Fenn tensed, like he was ready to shake off the weight of her hand. His gaze blazed through the sleeve of her cloak, to where Larek’s claws had scraped into her skin. A whirlwind of emotions flared in Fenn’s eyes when they slowly lifted to meet hers. Serenna wondered if he could hear the deception in her words—wondered if he could hear the pounding of her guilty heart.

Fenn’s voice was quiet. Disbelieving. “Why would you offer me such a thing?” He scanned her face, seeming to scour for what she withheld.

Because I’m manipulating you to get this tether off. Serenna tightened her fingers around his strained muscles, staring so deeply into the flaming depths of his eyes. This is the only way I know how. We could save lives by uniting Centarya and the wraith. We could end this war before it gets worse.

Conflict split Serenna’s chest, but she pushed forward, abusing Fenn’s devotion to his leader. “Can’t you see the advantages of helping Lykor protect the wraith or subduing the reavers if they rise? My power isn’t useful locked away.” She frantically considered which ability she could sacrifice and manage without. “I could give you my force talent and you could be the one who clears the snow from the lifts.” The joke hung in the air, silent like the moons, as hollow as her heart.

“I don’t even know if it’s possible,” Fenn eventually said. He retreated out of her grip, clasping the key hanging around his neck.

“There’s a way to find out.” Serenna hesitated before slowly presenting her wrist. “If Aesar is still out tonight, I can ask him how to draw out my power. And if he doesn’t agree or if he’s of the same mind as Lykor and doesn’t want me untethered, you can put it back on.”

“But what about you?” Fenn’s fingers curled around hers, searching Serenna’s eyes with a deep-rooted concern that tightened her chest. “You’d become more wraith if we do this.”

Serenna’s smile was fragile, threatening to shatter, her throat too tight to form anything but hoarse words. “We’re not so different.”

Letting go, Fenn drew the chain over his neck, turning the key over and over in his palm. His brows pulled together, studying the tether on her arm. “Are you sure?”

Heart tumbling down her ribs, Serenna battled the raging hurricane of her doubt, tempted to tell him everything. I’m scared you’ll inform Lykor of the bond. So I’m taking that choice away from you and hoping I can live with myself after the prince appears.

Serenna managed a nod. Despite finally coming so close to having the gold removed, the expected excitement was nowhere to be found. If Vesryn portals to the base of the waterfall, I have to make sure he doesn’t rend Fenn.

Heart clenching with her deceit, Serenna trembled as Fenn unlocked the shackle. The manacle dropped between them, thudding against the ice, the sound clanging against her choice.

Serenna tensed as Aesar’s alarmed awareness flooded into her mind, his proximity shining like the sun. Breathing a sigh of relief for being spared from Lykor, Serenna hurriedly shoved thoughts down their bridge. After what happened with the reavers, I want to give Fenn one of my abilities. Can you show me how through the bond?

Aesar relaxed, but Serenna perceived his confusion. She hoped he assumed her nervousness was for surrendering a talent. Her attention flitted toward the dim connection to the prince, assuring herself that Vesryn was searching for her.

Conferring with Aesar while Fenn worriedly chewed on a lip ring, Serenna eventually convinced him that she’d made up her mind. Nerves buzzing like bees in a jar, she brought her focus back to Fenn.

Inhaling a shaky breath, she dove into her Well. Serenna’s fingers shook as she lifted them to her chest, stomach tipping like she stood at the edge of a cliff. Aesar informed her that the voluntary extraction of power wouldn’t be painful as he guided her. Serenna plucked the fibers of her force talent, severing a portion of her magic.

Power surged, each loosened string firing a falling spark through Serenna’s body. Her skin prickled, tinting from sun-kissed bronze to a deeper shade. Mouth tingling, she had a suspicion her teeth might’ve altered too. Serenna didn’t bother cataloging the changes, now committed to the course.

Freed Essence flew into Serenna’s palm, an orb of radiant light. Hoping her offering to Fenn would be worth the time she’d bought, Serenna’s attention darted down the bond toward the prince. Realms still separated them.

Thoughts scattering in every direction, she pulled herself back to the frozen waterfall. Serenna met Fenn’s eyes as her ability hovered between them.

“Wait.” Fenn captured her wrist before she dispensed the shimmering globe of power into his chest. “If I lose my fangs, can you retrieve your magics?”

Fighting the tide of her jumbled emotions, Serenna forced a smile, unsurprised that he’d joke at a time like this.

Holding her breath in anticipation, Serenna spiraled Essence into him. Fenn went rigid, every muscle taut. Fingers seizing, he clasped her hand over his stampeding heart.

Fenn’s features shifted ever so slightly, his gaunt angles softening—nearly impossible to discern if Serenna hadn’t been staring. Still undeniably wraith, his scarlet eyes focused on her. Fenn’s chest heaved as he gulped in air, catching his breath.

Reclaiming her hand, Serenna glanced out to the snowy valley. Her heart plummeted, still sensing the prince a world away. He’ll be here.

Serenna’s pulse skipped when Fenn lightly touched the side of her face, silencing her fretting thoughts. His fingertips pressed a warm blaze against her chilly cheeks, a delicate flame melting frost. Tracing the edge of her jaw, his talons skimmed along her neck, sliding through her hair to cradle the base of her head.

A shiver rippled through Serenna when their eyes collided.

“Thank you for this gift.” Fenn blinked, the closest she’d seen him to startled. “Your eyes.” Peering further, his gaze danced across hers. “There’s a halo of red surrounding the blue. It’s beautiful,” he breathed. “Like fire enveloping ice. I…” The look of his usual confidence ebbed as his gaze trailed down to her lips.

Serenna shied away from the way her stomach fluttered. Fenn must’ve felt her stiffening because he cleared his throat and untangled himself from her hair.

“How do I use the magics?” he asked, holding his claw above his chest like he could haul Essence out. “It’s force magics, you said?” He cocked his head. “Is it like weaving the winds?”

Torn between emotions, Serenna somehow wanted to burst into tears at the prince’s absence and laugh at Fenn’s antics at the same time.

Opening her mouth to explain how he could use emotions to facilitate channeling his talent, Serenna flushed. Her teeth clicked shut at the memory of Vesryn seducing her into power with desire. She refused to do that to Fenn.

“It might take a little time to perceive your Essence,” Serenna said, sweeping her attention out for one final glance over the rolling snow. He’s not coming. “I can teach you what I know, but your father or Aesar would probably be better instructors.” She focused back on Fenn, guilt souring her gut. “You’re technically a pure-blooded elf, so maybe you’ll manifest your power more easily than I did.”

Fenn inspected his talons. “Sometimes I wonder if the Aelfyn were wraith before they captured the magics of the stars.” He curled his claw into a fist, studying his scarred knuckles in the moonlight. “Why else would we change?”

“That…” Serenna frowned, grabbing the tether. “That is an interesting thought.”

She clasped the gold around her wrist, extinguishing her hope. Vesryn didn’t come. He didn’t… Ribs caving in, a piece of her heart shook loose, tumbling into the depths of her chest. I used Fenn and he thanked me for it.

Not sensing her inner war, Fenn looked up at the sky as he spoke. “I didn’t think you’d be the one inside of me first, but here we are.”

Serenna’s throat clogged as she choked on a laugh. Fenn beamed, brighter than the moons’ light. He snapped his fangs out and then retracted them, as if assuring himself they were still there.

“They’re still longer than Lykor’s,” Serenna heard herself saying, not wanting to ruin his evening just because hers was. She carefully touched the points of her canines with the pad of her thumb, inspecting the change.

Fenn cackled and said, “Now who has the stubby fangs?” He bumped his shoulder into hers. “Are we going to watch these moons kiss or what?”

Heart twisting, something in the way Fenn was looking at her had Serenna convinced that he’d try to pluck a shooting star out of the sky if she asked. Wrapping an arm behind her back, he braced his claw next to her hip, close enough to dispense his radiating heat. All she had to do was lean a fraction to be absorbed by his offered embrace.

Serenna allowed herself to imagine doing it. Falling into him, melting into the cradle of his arms. Letting him distract her, sweep her thoughts away from this night. It would be so easy to crumble her defenses and drown in his lofty boasts.

Fenn doesn’t deserve pieces. He deserves a whole heart. And I’ve already used him enough.

Tucking her shame and sadness away, Serenna bleakly returned Fenn’s smile before gazing up to the eclipsing moons.

There isn’t a way out. My future is with the wraith.

CHAPTER 42

JASSYN

Regretting every foolish decision he’d made the night before, Jassyn’s body shook as he gripped the edges of the porcelain sink. He studied his bleary reflection in the bathing chamber mirror before digging his palms into his eyes.

Reminded of the dreadful experience of withdrawing from Stardust, Jassyn massaged his pounding head. Since dawn, he’d been yielding his stomach, thoroughly convinced that what he was going through now was worse. Much worse.

Why in the bleeding stars did I let Vesryn convince me to drink so much? They had no reason to help themselves to the Vallendes’ wine stores. And that certainly hadn’t been his idea—no matter what the prince had claimed when they were drowning themselves in the spoils.

Opening the door out to his sitting room, Jassyn halted in his tracks. On his hands and knees, Vesryn was retching through a portal in front of the couch. Gut clenching with another wave of nausea, Jassyn clamped his teeth, fighting the urge to dive back into the bathing chambers to do the same. At least he opened a rift.