Page 147 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

“Or indoorverted.”

“Introverted, baby doll.” I tapped her small button nose. “Those are some big words for you.”

“Sam uses them.”

“Yeah, Sam isn’t like the rest of us. Bet it’s tough to measure up to a big brother like that.” It was for me. Kil was exactly the same. He was perfect in everything he did. I was always less than. Somehow, I had never minded. Our father had, though.

She shrugged. “He’s a good big brother.”

So was mine.

A pair of soft steps made their way to us. Alyone bowed her head at Rain. “Could I have a moment with your uncle, princess?”

Turning to me, Rain whispered, “Can she?”

“She can,” I said, and Rain gave me a kiss on the cheek before grabbing her doll and walking away inside the celebrations, heading to hug her father’s leg.

“Might we go somewhere private to discuss some matters? I can barely hear anything over the crowd.”

Glancing at where my bird had been flocked by some new peacock, I nodded, leading her down the corridor. “What matters?”

“A preposition,” she said. “One I’ve not dared make before.” She shook her head. “But I don’t think I could stand it anymore. Especially after seeing you with her.”

“What preposition, Alyone?”

“For you to be my king.”

I frowned. Was this some joke? “I am already someone’s king.”

She laughed a little uncomfortably. “When you’re done with whatever deal you’ve struck with the Winter Queen, of course.”

“I’ve struck no deal with her.”

“You’ve rarely told me untrue words before,” she said, somewhat disappointed. “Your friend, Neo, he came to me with them. Confessed that you’d come to some agreement with her. One that would soon end when she comes to defeat Iskyla.”

“Alyone,” I carefully said, half planning on how to murder Neo the most painful way there was. “Remember that one first night when you found me in the Heyes city ruins?” Drunk. Miserable. Calling for the woman of my heart loud enough that I’d woken the silent gods of Seraphim.

“I do.”

“Do you remember me telling you that my heart was ripping apart because of this girl. That I’d have to find a way to kill my own heart if I had to continue breathing. Do you remember me telling you that I missed her like the deserts miss rain, so painfully it burns from the inside.”

“Yes,” she said, reaching to touch my arm. “But I also remember you being drunk.”

My hand wrapped around her wrist. “If I had been any more drunk, I would have also confessed more. I would have confessed that I was going to take the hurt and the pain and the memories, I was going to stand them all just so I could be with her. I couldn’t be with her how I was. I had to become worse to become better for her. And I did. I didn’t leave a stone unturned in that realm, for five years, Alyone, I thought I was going to go insane if I didn’t see her again.”

More shadows joined around us, and I looked up at her.

Thora stood at the end of the corridor, blinking slowly between where Alyone had put her hand on me to where my hand had wrapped around her. She drew a polite smile for Alyone. “Lost?”

The Fire Queen cleared her throat, and I saw Thora clench her jaw, readying for the answer. “Actually—”

“Lost or not? It’s a yes or no question.”

“Not.”

Thora nodded, and her smile turned sickeningly sweet as she turned to leave.

“I believe we are done here,” I said, pushing Alyone’s hand off me, and following after Thora. “Hey.”