Page 192 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

She hummed thoughtfully, as if the concept of a mate who wanted to help their partner was foreign to her. Although considering the fact that Riordan’s father and hisskiáseemed content to stay away from her, perhaps it was not surprising. Riordan and Rhea got lots of letters from both males, but I had no idea if Andromeda did.

“He is different. I like who he is becoming. Even if he is not very fond of me now,” she added, her wings jostling with agitation as she frowned in his direction.

I wanted to assert that he was who he had always been. He had just gotten tired of wanting her approval. And she was only just taking notice of his brilliance now because he was the king, and shehadto. But I held my tongue.

“I hope this doesn’t take all day,” said another familiar and very unwelcome voice. I tried not to tense as Castor came to stand on my other side to observe Riordan.

I never thought I’d miss the time when they all found me unworthy of the energy it took to even speak to me.

“I expect it will,” I admitted, crossing my arms and keeping my eyes on Riordan.

It had taken a considerable amount of effort to make all the arrangements for the Spring Court to arrive today. None of which had been helped by Clodagh constantly portalling in withreminders that time was of the essence. Or Riordan’s mother desperately begging for attention from either of us. But we accomplished it with minimal impact to the fey already living in the Spring Quadrant. The Vale obeyed Riordan, so he’d merely asked it to make space. My understanding was that it was like a fold in the fabric of the world. Or like a pocket that was only accessible by the beautiful gate in front of us that was formed by two flowering apple trees bent together with their branches all entwined.

“We need only wait to greet the Spring King, and then we can return,” Andromeda assured Castor who agreed.

Because who cares about a bunch of plebeian fey who were threatened by an evil warmonger, right?

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes just as Andromeda moved toward her son before I could think of a way to divert her. I gave my mate an apologetic mental warning of her approach which he acknowledged thankfully.

“How is the Rookery relief program? Have you been able to manage it while all of this has been happening?” Castor asked with what sounded like genuine interest.

I glanced at him, not bothering to mask my surprise that he was still speaking to me. Much less asking about my efforts to alleviate the pains of poverty for Ktínos.

“I wish I could assist directly more often. But we have fey healers coming from the Summer Quadrant to assist children with wings that had been clipped for stealing. Wet nurses come to help with infants whose mothers are too malnourished to feed them. And I have encouraged donations from local businesses for things like medical supplies and clothes by way of tariff breaks. All of which was approved by Riordan,” I added, still watching his reaction closely to determine if he actually cared.

“I have heard that you are actually there quite often,” he advised me with a sly glance as if he thought I were trying to hide something from him.

“Spying on me, Castor?” I guessed, feigning a smile even though his words had put me on my guard.

“Of course. If you thought otherwise, then you are not as wise as I have come to respect,” he told me bluntly.

I blinked at him, my smile slipping in uncertainty of whether to be alarmed or complimented.

“I have also heard that you have been impactful there,” Castor continued seamlessly.

Another backhanded compliment somehow? Surely he was not paying me real ones? I simply did not trust it.

“I am what humans call an overachiever.”

“Then there is another group that you must look into,” Castor advised me more quietly.

“Oh?” I asked, feeling some relief that he was about to finally uncover his true interest. I waited for him to tell me some pathetic story fraught with privileged naivety about how the Imítheos needed my support too.

“The mentally unsound,” he explained, taking me off guard completely. “It is a taboo subject to our people.”

I did not trust Castor, and he had blatantly admitted to spying on me, so I was hesitant to tell him about the ideas that came to me after talking to Orion about therapists.

“There are warehouses near the docks where many of them live,” Castor continued, shocking me even further. And then he tilted his head in farewell to both me and Sofia and walked away without another word…

I stared after him, reevaluating everything that I knew about the grumpy councillor.

Castor has secrets,I thought to Riordan, diverting him from his mother who was quizzing Clodagh. I sent my mate a briefimpression of the conversation I’d just had, and he seemed equally skeptical.

Perhaps he knows someone there,he suggested.

A Ktínos? That seems very unlikely.

Clodagh finally informed Riordan that she was ready to begin the migration of the Spring Court. He gave her permission to create her portal which she did from a bowl of water as she had done before. Once the oval swirl of swamp water and weeds was established and was stable, Riordan began enlarging it.

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