She glared. “That’s not helpful.”
Ruhn, wisely, kept his mouth shut.
“You didn’t have any weapons tonight,” Hunt snarled. “You two had one knife between you. You were lucky Ithan carried that gun. And you were even luckier in your guess that Hypaxia could charge up your ability to teleport.”
Ruhn grunted his agreement.
“So that’s how you did it,” Declan said, walking back into the hall. The warrior shut the door behind him, giving Hypaxia and Ithan privacy.
Bryce sketched a bow. “It’ll be my special solo act during the school talent show.”
Declan snorted, but Ruhn was assessing her. “You really teleported?”
Bryce explained everything again, and Hunt couldn’t keep himself from tugging her closer. When she finished, Ruhn echoed Hunt’s words. “We got lucky tonight. You got lucky tonight.”
Bryce winked at Hunt. “And I plan to get lucky again.”
“Gross,” Ruhn said as Declan snickered.
Hunt flicked Bryce’s nose and said to Ruhn, “Let’s set up watches around the apartment and this embassy—assign your most trusted soldiers. I’ll get Isaiah and Naomi on it, too.”
“The 33rd and the Aux teaming up to guard little old me?” Bryce crooned. “I’m flattered.”
“This is not the time to debate alphahole politics,” Hunt ground out. “Those were fucking deathstalkers.”
“And I dealt with them.”
“I wouldn’t be so dismissive,” he growled. “The Prince of the Pit will send hordes of them through the Northern Rift if he ever gets it fully open, rather than shoving one or two through at a time for fun. They hunt down whoever they’re ordered to stalk. They’re assassins. You get marked by them for execution, and you are dead.”
She blew on her fingers, as if chasing off dust. “All in a day’s work for me, then.”
“Quinlan—”
Ruhn started laughing.
“What?” Hunt demanded.
Ruhn said, “You know who I was talking to before I got your call? My father.” Bryce went still, and Hunt knew it was bad. Ruhn grinned at him. “Your father in-law.”
“Excuse me?”
Ruhn didn’t stop grinning. “He told me the wonderful news.” He winked at Bryce. “You must be so happy.”
Bryce groaned and turned to Hunt. “It’s not official—”
“Oh, it’s official,” Ruhn said, leaning against the wall beside the door.
“What the fuck are you two talking about?” Hunt growled.
Ruhn smirked at Hunt. “She’s been bandying about the royal name, apparently. Which means she’s accepted her position as princess. And as you’re her mate, that makes you son-in-law to the Autumn King. And my brother.”
Hunt gaped at him. Ruhn was completely serious.
Bryce blurted, “Did you ask him about Cormac? The Autumn King insists the engagement is still on.”
Ruhn’s amusement faded. “I don’t see how it could be.”
“I’m sorry,” Hunt cut in, “but what the fuck?” His wings splayed. “You’re now officially a princess?”
Bryce winced. “Surprise?”
56
Ithan groaned, his body giving a collective throb of pain.
His throat—jaws and fangs and claws, the queen and Bryce—
He lunged up, hand at his neck—
“You’re safe. It’s over.” The calm female voice came from his right, and Ithan twisted, finding himself on a narrow bed in a gilded room he’d never seen.
Queen Hypaxia sat in a chair beside him, a book in her lap, wearing her blue robes once again. No sign of the casual, modern female he’d been trailing earlier. His voice was like gravel as he asked, “You all right?”
“Very well. As is Miss Quinlan. You’re at my embassy, in case you were wondering.”
Ithan sagged back against the bed. He’d been ambushed, like a fucking novice. He’d always prided himself on his reflexes and instincts, but he’d had his ass handed to him. The queen opened her mouth, but he demanded, “What about the dragon?”
Hypaxia’s mouth tightened. “Ariadne was nowhere to be found. It appears she has taken her chances with the law and fled.”
Ithan growled. “She bailed?” The dragon had claimed she couldn’t. That there was nowhere in Midgard she could go without the Astronomer finding her.
Gods. One guarding assignment and he’d fumbled it. Badly.
He deserved to have his throat ripped out. Deserved to be lying here, like a weak fucking child, for his ineptitude.
Hypaxia nodded gravely. “The city cameras picked it up: Ariadne left the moment I entered the pizza shop. But nothing more—even the cameras can’t find her.”
“She’s likely halfway across the planet by now,” Ithan grumbled. The Fae males were going to be so pissed.
“You liberated her from the ring. From serving a terrible master. Are you surprised that she is not willing to wait for someone to purchase her again?”
“I thought she’d be grateful, at least.”
Hypaxia frowned with disapproval. But she said, “She is a dragon. A creature of earth and sky, fire and wind. She should never have been contained or enslaved. I hope she stays free for the rest of her immortal life.”
The tone brooked no room for argument, and—well, Ithan agreed with the queen anyway. He sighed, gently rubbing at his tender throat. “So what the fuck attacked us? A demon?”
“Yes, an extremely deadly one.” She explained what had happened.
Ithan eased into a sitting position once more. “I’m sorry I fucked this one up so badly. I … I don’t like making mistakes like this.” Losing grated on his very soul. The queen and Bryce were safe, but he was a fucking loser.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” the queen said firmly. “Considering the gravity of the situation, I’m assuming your friends know more about the motives behind this attack than they have told me.”
Well, she was definitely right on that one. Ithan blew out a breath that set his throat aching. It’d be another few hours until it was totally healed.
He had no idea how long it’d take until he forgave himself for fucking up tonight.
“So you can really contact Connor on the Autumnal Equinox?” he asked quietly, hating that he needed to change the subject. Not that this new one was much better.
“Yes.” She angled her head, curls spilling over her shoulder. “You worry for him.”
“Wouldn’t you? I don’t care if we’ve been told that he’s, like, off-limits. I want to make sure he’s okay. I heard what you said to Bryce—about ensuring your mom didn’t go to one of the sleeping realms. I want you to do that for him.” He swallowed, then amended, “If you’re cool with that, Your Majesty.”
Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “I shall do my best.”
Ithan sighed again, staring at the tall windows on the other side of the room, the drapes shut for the night. “I know you’re already doing a lot for me, but … the Astronomer has a wolf enslaved to him as one of his mystics. Is there anything you could do for her?”