concede.

Have it your way, buddy.

I doubled my physical efforts, delivering one punishing blow after the next. As his face became bloodied and bruised, the caster never struck back. Without his magic, Kalliban was defenseless.

Until my spell wore off, anyhow.

“Jersalisis swizz….” Kalliban mumbled, thankfully unable to finish the spell with what I assumed was a broken jaw.

Just end it. Put both of you out of your misery, I lectured myself.

After one more right hook served with a headbutt, the fight was finally over. It wasn’t because Kalliban gave up, though; the refs called the match. Blood poured freely from my opponent’s swollen nose and split lip, and a twinge of humanity hit me. Holding out one hand, I helped Kalliban to his feet.

Instead of trying any dirty tricks, he leaned his weight on my side as one ankle hung at an unnatural angle. When a ref rushed over to us, I waved him away. The righteous fury I’d felt in the heat of battle dissipated as I helped Kalliban to the medics waiting with healing potions. Though it might have been my victory moment, it didn’t feel like a victory.

Does it ever really feel like a victory? I wondered.

As Kelly Kat boomed my name through the arena, I limped back to the locker room, in no mood for a celebration.

I had one night left with Kai. He might hate me forever, and I wouldn’t blame him. But I wanted one last chance to explain what had happened. Not for me. For him. He didn’t deserve to spend the rest of his life doubting his judgment after placing both his love and his trust in someone who’d proven so unworthy.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Back at the suite, I downed another shot of Samira’s healing tonic to help my battered body recover. Dinner with Princess Edwina and Kenneth Renard had slipped my mind until I found Evine laying out my outfit options, complete with accessories.

I politely asked my assistant to scram.

“Are you sure?” Evine wrung her hands.

“I’d really like to be alone,” I called on my way to the bathroom.

“His Majesty thought—” She stopped abruptly, clearly worried she’d said too much already.

I spun on my heel. “Thought what, Evine?”

Pursing her lips, she averted her gaze. “He thought you might want company while you got ready.”

“You mean he asked you to babysit me,” I scoffed.

“The king was worried about you being alone after such an intense fight,” she said, selecting her words with more care than a royal jeweler chose stones for monarch jewelry.

If he’s so worried, he could talk to me directly, I thought, annoyed.

Only Kenoa and Botto had returned from the Coliseum with me, while Kai had remained behind with the other royals.

“I know it’s none of my business…,” Evine started. They were words only spoken when someone was about to butt into your private business, so I steeled myself. “I don’t know why you and His Majesty are fighting, but he was very concerned about you after last night. He was by your side the entire time you were unconscious. I just thought you should know that.”

My throat constricted with the words. A lump in my throat grew until it was difficult to swallow. “Was he? I don’t remember much.”

“I know, I know, royal etiquette is not something that you like to comply with,” she continued, “but the king only wants to keep you safe. I’m not sure you appreciate the danger you’re in on a regular basis. His directives are only aimed at keeping you safe.”

Not long ago, I would’ve believed that all of Kai’s orders regarding me had been purely related to my protection. Now, I was positive that they weren’t. Kenoa was sitting in the main room of the suite, not to keep me safe from anyone who might enter but to prevent me from leaving. Same was true of the guards stationed in the hallway.

Instead of telling Evine the truth, I gave her a tight-lipped smile. “I’d really like to be alone,” I repeated.

Evine was at least somewhat cognizant that she wasn’t in the know about everything going on with Kai and I, because she hesitated before leaving. Turning back to me at the door, she gave me a quick nod. “I thought your gold bangle would look nice with all the options I left out for you, but it wasn’t in your jewelry box.”

“It’s probably in with my laundry. I was wearing it last night,” I replied, the lie not quite so smooth since she’d caught me off guard. “I’m sure it’s here somewhere. I’ll find it.”

“Do you want me to—”

“No,” I interjected quickly. “I’ll find it. Go eat dinner. Watch a movie. Do whatever it is you usually do in the evenings.”

“If you’re sure?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Evine left without another word, and I sighed heavily as the door closed behind her. The bangle had been a last-minute addition to my go-bag, which was still stashed under my bed, ready to incriminate me even further if it were ever found. I packed it because I wanted something to remember what it had felt like to be in love. Practicality played a part, too; the beautiful gold piece was worth a small fortune, and I could always hock it in a pinch. Food and clothes cost money, and the Hawaiian government would immediately seize all of mine once I went on the run.

The warm shower should’ve gone a long way to offsetting the deep ache in my muscles, but Kalliban’s magic had left a mark. It wasn’t anything that could’ve been fixed with a healing tonic. This was more like a bruise on my soul and possibly my brain. No amount of steam or sandalwood bodywash helped.

Of the three outfits that Evine had selected, none felt quite right for a private dinner. Since this was her area of expertise and not mine, I dutifully dressed in the turquoise evening gown and a pair of black stilettos that added four inches to my height. Only because Evine had specifically mentioned the bangle did I retrieve it from the bag beneath my bed. Drying my hair with heated palms, I left it in loose waves around my shoulders.

Kai, Edwina, and Kenneth arrived together, again eliminating any chance of me speaking to the king alone.

There will be plenty of time for that after our guests leave, I convinced myself.

Welcoming Edwina and Kenneth to the suite like it was a true royal residence, I played the part of gracious hostess. Kai fixed cocktails for himself and our guests, then he stirred a club soda with lime for me to sip on. It could’ve been an awkward moment that spoke volumes about the state of our relationship, but Edwina and Kenneth both seemed to understand that fighters abstained from alcohol before matches.

Conversation was light and superficial. The princess and Kenneth had spent the morning touring a long-term care facility for depleted casters with Queen Katherine, and Kai wanted to hear all about the cutting-edge restorative tonics being tested. Luckily, this line of conversation took us all the way through cocktail hour; I wasn’t expected to participate, which suited me just fine.

Dinner was served on the rooftop by caster waiters with white gloves. The others drank wine and reminisced about days long past, at some camp they’d all attended for royals and other affluent casters. Kai made some weak attempts to include me in the discussion, but I had nothing to contribute and a lot on my mind. He was polite and formal with me, which caused Edwina’s eyebrows to raise every so often. Kenneth at least took notice, because he pointedly ignored the situation.

Roasted chicken and steamed cauliflower were served to me, per Botto’s instructions, while the others dined on large peppers stuffed with jalapeño cheese and chunks of tenderloin. I managed to eat the vegetables with little difficulty, but the meat didn’t sit well in my burdened gut.

“I imagine you must still be feeling poorly after last night,” Edwina said kindly, when she noticed I was pushing chicken pieces around my plate.

“You’d never have guessed by your performance earlier,” Kenneth chimed in. “You were magnificent.” He raised his wine glass in toast to me. “Your fight was all I’d been promised and more.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “And I’m fine, really, Edwina. I ate a huge breakfast this morning, and my adrenaline is still running high. I’m just not very hungry.” I explained away my lack of appetite with a half-truth.

“I hear you’ll be going up against Andres tomorrow in the finals,” Kenneth said, as he handed the server his empty plate. “He is one of the best fighters I’ve ever seen.”

“So is Brie,” Edwina countered. Though there was still half an uneaten pepper on her plate, she motioned for the server to clear it away. “That’s where I’m putting my money.” She turned a radiant smile on Kai. “I know you’re not much of a betting man, but you must agree that your girlfriend is about to get her first crown.”

I’d been so concentrated on staying in the tournament to give Botto’s smuggler friends more time to plan the extraction, that the competition itself had faded into the background. In that instant, I remembered that I’d come to L.A. to fight. Correction, I’d come to L.A. to win. Now, only one competitor stood between me and victory. That realization should’ve filled me with pride. Instead, I just felt nauseated. Any stunning win by me at the Interkingdom Championships would forever be marred by the treasonous acts I’d committed, and the daring escape I planned to commit.

Dessert was raspberry- and chocolate-swirl sorbet served in crystal goblets with edible gold spoons, which I politely declined. Then came after-dinner glasses of sherry, followed by cigars, both of which I also passed on. I usually didn’t mind the smell of cigar smoke, I even sort of liked it on occasion—but tonight wasn’t one of those occasions. Even outdoors, the sweet, woodsy scent was cloying. My eyes started to water, and Kai’s face swam across the table.

“Brie, are you okay?” he asked, sounding as though he genuinely cared.

“Fine. Just exhausted.”

I drank half the contents of my water glass in one gulp, which only made matters worse as the liquid began sloshing in my stomach. Standing made the world spin faster, causing me to grip the table so that I wouldn’t fall over. Kai and Kenneth both stood, as well.

“I’m so sorry, if you all would excuse me, I think I need to lie down,” I mumbled.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Brie?” Kai rounded the table and placed a hand on my back. “Why don’t I help you to your room?”

“I’m fine,” I tried to say.

But I wasn’t fine. Far from it. It was like the previous night at Sienna’s, only worse. So much worse. Because in that next moment, everything I’d eaten that day spewed all over Princess Edwina. I felt too sick to be embarrassed.

“Brie!” Kai shook my shoulder as he screamed my name frantically.

I stared up at him, unsure how I’d ended up on the hard ground. Ultimately, I wasn’t terribly surprised to find myself there. My lips couldn’t move to form the words that I spoke in my head. The darkness closing in on all sides was so inviting, I let my eyelids fall shut.

“No, Brie. Stay with me!” Kai’s hands cupped my cheeks. “Wake up, Brie! Wake up now!”

There were footsteps in the distance, clacking with such force that I felt like my teeth were rattling. They were Edwina’s heels on the rooftop, I decided.

“Is this what she was like last night?” Kenneth asked.

It felt like every nerve in my body was on fire. The pain was agonizing, like nothing I’d ever experienced.

Let go, I thought. Just let go.

“Brie didn’t have food poisoning last night, did she?” Kenneth pressed when Kai didn’t answer his first question.

“What? Why would you ask that?” Kai demanded. His gripped one of my hands in both of his and squeezed so tightly, I thought at least two of my fingers broke.

I didn’t have the energy to care.

“Because she doesn’t have food poisoning now,” Kenneth said with forced calm.

My ears perked up even as it felt like they were starting to bleed.

“Pull up her sleeve. Let me see her arm,” Kenneth continued.

I moaned audibly as Kai rolled back the sleeve of my dress. My eyelashes must’ve braided together at some point; no matter how hard I tried to pull my lids apart, I couldn’t manage the seemingly herculean feat.

“Shit,” Kenneth muttered.

Kai squeezed my hand even tighter. “What? What is it?”

This time, when I heard footsteps, they were coming toward me. The princess had probably returned with reinforcements. Once again, I tried and failed to open my eyes.

A woman gasped, and someone that sounded like Kenoa swore loudly.

“Were her veins that purple color last night?” Kenneth demanded. “What about her stomach? Or maybe her back? Was there a mark? Something that looked like a web?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t notice anything,” Kai replied frantically. Then, in his most kingly voice, he added, “Someone tell me what is wrong with her. Right now. Now.” The word was practically barked with concern and anger in equal parts.

I didn’t need to hear the answer; purple veins, a spiderweb marking on the torso, flu-like symptoms…this was ancient, cursed magic at work. Someone had literally poisoned my magic. Every time I used it, I would become sicker. As if poisoning another person wasn’t bad enough, this type of spell required tainted, dirty magic—magic forcibly taken from another. The culprit was a nasty assassin who had no qualms with playing dirty.

“She got better after last night,” Kai insisted when I tuned back into the conversation. “I gave her my magic. She got better.” His voice cracked on the last word.

“You did what?” Kenoa barked in a tone that no one ever used with a monarch. “Why would you do that, Kai?”

“I thought she was dying!” he replied in an indignant tone. “I had to do something. When casters get sick like this, an infusion of magic, in addition to the healing tonics, can usually help them fight off the effects of any poison.” The king sounded like a scared, defensive boy who’d been caught raiding the royal liquor cabinet.

“Brie isn’t a caster,” Kenoa shot back.

In my addled state, I couldn’t wrap my head around why he was so pissed.

“It helped, didn’t it? She was better this morning,” Kai answered, his tone desperate and pleading.

“She was better, not cured,” Kenneth interjected evenly, in what I could only imagine was an attempt to calm the other two men.

“How do I cure her?” Kai wanted to know.

The rooftop fell silent. No one knew the answer to that question. Well, one person did. I barely had the strength to remain conscious any longer, let alone explain a spell that might only exist in myth. But I did know someone else who’d grown up in Fae Canyon, someone who would’ve heard the same tales that I had.

I squeezed Kai’s hand as hard as I could manage.

“Brie? Talk to me.”

I breathed in the scent of his stupidly expensive cologne as he leaned his ear close to my mouth.

“Sienna,” I whispered. “Find Sienna.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“You said you could help.” Kai spoke in a hushed voice, and yet his annoyance rang clearly.  “You said if I brought you to her, you could help.”

“No,” Sienna replied. “I said I might know how to help.”

How long had I been unconscious? It had been long enough for someone to move me from the roof to my bed and for Kai to locate Sienna. The pain had subsided to the point of being bearable, but my body still throbbed. My eyelids peeled apart with a great deal of effort. A sliver of light shone beneath the door to the main room of the suite, which was where the voices were coming from.

“And do you?” Kai pressed.

“Yes,” Sienna hedged. “It’s sort of tricky, though.”

“Stop playing games,” Kenoa interjected. “If you know how to break the curse, tell us. If not, we’re done here.”

“I do know how to break the curse,” Sienna told him calmly. “But you two haven’t lived up to your end of the bargain.”

Bargain? Gaia, what did they promise her?

“It is the middle of the night, Sienna. A royal pardon is not that easy to obtain when everyone is asleep,” Kai replied.

A royal pardon? Why does she need a royal pardon?

“And your fae isn’t that easy to kill,” Sienna countered. “She’ll live through the night. Hell, she’ll live for another few days, maybe even a week. She’ll undoubtedly wish she was dead as the effects progress, but she won’t die. Once I have my pardon, I’ll tell you how to break the curse.”

As much as I didn’t want to, I had to respect Sienna’s nerve. She was playing hardball with a caster king—not something that happened very often beneath the domes. Unfortunately for her, Kai wasn’t that easy to manipulate.

“I gave Brie my magic the other night,” he said evenly. “And in the morning, she was better. I realize now that the infusion was only a temporary bandage.” Kai paused to let his words sink in. “I have already given her enough to keep her comfortable for now. Once she wakes up, Brie can likely tell us how to break the curse herself. You will no longer be necessary. After the way you have treated her, I have no qualms letting you rot in prison until King Ronald sees fit to carry out your punishment.”

“Your choice,” Kenoa added, like he and Kai were playing bad cop, worse cop.

Sienna was silent, but I could imagine her smug expression. The guys thought they had her over a barrel. Only she and I knew the real reason I’d sent Kai to her.

“No, dear king,” Sienna countered. “It’s your choice. Brie may know what needs to be done, but you’ll still need my help to find the right person.” Her triumphant tone might’ve made me smile had the circumstances not been so dire.

“There are plenty of powerful casters in Hawaii,” Kenoa said carefully. “We can take Brie back there to get her help.”

“You could,” Sienna agreed easily.

Unable to stay out of it any longer, I threw back the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed. The room spun wildly. Closing my eyes, I concentrated on slowly breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth.

“Your caster magic has limits,” Sienna continued. “It’s a bandage, as you said yourself. Brie will need more and more of it to keep going. If you leave immediately, she might live long enough to make it back to your kingdom, but you’ll deplete yourself.”

The door couldn’t have been more than twenty feet from the bed, but it might as well have been a mile. Every step took an exhaustive amount of energy, like I was trudging through quicksand in water-logged boots.

“Even then, you’ll still have a big problem on your hands,” Sienna advised as I finally reached the door. “You will still need to find someone willing and able to break the curse.”

I leaned heavily against the door for a moment to catch my breath.

“I have someone in mind,” Kai assured her.

“Samira can’t help,” I wheezed as I pushed the door open.

“Brie!” Kai had been pacing back and forth in the center of the room but rushed over when I stumbled out of the bedroom. “You should be resting.”

“You guys are talking about me and my life,” I panted. “I should be right here.”

Kai wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me upright. I sidestepped out of his grip and used the wall for support instead. Turning my attention to Sienna, I found her sitting on the couch with her hands folded in her lap.

“Thank you for coming,” I said. My tone was the nicest I could muster when it felt like I was wearing a steel corset.

“Not like I had much of a choice.” She studied me through narrowed eyes. “You look like shit.”

I ignored the dig. “What do you mean you didn’t have a choice?”

Beside me, Kai cleared his throat uncomfortably. “You should lie back down, Brie,” he said. His voice held the same detached air that he’d been using with me in public since I told him about my involvement with the rebellion.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” I grumbled. With everything going on, I was done tiptoeing around Kai. Pretending we were a perfect couple was too exhausting. “I want to know why Sienna needs a royal pardon.”

Sweat soaked my shirt, making the fabric cling to my back. As I swayed slightly, I cursed myself for being so stubborn as to refuse to go back to bed simply because Kai had suggested it.

“When the girlfriend of a foreign caster king keels over in your apartment, people tend to ask a lot of questions,” Sienna explained, when neither Kai nor Kenoa offered up the information. She leveled me with an icy glare. “Even if that girlfriend is a fae. No one really wants to hear the answers, though.”

“I have promised to speak with King Ronald on your behalf.” The look Kai gave Sienna was almost as cold as the one she’d given me.

“I’m going to need more than the promise of a caster,” she replied flippantly. “No offense.” The attitude in her voice directly conflicted with those last two words.

Exhausted, and not in the mood for games, I met her gaze levelly. “Can you break the curse, Sienna?”

In my peripheral vision, I saw Kai and Kenoa exchange uneasy glances. Instead of turning to them, I kept my focus on the air fae who’d once been my best friend. Her expression remained emotionless. Only she and I knew precisely what I was asking of her. If the stories were true, there was only one way to combat a dark spell cast with tainted magic: using another dark spell cast with tainted magic. If Sienna admitted she could break the curse, she would also be admitting that she’d stolen magic; that was a capital offense in any kingdom.

“What’s it worth to you?” she asked.

Both Kai and Kenoa seemed to appreciate there was a lot more going on beneath the surface than what was being said. Their eyes darted between me and Sienna like they were watching an intense tennis match.

“What do you want?” I countered. It took immense effort to project confidence into my voice when I was gasping for air that never seemed to reach my lungs.

Sienna smiled coyly. “I want what all fae want. So few of us appreciate it unless it’s gone, though.”

It wasn’t exactly a riddle, yet Kai and Kenoa weren’t following what she was saying. I knew exactly what she meant. My father and the other elders in Fae Canyon often used a variation of the phrase as a warning to children to keep them from sneaking out. They were words both Sienna and I should have heeded long ago. If we had, Gregory would still be alive, Sienna wouldn’t be striking bargains with people she hated, and I wouldn’t be facing a drastically reduced life expectancy.

Freedom. That was Sienna’s price.

There was no hesitation on my part.

“Done,” I told her.

I would have the smugglers extract Sienna instead of me. Maybe it was a stupid trade—she would break the curse and save my life just so I could be publicly executed—but a part of me felt that I owed this to her.

“Brie.” The warning in Kai’s tone set my teeth on edge.

Daggers were duller than the glare I shot him. “This is between Sienna and me now.”

“When?” Sienna asked me.

Breathing, let alone speaking, became harder with each word. The wall was great support but did nothing to stop my muscles from liquifying. I needed to lay down immediately.

“I have to win first,” I mumbled, my voice fading along with my consciousness.

Kai caught me before I became a puddle of fire fae on the suite floor. This time, I didn’t fight him. I was too tired to be prideful.

“Help her!” Kai shouted frantically.

“After she wins, I’ll break the curse,” Sienna replied sweetly.

Kenoa’s menacing growl sent a shiver up my spine. “How’s she supposed to fight in this condition?”

“Not my problem.” Sienna shrugged. “But I guess we’re all about to find out just how much the caster king loves his feisty little fighter, aren’t we?”

This doesn’t bode well, I thought, just before I passed out.

*****

I woke up in my bed sometime after sunrise, feeling surprisingly well. Then, it hit me. There was only one way I could feel this good; Kai must have nearly depleted himself to help me. If he was willing to give me his magic to save my life, he didn’t hate me as much as I’d feared. I had to see him immediately.

Leaping from my bed with an extra bounce in my step, I went in search of Kai.

Don’t get your hopes up, I told myself. Kai may have been king, but his advisory council still had a say in the kingdom’s affairs. Even if he still cared about me, his advisors had never liked me.

“Kai! Kai, where are you?” I called.

“He’s resting.” Kenoa’s deep voice came from near the breakfast nook.

The bold aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the suite. My mouth began to water at the thought of caffeine. I took a deep breath as I crossed the room to join Kenoa, steeling myself for the first of many uncomfortable conversations in my near future. The water fae poured coffee into a mug and offered it to me.

“Is Kai okay?” I asked stiffly, easing down in the chair across from him.

Kenoa lifted his own coffee cup to his lips, eyes glued to my face the entire time. “What did you promise Sienna?”

So, this is how this is going to go….
Well, two could play the evasion game.

“Kenoa, where is Kai?”

He shook his head and laughed humorlessly. “You don’t need to tell me the truth, Brie. You do owe it to him, though. Kai’s the one who’s going to have to make good on your end of this devil’s bargain.”

No, he won’t, I thought. Botto is the one who will be fulfilling my promise.

Not that telling Botto what I’d done was going to be much easier than telling Kai. Likely, it would prove harder. If my trainer and his friends were anything like the people I’d worked with in the rebellion, they wouldn’t like a last-minute change of plans. It was going to take a lot of finagling, a fair amount of begging, and all the money in my accounts to get the smugglers to agree to extract Sienna in my place.

I sighed loudly and set my untouched coffee mug on the table. “I know I messed up. I don’t expect you or Kai to forgive me. I am sorry, though. I’m sorry for everything that has happened. I’m even sorrier for everything that will happen once we return to Hawaii.”

Kenoa nodded slowly. “Yeah, me too. He’s in his room.”

“Thank you for last night.”

He stared up at me curiously.

“I know Kai gave me a lot of magic. Too much of his magic,” I said pointedly. “I’m assuming he did it so I can fight today and then keep my promise to Sienna. Someone would’ve had to share their magic with him in return. Only one person would’ve helped him so he could help me. So, thanks. Honestly.”

Without waiting for a response, I headed for Kai’s room. It was long past time that he and I had a real talk, whether I was ready for that conversation or not. Knocking lightly on the door, I entered without an invitation.

The lights were on but dim. Kai’s long, lean form was stretched lengthwise on the canopied bed. He looked so young, so vulnerable, in his monogrammed silk pajamas and matching plaid robe. Dark hair curled over his forehead when he turned to look at me, a smile lighting up his gorgeous but haggard face. The weight on my chest lifted, if only temporarily.

“Hey,” he rasped.

“May I come in?” I asked quietly.

Kai patted the mattress beside him and sat up straighter. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

I perched on the edge of the bed. “The real question is, how are you feeling?”

“Not at my best,” he admitted. His mischievous grin looked like the one he used to give me before we had come to L.A. “Better now that you’re here.”

When he reached for my hand, the touch brought tears to my eyes.

“You shouldn’t have given me your magic,” I said. The tears poured freely onto my cheeks and dripped down my chin. “I didn’t deserve it. Not after—”

“Stop.” Kai squeezed my hand. “Let me talk first, okay?”

I nodded and bit my bottom lip.

“I know you had nothing to do with my mother’s death.”

The statement couldn’t have been more impactful than if he’d been sentencing me to death. Tears poured out faster and my sobs came louder.

“I know fae-caster relations in the Hawaiian Kingdom are bad,” he continued, picking at a hangnail on the thumb of his free hand until blood welled up around the nailbed. “I am not sure I realized just how bad. And I definitely did not truly appreciate how much things had devolved in the other kingdoms.” He sighed. “Well, maybe the bigger issue is that I never considered the divide quite so deeply until I met you. You, Brie, have opened my eyes to a reality I was blind to for most of my life.”

Is this a fever dream? I wondered. It was everything I’d ever wanted to hear from him. It couldn’t be real.

“I guess what I am saying,” Kai continued, “very badly by the way, is that I can understand why you—a fae ripped from her home—would join the rebellion.” His expression hardened, making my adrenaline skyrocket. “Let me be clear, I do not agree with their tactics. Still, I do understand.”

What about forgiveness? I wanted to ask the question but was too afraid of rejection.

Understanding my motivations and forgiving me for lying to him were very different things. I would’ve been a fool to think otherwise.

“I’m so sorry, Kai. I don’t think I can ever say that enough.” My voice broke. This conversation was even harder than I’d anticipated.

His politician’s mask fell into place. “Actions speak louder than words.”

Oh, Gaia. This is not good.

“Maybe you could spend the next few years making it up to me?” he suggested.

Was he saying what I thought he was saying? This emotional rollercoaster had a few too many loops for my taste. Woman up. Just ask him.

“What are you going to do? Are you going to have me tried for treason?”

Kai averted his gaze. My heart plummeted. I’d been right; understanding didn’t equal forgiveness.

“No, Brie,” he said finally. “I do not have any interest in putting you on trial.”

I sucked in a breath. “What about your advisors?”

“Only the sitting monarch can sign an arrest warrant for a treason charge.” His grip tightened on my hand. “Just leave my advisors to me. I’ll handle it.”

My arms wound around his neck, as he grabbed my waist to pull me closer. It had only been days, but it felt like months since the last time he held me like that. The kiss sealed our reunion with a perfect bow. Kai’s shoulders surged in a shrug. Or maybe it was a sob. Either way, Kai’s voice came out strained and slightly choked.

“I love you, Brie.”

The rush of emotions within me were too intense. My tears were from both joy and relief, and yet I only felt a modicum of either. Our relationship was on the mend, but our problems were far from over.

Enjoy this moment. Worry about all the rest later.

“I love you, too,” I murmured against his mouth. “I love you so, so much.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Press interviews took up most of the morning. Having Kai in my proverbial corner once again made dealing with the reporters much less daunting. And dealing with the reporters gave me an excuse to postpone discussing the change in escape plans with Botto. I figured if I waited until closer to departure time, there was a better chance the extraction would still move forward.

Avoiding private conversations with my trainer, however, meant I had very little insight into my final opponent until the ride over to the arena.

“He’s, um…a were-eagle.” Botto studied my face expectantly, anticipating what my response would be to this new information.

I didn’t disappoint. “You’re kidding, right?” My voice rose an octave. “Were-eagles aren’t a thing.”

“There’s a were-peacock that bartends at Hideout; is a were-eagle so far-fetched?” Botto countered.

“I once met a were-pigeon,” Kai interjected helpfully.

“There’s also a were-rat that lives on Paui Beach,” Kenoa chimed in. “There are all sorts of were-animals.”

My trainer glared at the other men before returning his attention to me. “You’ll be fine, as long as you don’t hesitate when it comes to using your magic.”

Right, and then I’ll just have to hope Sienna keeps her word.

Before I knew it, we were at the back entrance of the arena. This was it, the finals of the Interkingdom Championship. With everything else going on, it finally hit me that I was a contender for the title. Cala, Rocko, and hopefully even Everly, would be watching the fight on TV. That fact bolstered my confidence some.

“Do you want me to stay with you?” Kai asked outside the private dressing room.

I shook my head. “I need the few minutes of solitude after…well, everything.”

Bending down, he kissed me softly on the cheek. “I’ll see you in the winner’s circle when you’re standing atop the podium.”

For the next ten minutes, I sat alone in my dressing room, feeling oddly content for someone battling a nasty curse sure to kill her unless a self-declared frenemy kept her word. But just because my relationship with Kai was on the mend didn’t mean all my troubles were behind me. First and foremost, I needed to concentrate on what was right in front of me—beating this were-eagle and winning, which is the whole reason I came to L.A.

Botto and Kenoa walked with me from the dressing room to the arena floor. Both men wished me luck as Kelly Kat hyped the crowd for my entrance.

“Witches and warlocks, fae and shifters, please put your hands together one last time for the fiery female from the Hawaiian Kingdom,” Kelly swept her hand in my direction. “Maybrie Hawkins!”

About half of the stadium clapped politely, the sound overshadowed by the mighty roar of my small but dedicated cheering section. I stood a little taller and squared my shoulders.

You deserve to be here. Show them that.

“And now, hot off his win at the European Cup, your hometown hero, the champion of Los Angeles…Andres Beachcomber!” Even Kelly clapped wildly for the were-eagle.

The deafening roar for my competitor didn’t discourage me. Neither did the sweep of his massive arms that transformed into feathered wings with a span over fifteen feet. Andres flashed a smile to his admirers, a cocky gleam making his dark eyes sparkle predatorily.

Challenge accepted, I thought.

Adrenaline surged through my veins. Kai’s magic came alive inside of me and gave me strength like I’d never known.

The whistle blew. Andres and I began to circle one another.

Don’t let him shift fully, I coached myself.

If he did, it would be incredibly difficult to apply the powerful fighting skills I had ingrained in my repertoire. Botto’s training hadn’t included the possibility of an airborne opponent, since I’d never faced one before.

As if Gaia was dialed in to my thoughts and prayers, Andres’ confidence drew the feathered extensions back into human form. He clearly didn’t believe he needed the shifter abilities while fighting me. It was a mistake that so many prideful male competitors had made before him. And precisely the edge I needed to win this fight.

Bring it on, I thought, bouncing on my toes.

His first lunge was practically lazy. Since I wasn’t sure I’d get another opportunity, I took the opening. Before he could process that I was flying through the air, we were tumbling in the dust. When I swung with a vicious uppercut, he turned his head to the side with a languidness that annoyed me. Luckily, my left fist was already clenched and swinging. The smirk vanished from Andres’ face as I connected solidly with the strong line of his jawbone. Blood sprayed in a mist from his mouth.

Giving him time to recover would’ve been a mistake. Instead, I jerked my knee forward with all the tension and aggression from within my body. The single move held every emotion that I’d been clinging to—fear, hope, anger, and despair. Andres realized what was happening a moment too late. While he was able to jerk his body away to avoid the full brunt of my attack, I still caught his delicate bits with enough impact that satisfaction surged through me.

Whether it was the pain or sheer will on his part, Andres shifted into an enormous eagle in a heartbeat.
A single flap of wings took him skyward. Had I been a spectator instead of his competitor, I would’ve been in awe of the power behind such a move.

Shit, shit, shit, I thought.

I went on the defensive, my palms burning as I chucked two fireballs upward. Andres’ caw sounded like laughter to my ears as he lazily dodged the flaming orbs. The shifter wanted to dance, and I was hyped by the idea of a worthy opponent.

It was time to take off the training wheels.

My fingertips tingled as I embraced the power of Kai’s caster magic flowing through me. The heat in my palms was familiar, welcome, and far more intense than the lackadaisical effort of the previous lob. Andres batted at the second round of fireballs like a cat playing with a mouse, but the flames singed his feathers and smoke swirled in the air around the massive bird.

Not nearly enough.

As Andres rose further from the ground, his wingspan seemed to increase exponentially. He circled above me several times. Then, without warning, he dove down. I ducked and tried to roll out of harm’s way, but Andres was too quick. The eagle’s sharp talons scraped the back of my neck.

Don’t let him fly off with you in his grip, I told myself.

Flames shot out of me in every direction. Andres cawed angrily as the fire scorched his bird toes and undercarriage. He darted skyward before I could inflict further damage.

With my competitor on the run, I should’ve given chase, but I briefly hesitated. Deep down, I’d always feared that unleashing the extent of my magic might kill my opponent. With Kai’s magic inside of me, that outcome was even more likely. Though, I also hated to give the casters the type of magical spectacle that they craved; the sickly smell of incinerated vampire had haunted me ever since that fateful night on the beach in Fae Canyon.

When the eagle dove at me a second time, his talons slicing across my face and chest, I knew this fight was about to become ugly and potentially deadly. If I didn’t go for the jugular, Andres would.

Too late, I thought as the eagle’s iron grip closed around my shoulders.

My feet were swept out from under me. It was instinct that drew out my magic, heating my skin to the melting point of tungsten. An ear-piercing squawk rang out through the arena. Next thing I knew, Andres flung me into the hard, steel side of the fight enclosure. My shoulder connected with the cold and unforgiving surface, and I cringed as hard as the cheers from the hometown crowd.

I underestimated this one.

Andres left me in a heap on the dirt and took a victory lap around the upper levels of the arena. The crowd chanted his name while I cursed it.

Let’s do this, asshole.

Maintaining my prone position on the ground, I took advantage of the fact he thought I was done. Feigning an injury allowed time for my head to stop ringing and my magic to rebuild inside of me. I waited until my hands burned so hot that I could barely stand the heat. Then I waited longer.

Andres flapped his massive wings, continuing what he thought was his victory lap. His attention was on the whooping crowd, the cheers bolstering his already inflated ego. The were-eagle was convinced the fight was over and that his victory was only seconds from being recorded in the history books. He did a double loop and ignored my existence, like I was simply an extra in the movie of his life.

Arrogance isn’t attractive on anyone.

The acrid smell of burnt feathers filled the arena, followed by Andres’ high-pitched cawing. Midnight-black smoke surrounded the eagle, who was plummeting toward the earth at a dizzying speed. This time, I didn’t hesitate to kick him while he was down; I hit him with a massive fireball while he was falling. It made contact on the eagle’s breast. The screech that echoed through the air was inhuman.

Jackpot.

Andres slammed into the ground with such force, it rocked the stadium’s foundation. The stone sides that lined the upper echelons of the arena shook. It wasn’t the physical impact, so much as the magical one, that made the stands sway.

Strike again now.

I raced across the dusty ground, closing the distance between us. My feet left the ground as I pounced. Though Andres still had talons, I had anger, hurt, and determination on my side—being poisoned did that to a girl. As my knee found a kidney, Andres rolled onto his back to avoid further assault. It was another crucial mistake on his part. The shifter’s most vulnerable areas became accessible, and I slammed my right fist into his throat. My clenched left hand found his ribcage over and over again. Bones cracked with a sickening crunch that I found perversely rewarding.

Andres wings closed around my back and pulled me close to smother the attack before I could breathe new life into it. In such cramped quarters, I could think of only one move; I slammed my forehead into his. The impact was slightly lower than I’d intended, and it jarred my skull. Luckily, it also broke his nose. The blood sprayed like a sprinkler that had just switched on, plasma gushing in infrequent spurts and sprays, followed by a steady stream. Andres’s handsome features were going to be marred by dual black eyes in the morning.

Proving that he had more determination than I’d given him credit for, Andres rolled to one side and deftly pushed himself to a standing position. Fully human, he slammed a heel into my side and sent me to my knees. I hadn’t expected a kickboxing-style move and was ill-prepared for the crushing blow.

Shit. He’s a much better combatant than anyone I’ve faced. Ever.

I couldn’t afford to let Andres land another blow. I was on my feet in a heartbeat. In the three strides that separated us, I unleashed the full extent of my power. My entire body was aflame when my shoulder collided with Andres’s bare chest. The smell of scorched flesh burned my nostrils.

Come on, we both know you can’t take much mo….

Before I could finish my thought, Andres lashed out with a fist that caught me in the gut and sucked the breath from my lungs. It also brought a scream of anguish from him as the skin on his knuckles melted from the bone like wax on a novelty candle. Though I was still doubled over and gasping for air, I flicked a finger in his direction. A wall of flames rose between us.

Unwilling to give up, Andres barreled through the fire. Though he was trying to shift back into eagle form, the fighter was having trouble completing the transformation and holding it. A sharp beak snapped in my direction, followed by a kick from a booted shoe. The smell of burning fur and flesh was bitter in my nose. A massive wing swung wide above the wall of flames, blowing a gust of wind that made my fire dance before lowering.

If he shifts back completely, he has the advantage.

Though I’d vowed to keep my head in the game, my eyes swung to the spectators in the Royal Box. My gaze locked with Kai’s. His faith in me was so absolute, pride swelled in my chest. Steam swept up around me, but I couldn’t break our eye contact. The blowing air grew steadily warmer until it felt like we were inside an oven. The arm that had been shifting into eagle form furled inward to cover Andres’ head.

Still, I didn’t look away from Kai.

Vapor billowed around me, the heat so intense that it was taking another form. Finally, I turned my gaze to Andres. He was on one knee, using a wing as a shield. My abilities had become a supernova of power.

Instead of turning my opponent to ashes, I flicked my wrist in his direction. The scorching air sent him flying across the arena and slamming into the ground. The wind I’d generated died to a mere breeze as I strode to where Andres’ still form lay on the hard ground. One side of his handsome face was swollen to the point his eye was shut, and he fought to open the other one.

I crouched down beside him. “Ready for a medic?” I asked softly.

Though he managed a lazy grin, Andres shook his head.

I summoned a small fireball into my palm and cocked my head to one side. “Are you sure?” I pressed. “I feel like we’re done here.”

Finally, as if the movement pained his very existence, Andres nodded.

When I stood and called for assistance, several refs dashed onto the field. As I stepped away from the injured were-eagle, one of the referees clasped my wrist and thrust my arm into the sky.

Kelly Kat’s platform zoomed above us, the announcer on her feet. “The winner of the Interkingdom Championship, Maybrie Hawkins!”

Chapter Thirty

“You look stunning.” Kai’s voice was low and throaty. With a raised eyebrow, he shot me a smoldering look. “Maybe we should skip the gala and celebrate, just the two of us?”

I twirled to give him the full effect of the dress. Modeled after chain mail from the early age of humans, the sleeveless silver gown buckled over my shoulders. It draped into an open back except for platinum loops that stretched the length of my spine. Cassie had packed it with a note that read “Every warrior needs good armor.” The dress was a statement piece, so I opted for minimal makeup—mascara and lip gloss—and a low, loose bun to keep from looking over-the-top. As for jewelry, I elected to keep that simple too, fastening only the bangle Kai had given me around one wrist.

“No way,” I laughed as he swept me into his arms. “What kind of champion misses her own victory party?”

Kai dropped a quick kiss on my forehead. “You’re right. It was selfish of me to ask.”

“We can make an early exit,” I promised coyly. “Or, you know, since this shindig is happening downstairs, we can always sneak up here for a few.”

Our lips met in a long, slow kiss.

Gaia, I’ve missed him.

Kai ended it way too soon and pulled back to study my face with a critical eye.

“I’m fine,” I told him before he could ask. “Sienna will be here any—” Three sharp knocks cut me off. I gestured to the door like a game show host presenting the prize to the contestants. “That’s her now.”

I started for the door, but Kai caught hold of my wrist. “I need to know what you promised her, Brie. Whatever it is, I will make sure she gets it. Even if I have to marry Sarah off to the insufferable Prince Eduardo to secure a royal pardon, I will handle it.”

Though offering up his sister’s happiness wasn’t something I ever would’ve done, I was fairly certain he was joking about that part.

“Please, no more secrets,” Kai added, when I didn’t jump at the chance to explain details of the bargain.

Sienna banged harder on the door.

“Her freedom,” I said truthfully. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to sacrifice your sister to get it. I know members of the rebellion in L.A. Don’t ask me for names, because I can’t give them to you.”

Telling Kai my part in smuggling Sienna out of Los Angeles was one thing, but I would not sell out Botto and his friends.

“You asked them for an extraction for Sienna?” Kai guessed. “When?”

“They’ll be getting her out tonight,” I replied. “She’ll stay here in the suite until it’s time, then I’ll take her to the rendezvous point in the hotel kitchen.”

Botto had confirmed earlier that the extraction would happen tonight. I was supposed to slip away after the award ceremony and meet my trainer downstairs. He already had my go-bag. Of course, Botto didn’t know yet that he would be taking Sienna instead of me.

He’ll agree, I assured myself. He has to. I can’t let her think I double-crossed her…twice.

The door burst open. However, instead of Sienna, an entire security team rushed inside the suite with their weapons drawn. Before I could process what was happening, what appeared to be half the LAPD joined the group.

You bastard, I thought, as betrayal’s sharp point pierced my heart.

Was I really so dumb that I’d fallen for lies from Kai? Only, when I looked at him, the king was just as slack-jawed and wide-eyed as me. Without a word of warning or recitation of legal rights, two burly casters yanked my arms behind my back.

“What do you think you are doing?” Kai demanded, leaping to his feet. “Let go of her!”

Instinctually, I wrenched my arms free, ducking and twisting to the side. Whirling on my attackers, my eyes widened when they both pulled electric prods from holsters on their belts.

What the hell are you doing, Brie? my brain screamed.

I knew well enough not to fight back physically. I knew well enough not to cause a scene. But I also knew why they were here; Kai’s advisors had found proof of my crimes. They were here to arrest me for treason. Possibly murder.

“Stop!” Kai bellowed, attempting to shove his way to my side. “As your king, I demand to know the meaning of this.”

A woman in a tight navy skirt and matching waistcoat stepped forward. My mouth went dry. I recognized her. Amanda Ramone, director of Hawaii’s Royal Bureau of Investigation, held up a hand to stop Kai’s advance.

“Your Majesty, please do not approach further,” she said crisply. The words were punctuated by several clicks, as more electricized batons were unholstered. “Please do not make this any more difficult, sir.”

“Who gave you the authority to invade my suite and lay hands on her, Director Ramone?” Kai snapped back.

To her credit, the woman didn’t flinch in the face of his rage, though her face did take on a sickly, green hue. “By order of the Royal Advisory Council of the Kingdom of Hawaii, we are arresting Maybrie Hawkins for high treason.” Her eyes softened as she took in Kai’s clenched fists and rigid shoulders. “Please, Your Majesty.”

One of the guards grabbed my arm again, though his grasp was far gentler than the initial manhandling.

“Do not touch her,” Kai said coolly. To Amanda Ramone, he replied, “If you are speaking of the unsubstantiated rumors brought to me last week, I can assure you the matter has been resolved. Should you all insist, I am more than happy to issue an official royal pardon clearing Ms. Hawkins of all alleged crimes. And frankly, I am shocked that you, Director Ramone, thought it wise to attempt to arrest a member of the royal household without a signed warrant.” The king rounded on the guards. “Let her go. Now.”

Surprise flit across Ramone’s face. Her eyebrows raised until they practically touched her hairline. “You spoke with Ms. Hawkins about her involvement with the rebellion?”

“The matter has been dealt with,” Kai repeated firmly.

The guards looked to Director Ramone. She shook her head, and their grip on me tightened. Ramone’s eyes hardened as they raked over me. Her gaze was steel when she turned back to Kai.

“What kind of a king pardons his mother’s murderer?” The words dripped with contempt.

Kai’s inhale of breath was audible. “Vampires murdered my mother,” he spat. “Vampires that you have still not apprehended.”

Ramone flicked a finger in my direction and muttered an incantation. My wrists snapped together behind my back, held in place with some sort of magical binding spell.

“You may be willing to overlook the murder of your mother, Your Majesty,” she spat his title like it was an obscenity. “But the kingdom will not. Your sister will not.”

My blood froze in my veins. Amanda Ramone held up her hand, and a scroll was placed in her palm by one of the minions. She displayed the wax seal, first to Kai and then to me. Casting another small spell that wasn’t at all necessary, the director broke the seal and let the scroll unfurl. I knew even before she pointed to the bottom of the page whose signature would be there. Admittedly, I wasn’t prepared for her full title: Princess Sarah, Queen Regent of the Hawaiian Kingdom of the Americas.

Fuck.

“As acting ruler of the kingdom, Her Majesty has ordered the arrest of all those complicit in the murder of her mother,” Director Ramone continued. Her tone suggested what she really wanted to say: “Checkmate, bitch.”

One quick glance at Kai, and it was clear he had yet to appreciate the gravity of the situation. I couldn’t say whether Director Ramone truly believed Kai had a hand in his mother’s death, but she was definitely implying that Kai had won his throne via his mother’s blood. Would the director go so far as to arrest him, too? Doubtful. But I wasn’t about to play chicken with Kai’s future or freedom.

“I’ll go with them,” I said quickly.

The intensity of Kai’s fury was starting to scare me, but I was more worried by the gleam in Ramone’s eye. The woman was ambitious and righteous. Never a good combination.

Kai finally turned his attention to me. Shame flooded through me anew when our eyes locked, darkening my insides and making me wish the floor would open and swallow me whole.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered to him.

“Listen to me,” Kai said softly. “I will handle this. Whatever it takes, you will go free. Do you understand me? I will be right behind you. I will see you in the holding center.”

Ramone scoffed. “Prisoners accused of treason do not receive visitors. You will see her at the trial the day after tomorrow.” With that, she shoved me toward the door.

“Brie is under my protection,” Kai called after us. “No harm had better come to her.” There was no mistaking his words were meant as a threat.

Tripping over my own feet, I turned to get one last look at Kai over my shoulder.

The heartbreak in his eyes brought a sob that racked my body. “I love you,” I said desperately.

Though he opened his mouth twice, no words came out. Tears welled in his eyes, and he shook his head tightly.

Finally, he found his voice, though it was strained and broken. “I love you, Brie.”

Acknowledgments

We want to thank Nico, Cameron, Paul, Carlos, Pablo, James, Jesse, Daniel, Tony, and Martino at Bootlegger in Palm Springs for allowing us to spend hours and hours working on this book on property. You were all so supportive and amazing with our constant presence, and we appreciate you so much!

To the girls of Ernest Coffee—Christina, Brittany, Madi, Mackinley, and April—thank you for having us and for making incredible lavender mint matcha teas! We’re really grateful for your encouragement.

We’d also like to thank everyone at Draughtsman and Arrive Hotel for a year of working on their properties, and for all the inspiration, ahi nachos, and fire and ice drinks. Special shout-outs to Shayne, Mat, Kylie, Bryan, Dre, Kirk, Dylan, Jeff, Shianne, Brittany, Dana, Linz and Nina- you guys are the best and you mean the world to us!

For Sarah and Alyssa, thank you for always cheering us on and digging what we do. We love you both 3000!

Thank you to our parents and families for being the constant support systems that all artists dream of having.

Thank you to Hannah Ekren, our literary agent, for the overwhelming enthusiasm for this series. We’re so glad you love it!

Finally, thank you to the readers: you have all made our dreams come true, and we will always be grateful to you for being the champions of our books.