Page 86 of Crowned By the Fae King

He wasn't simply locking his emotions away, I realized with a vivid shock of surprise. He was shunting them to the side on purpose, keeping them from showing in the parts of the Court Faerqen could see while letting them out elsewhere in the Court. An avalanche in the remote mountains, tearing down ancient trees—frost heaving the ground in the high north—wolves tearing into the still-steaming corpse of a monster—steam erupting from fissures in the stone—

Faerqen patted his knife against my cheek, yanking me back to myself. "Such usefulness ends once this particular game does," he said, his attention turning towards Cass instead of me. "Do you truly only desire protection for a year and a half? Besides," he added nastily, "I can think of many ways that the Court of Mercy would serve my purposes. Aflame, perhaps, or shattered. As long as you are not part of the wall hemming in my packmate, what care have I for you?"

Offer being a gate instead of a wall? I asked through our bond.

Yes, Cass said in the same heartbeat.

"An open gate is better than a burning forest or a broken bridge," I said idly. "If you want an open door to Raven Court, we can be that for you and your pack."

"An open door for me, and a closed one for Sarcaryn's pet breaker?" the god added, far too lazily.

Dani, Cass said to me, before I could ask. She made a bargain with Sarcaryn to save Vaddy's life. Whatever commands he gives her on the night of the Silver Coronation, she has to obey. Aloud, he said, "I'm willing to make her way more difficult for the sake of my Court, but not to the point of suffering or death. For the betrayal of a dear friend, I would desire a great deal more in return."

You'd betray her? I sent, shocked.

Not for something like this, he said, his mental voice sharp. I'm implying that I would because I think he'll believe it.

With a low sound, Faerqen stood, until he loomed over me. "Sanctuary in return for protection, then," he said in a low rumble, the words coming from all around us again. "For each name you agree to shield with hospitality against Sarcaryn and his allies, I agree to grant a decade of the protection of my aegis. If you're wise, time enough, perhaps, to settle yourself as your own patron." His hand closed over his knife, crushing it into snow. "Are we agreed?"

"If your protection has a time limit, our hospitality should, too," Cass said, watching Faerqen's hands like a hawk as they traced down along the veins of my neck. "Since your game with Sarcaryn ends at the Silver Coronation, perhaps our hospitality should end a year and a day beyond it."

"Time for time," Faerqen countered. "Your hospitality extending until the end of my aegis."

Quyen? Cass asked silently.

I blinked, surprised to be asked. Fine by me.

"We agree," he said, lifting his chin to look up into Faerqen's face. "Name your names."

The god stepped past me and back into the form of a wolf, his long, horrible tail curled around me in a mockery of an embrace. "Ruekh."

I trust your judgment, I told him quickly through the bond, not wanting there to be a pause in the decisions.

"Agreed," Cass said.

Faerqen licked his chops. "The Master of the Wild Hunt."

Cass hesitated for a heartbeat. "Agreed." A lesser hunt god, he told me.

"Celeian."

Patron of Jackal Court. Goddess of grief, dusk, and graveyards, Cass told me; aloud, he said, "Agreed."

The great Wolf started pacing again, as if he couldn't bear to stay still. I stood quietly, relieved not to have his tail arced around me anymore. "Dain Sundamar."

"The Stag King?" I asked with shock, surprised into it.

"Delightful, isn't it?" Faerqen's voice crooned from all around me. "The Wolf's son upon the Stag's throne." He growled from his wolf's throat, pale eyes fixed on Cass. "Well?"

He wet his lips. "Agreed," Cass said, sounding a little shaky. I didn't know that, he whispered into my mind. The story was that his mother was cursed by Faerqen to birth a monster.

Would you tell anyone you fucked that? I replied.

The corner of his mouth twitched in what looked like humor.

Faerqen's tail hissed through the air. "Pelleas Xirangyl."

The crown prince of Raven Court. That made sense.

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