Page 57 of Blood On His Lips

“For the first time, your behavior shames me,” she told him. “And it shames your father. We did not raise you to brutalize children.”

“Brutalize.” His chest rose and fell in three deep breaths against my back. “And she is not a child.”

Nayya slashed a hand in the air. I wasn’t going to argue with her. At her age, even her son would be an infant to her.

“What else would you call this lie that you know will hurt her? The one you consider your bonded? I had hoped I would never witness any of my sons treat those they claimed the way Assariel treated me when I was a girl too powerless to stop him.”

I understood that Assariel, AKA fog machine, was Renaud’s father. I could read between the lines and deduce that the courtship between Nayya and Assariel, like so many Fae courtships as well as mine, had started with a power imbalance. Though I couldn’t imagine a time when this female was powerless.

“Mother—”

“Quiet.”

She looked at me, but this time the anger in her dark eyes didn’t scare me. Her indignation felt familiar. “Come here, girl.”

“This isn’t necessary. You overstep.” The Prince’s voice was cold, hard, but he didn’t move, and he didn’t attack his own mother. So, he wouldn’t cross that line. It wasn’t a given, not for Fae and certainly not for High Fae.

I walked forward, dimly alarmed at my own ease as I approached her, as if someone had softened what should be rightful panic in order to get me to move forward under my own power.

“I did not lie,” she said as I halted in front of her. She lifted a hand, pressed three cool, dry fingers to my temple. “I will not harm you. Though I cannot promise you won’t feel pain. I’m sorry for that. Because your mother has fallen, I will do as little Muriel would have wished. She would not have wished my son to have mistreated her daughter with impunity.”

And she was here to punish her son for an infraction against me? Ireallydidn’t want to be in the middle of a family dispute between and Old One and an Ancient.

Renaud’s energy seethed behind me, steeped in resentment. “I have neither harmed nor dishonored her. I have protected her and extended that protection to her House as much as possible considering they are all fools and try my considerable tolerance.”

What about my brother?I wanted to ask, but I wouldn’t. Not until I was in a stronger position and knew I wouldn’t inadvertently get Danon killed in the tug of war between the us.

Juhainah’s daughters were always stronger than her sons,a contralto feminine voice I now recognized murmured in my mind. That name should not be spoken aloud, but was it safe to say in silence, either?Though Renaud is strong. In time, you will be stronger. If you survive. We need you to survive, child.

Will he kill me?I heard the dark, unspoken truths in her voice.

He does not like to kill.

Were we talking about the same person?

I stared into eyes that were now gold with power, slightly surprised that I was taller than her because I didn’t feel taller than her. How could she be human, but not mortal? Or had she simply, for some obscure reason, chosen to adopt a human appearance? If I stared into her face I saw something of Renaud in the line of cheekbones and jaw, the full mouth, but little else.

What will you do?I asked.

Give you part of your truth. My youngest son has played his game long enough.

I nodded, though I didn’t think my head actually moved.

The world around me shattered into a million jagged pieces.

ChapterEighteen

Maman smilesat me as she tucks the sheet under my chin. “Such a good girl,” she murmurs.

I beam at her, patting her cheek. I like naps. Dreams are fun.

“Time passes so fast, bébé. Remind me how old you are?”

“I’mseven, Maman.” She never remembers. Baba says it is because she is so old, there are too many numbers in her head. But she loves me. I am her only little girl. Danon is a boy adult, so he is too big to sit still on her lap so she can braid his hair.

“Ah.Seven. So many years.”

“Maryam,” Baba calls from the door. “We must leave now if you wish to avoid offending Wyvenne.”

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