Page 191 of Storm of Secrets and Sorrow

“I’m getting you so much Everflames gear for Solstice. A jersey, a tee shirt, a blanket, socks?—”

“Socks?” she interrupted.

“Yes, socks,” he replied.

She huffed another laugh before her demeanor seemed to shift back to something more serious. “Do you think it would work? To speak with her through the mirror?” she asked.

Axel blew out a long breath, tucking a hand up behind his head. “I don’t know, kitten. We’d have to get to the mirror first. It’s in the Underground in my father’s private study. I’ve only seen it twice in my life.”

“Do you think he knows what it is?”

Axel started to say no, but then paused.Didhis father know that thing was a mirror gate this entire time? Had he seen Scarlett in it before? Had he seen someone else?

“I guess I don’t know,” he finally answered.

“Do you think there are more of them? These mirror gates?” Kat went on. “Or is there only one entrance into the realm?”

“And that entrance is in the Underground?”

She shrugged. “Just talking out loud. There could easily be more of them.”

“How would we even find them?”

“No idea,” she answered around a yawn. They’d both already changed into nightclothes, and now she started gathering up her books. “Do you wish it was different? How Devram is run, I mean.”

“I wish a lot of things were different,” Axel answered, standing and stretching before pulling back the blankets.

“Tell me one.”

He sighed, climbing back onto the bed and slipping under the covers as she did the same. “I wish you liked raw fish wrapped in rice.”

“Oh my gods, Axel,” she said with a groan.

“I wish we had more freedoms.”

Kat was immediately serious once more. “Legacy have plenty of freedom. They run Devram.”

“The ruling Lords and Ladies do.”

“And you are an heir. A member of a ruling family.”

“Which gives me less freedom than the common Legacy, and with my father— In many ways, Theon, Luka, and I are as chained as the?—”

“As the Fae,” she finished when he didn’t.

“I wish that were different,” he said.

“Even if you were right that the Fae were not meant to serve the Legacy, I don’t think things would change here,” she said softly. “The Legacy would never give up their control, and I think they still fear it. The same way the gods feared their Legacy becoming too powerful? I think the Legacy fear that about the Fae here. It’swhywe are so controlled. Every facet of our existence is controlled from our upbringing, to our power, to our kingdom assignment.”

“I think it’s why my father controls us so much, especially Theon. He fears the day Theon can draw from his Source.”

“That makes sense.”

“For what it’s worth, I wish it was different, Kat.”

She gave him a soft smile before reaching over to shut off the bedside lamp. As she resettled beside him, he said, “I wish I didn’t feel guilty for sleeping in the same bed as you.”

She went still. “Why would you feel guilty about that?”

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