Page 45 of Forged in Flame and Shadow

Yes, if I were actually queen, offending the entire race of fae might seem unwise, but what’s the value in fighting to keep an ally you know you can’t trust?

Tomorrow, when they return to take me to the trial, I’ll just refuse.

But Respen might not allow that. And maybe Leon will force you to stay, for his brother. Who knows where he’d draw the line if it meant getting what he wanted?

I don’t eat much of the food one of the guards brings a few hours later. Eventually, with nothing else to do, I wash up and try to sleep.

I’m not sure when I move from lying in my bed in Lavail to being back in Wadestaff’s gambling den in Hallowbane. I recognize the room where Leon and I slept, the bed where he made me moan his name and beg for his touch. But when Leon appears, it’s clear he doesn’t have seduction in mind. His face twists in a sneer as I ask him a question.

“Are you better than you seem? Or are you one of those things I need to protect myself from?”

Something fizzes at the edge of my awareness, but I’m too focused on Leon’s expression to pay much attention. My stomach feels like it’s taken a punch when he laughs at me, cruel and mocking.

“I think you know the answer to that already, princess.”

“That’s not how I remember it going,” says a deep voice beside me. I jump, and the sneering Leon disappears. The sensation I ignored before was the telltale sign of sensic magic touching mymind. I was too distracted to even try to throw up some of the defenses Leon taught me.

I turn around and face the fae in question now. This version of Leon—the real one, apparently, who has projected himself into my dreams—looks much less cruel. But that doesn’t mean I trust him any more than the apparition that just vanished.

“You should be more careful,” he says. “It wasn’t hard to get past your mental shields. You should keep them ready, like I showed you.”

I scowl at him, crossing my arms. “Why are you here?” I ask, my voice ice cold even to my own ears. “Did you just want another chance to come along and deceive me in my dreams too?”

“What happened in that throne room was wrong on many levels, but I won’t waste your time explaining everything now. I don’t know exactly what my grandfather’s test will involve, but it will be dangerous.”

“Yeah, the guards hinted at as much when they led me past a screeching, black pit with something in it that wants toeatme. But thanks for the heads-up.”

He sighs, squeezing a fist tight, though I can tell his anger isn’t directed at me.

“That’s why you shouldn’t have to go through with this. I’m giving you an out.”

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Annoyingly, I seem to have less control over my reactions in my dream. Usually, I’m better at keeping a straight face.

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t have to take the test. You can leave, and I’ll uphold my end of the deal. I’ll help you kill your aunt.”

I gape, unsure if I’m understanding what I’m hearing.

“What about Fairon? And the vow?”

“Forget about the vow—that’s my problem to worry about. As for Fairon, that shouldn’t be your burden either. You should do what’s right for you, even if it means never stepping foot near him again. My brother’s been dying for a long time. Part of me is already resigned to saying goodbye to him. But losing you…”

He stops himself from saying whatever was coming next, shaking his head.

“I just want you to besafe,Ana.”

I don’t have time to scold him for using that name. I don’t have time to say anything, because before I can respond, I’m being pulled from the dream, the bedroom fading around me.

I don’t know how long it takes for me to open my eyes. I’m in nothingness, and then I’m looking at the hangings over my bed in Lavail.

I rise to get some water, touching the incendi lamp beside my bed so that flame flares and gives me more light.

That’s when I see the large key someone has slipped under my door.

Chapter 15

Morgana

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