Page 111 of Crown of Wings and Whispers

“You’re right. We were. But remember when we were looking for that fourth bridge? That’s when we turned around and retraced our steps. Half our journey was our return. As it turns out, popping into Moire’s Embrace is as easy as popping into Fairy.”

Kivi chuckled, then finally obeyed me and left.

I locked eyes with Griffon and tried to say a hundred things with my smile. He did the same.

Orion stepped back from the bars, straightened his shoulders and his robes. “We have a contract.”

“Oh, right. Only you didn’t read the fine print that says the contract is null and void if another contract supersedes it.”

Griffon stood at the corner of the cell, his wings half furled, one foot crossed casually over the other. I had never seen anything so swoon-worthy in my life. He gave me a wink, then returned his attention to a large white scroll held open in his hands.

“For your crimes,” Griffon read, “Orion/Ambition shall be returned to his prison and sentenced to one millennium for each life wrongfully taken by his command, along with an extra five thousand years for regicide.” He said the last through gritted teeth and his jaw popped, indicating he was more upset by the loss of the Fae King than he’d ever let on. “The murder of Gloir Cean More,my father.”

41

Long Live The King

Orion lunged to the end of the bars and tried to get his hands on the contract, but Griffon turned away in time and handed the white parchment off to Lorraine. The gold curls lashed back and forth in denial. “No one butIam qualified to bind such a pronouncement!”

“Oh, the signatures are in order,” Griffon told him. “King of the Fae and theSeanathair. And the death of the signatories or the passing of their authority will not dissolve it.”

“King of the Fae?Iam King of the Fae!”

Persi waved her fingers. “Apparently, so am I.”

Orion looked for me again, saw the jar in my hands. “Liar! That jar holds no power, admit it!”

“Oh, it does. Just not the one you were hoping for. It’s the gift ofun-wishing.Useless, really, unless all you need is the faint scent of power…”

Griffon’s arms came around me. All the relief I felt at that moment was reflected in his eyes, and he rewarded me with a kiss. “Well done.”

“Well done all of us.”

“Wait!” Orion held onto the bars and sank to his knees. “Don’t leave me here. Don’t do this. I would rather be destroyed. Carew! You can behead me!”

Griffon shook his head, no sign of amusement. “Send you into the Embrace for the High Fae? Never.”

Orion released the bars and sank back, his chin fell to his chest. “Then Nothingness, I beg you.”

I stretched my neck to see past Griffon’s wings. “Anrai?”

One of the ancients that served on the judgment seat and had helped us prepare, hurried to us. “Milady?”

“If our friend the Fae King,” I nodded at Persi, “asked to have this prisoner moved directly to Nothingness, could you do it…without any chance of a detour?”

“If the Fae King asks—”

Orion rallied and pointed at Anrai. “You, there! You must do as I ask! I have the bulk of the Fae King’s powers!”

The ancient man bowed. “Good to see you again, sir…in your old home. But I admit I sense none of the Naming Powers in you.” The man faced Persi. “What would you have of me?”

Persi came to stand in front of Griffon. “Your call. It was your father. He doesn’t deserve mercy.”

The arc of his bronze wings lifted with Griffon’s deep breath, then lowered slowly. “I wanted revenge,” he said. “I’ll settle for justice.”

Persi lifted onto her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she turned to Anrai and nodded. “First, we’ll need to remove his Naming Powers. For that, we’ll need Wickham.”

Alwyn raised a finger. “I will go take his place.” He hurried out the door that led to the judgment room, where Wickham’s job had been to keep earning us more time.

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