I breathed deep through the king’s words, needing to stay calm before I reacted poorly. I saw the joy in both Grath’s and Siya’s eyes at being finally able to hug his stepdaughter, but all I felt was bitterness and that terrible itch.

“One more thing before you go,” the king said, and I knew it was the part that explained why we had to be present for this damn meeting. Any two guards could have kept the servant girl at bay; you didn’t need five fully trained warriors for that.

Isay’s footsteps stilled, and I realised she’d been walking towards the exit without being dismissed.

“I’m assigning you personal guards who will make sure you’ll be safe at all times.”

That got Hiko’s attention. “Father—”

“It’s non-negotiable.”

Isay’s eyes flicked between the king and us while mine were now fully focussed on her. A flush on her cheeks either meant she found this idea appalling but was opposed to arguing with the king again, or  it thrilled her to have five males following her every move.

Hiko tried again, “But—”

King Grath raised a hand to silence him. “I want one of you with Isay at all times, starting today.”

Everyone but Hiko bowed their heads in agreement. I locked my eyes with Isay’s as I accepted the assignment, and her flush grew.

Now, that was interesting. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. That’s when she looked away and marched out of the throne room, still without being dismissed.

I tapped Sinister on the shoulder and nodded toward where Isay had escaped. “First watch?”

He gave me a curt nod. We both looked toward King Grath, but he was busy giving Hiko the look. You know, the one that expresses how disappointed a parent is over the decisions their offspring makes.

I cleared my throat, waiting for him to notice us. His eyes travelled to me, and I forced my posture to still and my feet to not tap impatiently. King Grath was quite easy-going when you ran into him out in the courtyard or in the dining room.

In the throne room he had two rule: Don’t speak unless spoken to, and do not leave until dismissed. Isay had overstepped both of them, but I didn’t dare to do more than clear my throat for attention.

“What is it Karmuth?” King Grath drawled.

“My king, may we go after her?”

He waved his hand towards the exit, and I was off before the words left his mouth. “Your presence is no longer required. Everyone but Hiko may leave.”

Sinister followed me out to the hallway where I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, then shook my head. “She never learns, does she?”

I pivoted left. You know what else was to the left? The kitchen.

“You look thrilled to be chasing the girl,” Sinister remarked.

I glanced at him briefly, then continued my fast-paced hunt through the  ornate palace hallways.

“I might feel some semblance of kinship to her, that’s all. I was an outcast when I first arrived, same as her.”

“Mhmm, you keep telling yourself that.”

I didn’t pick Sinister to be paired with me for the conversation he offered. I picked him because that way I could keep an eye on him, not that I thought he’d do something to hurt Isay after the king’s show of power. Out of the four of  Hiko’s men, I trusted him with Isay the least.

Regar might’ve joked around, but he was a good guy. Ferro had his kinks, but duty came first, and once Hiko had his talk with the king, he’d walk the line.

I couldn’t get the fury on Isay’s face out of my head when Grath brought out the ring after he’d sentenced the servant to death anyway. I understood where the king was coming from, as keeping Isay safe was about the mentality of the fae in the court and the only thing any of us was afraid of was death, ironic as that sounded. But he didn’t have to play her like that.

“How long do you think that ring of hers lasts?” Sinister asked, and I stopped in my tracks to stare him down. A knowing smile tugged at his lips, and his eyes glinted with mischief. “Just curious, you know.”

I grabbed at his collar and shoved him against the wall to our right, the itch in my gut rising up to a tornado of knives that I intended to ignore. “Do not even dare to touch her—”

Sinister barked a laugh, and I narrowed my eyes at him. “Quite a kinship you’ve got there, Kar. Don’t worry about me touching your girl. That’s a shit I won’t mess with, no matter how enticing. Worry about you touching her instead.”

“I’m not going to,” I grunted and released my hold on him.

He rolled his eyes. “Exactly my point.” I thought I heard some sympathy in his voice, but it must’ve been a fluke since his face was betraying none of it.

We soon caught up to Isay as she was standing by the hallway to the kitchen not moving towards it, but not leaving either.

“Normal people get their food from the dining hall,” I said, stopping next to her.

Her brows rose. “There’s a dining hall?”

I sighed.“No, I made that up as a conversation starter. Isay, of course there’s a dining hall. All of those fae have to eat somewhere. Do you think this kitchen would be this busy if there were no mouths to feed?”

Isay studied the bustling kitchen. Unlike the other morning, there were more than eleven fae now rushing between sterile countertops. More than one pot of stew bubbled away. Shouts of instructions rang out, being met with replies of ‘ay chef’. From where we stood, it looked like chaos.

“May I show you the way, my princess?” My princess? Must be because I’d called Grath my king. Nothing to it.

She glowered. “Don’t call me that!”

“What?” I smiled. “Princess or mine?”

I heard Sinister cough behind me. Yeah, too far. I could agree with that assessment. But the blush on her cheeks was adorable, and the scent of forest flowers flared up, making me breathless.

Sinister was holding his breath again. In a few weeks’ time he’d likely have learned how to survive without oxygen whenever Isay was around.

“Neither!” Isay sputtered, crossing her arms.

I couldn’t deny getting satisfaction from seeing her flustered, but Sinister was right—I never thought the day would come when I’d say that Sinister was right—I had to worry about not touching Isay. Even with the ring, it was too risky.

“What would you like me to call you then?”

“How about my name?” she snapped.

I shrugged. “Sure thing, Isay. As you wish.”

She huffed as if hearing her name didn’t give her any satisfactory effect. I however enjoyed saying it more than I should have.

Isay was pointedly not looking at me, and I was wondering if I was getting under her skin. She finally said, “Show me to the dining hall.”

“Kar,” I interjected.