“I’m not saying they’d do it….” Rurik hesitated. “But I’m not saying they wouldn’t either. A lot of those guards might be tempted by the thought of fathering the heir, and if she offered…”

“Good God. She’s fifteen.”

“Old enough. It didn’t stop Aeson, and if she convinced one of the guards, her age wouldn’t matter. I’m guessing your, uh, friend wouldn’t be so easily swayed.”

Volusian swayed by sex? Hardly. Particularly if he was under my commands.

“Fine. I’ll summon him.” Volusian would also stop any magic she could muster.

“You might also consider finding a potion master to create a tincture of nightshade.”

“A what?”

“It’s a drink that will inhibit her from using her magic.”

“Isn’t nightshade poisonous?”

“Not to shining ones. Not if mixed with the right ingredients. With her human blood, it will, ah, leave her a little…disoriented. But it won’t kill her.”

“I’m not going to keep her in a drugged stupor.” I started to return to the room and then paused to give Rurik a canny look. “Why warn me? I remember a time when you wanted to father the heir. Why not take your own shot?”

“With her?” Rurik snorted. “I still wouldn’t hesitate to beget Storm King’s grandson-but she’s not the one. The heir’s mother should be a warrior, and unfortunately, that only leaves you.”

“You’re never getting near my bed, Rurik.”

“Yes, I’ve deduced as much. But I would still support Storm King’s grandson and would be nearly as happy for my lord the Oak King to father him.”

“Dorian? That’s the only other alternative as far as you’re concerned?”

Rurik’s expression seemed to wonder that there could be any question. “Who else?”

I shook my head and left him, off to order the imprisonment of my sister.

Before setting Volusian on permanent guard duty, I had one brief task for him. He wasn’t very happy about it, not that that came as any real surprise.

“My mistress, as usual, is intent on furthering my eternal torment.”

“I don’t really see how watching a teenage girl is that bad-for you, anyway. It’s going to be a lot harder on her.”

“I am a being of considerable power. I cannot die. If you insist on enslaving me, you should use my abilities to bring nations to their knees.” Volusian’s red eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Instead, my mistress dispatches me to supervise children and deliver love notes.”

“It’s not a love note! Just ask him, okay?”

Volusian blinked once and then vanished.

While he couldn’t teleport, exactly, he could travel much faster than human or gentry. After Jasmine’s capture and Moria implicating Art, I wanted nothing more than to sit down with Kiyo. I needed to talk this out. I wasn’t used to this sort of turmoil and indecision in my life. I longed for the days when my job had simply been to go out, find the monster, and get rid of it. It had been a lot easier than this sort of deliberation.

Kiyo, to my knowledge, was with Maiwenn, and I’d dispatched Volusian to see if Kiyo would come to me later. It was the closest I could get to making a phone call in the Otherworld-but still far from it, seeing that it took Volusian about twenty minutes to get back to me.

“You see?” I said when he appeared in my bedroom. “That wasn’t so bad.”

“The kitsune says he will come to you in two hours,” Volusian said in his flat voice, not deigning to acknowledge my comment.

Two hours. Well, it was better than nothing. I sighed. “Okay. Thanks.”

Volusian simply stared. My gratitude meant nothing to him.

“Alright. Go watch Jasmine then. Don’t let her escape, and for God’s sake, don’t let her get pregnant.”

“For how long?”

“Until I say so,” I snapped.

The malice radiated off Volusian, but my mastery of him would not let him disobey. Demeaning task or not, he had no choice. He vanished.

Once alone, I lay back on my bed, hoping two hours would go by quickly. Like everything else among gentry royalty, the bed I’d inherited was plush and luxurious, with a thick down mattress. The covers were heavy brocade and almost never needed in this weather-but they felt great to lie against. It wasn’t quite sunset outside, but the light was fading, casting long shadows onto the room’s heavy stone walls. I’d need to light torches soon.

A knock at the door forced me upright. “Yeah?”

It was Nia. She gave a polite curtsey. “Your majesty, you have a guest.”

For a glorious moment, I thought it was Kiyo. Then: no. It was too soon. And Nia wouldn’t have announced him. Everyone around here knew enough to let him in by now. “Who?”

“Prince Leith of the Rowan Land.”

“Leith?” I said, certain I’d misheard. “I just saw him, like, six hours ago.”

Nia shook her head helplessly. “He’s here, that’s all I know.”

I swung my legs over the bed’s edge and stood up, slipping my socked feet into short leather boots. Leith? What was he doing here? A flash of panic went through me. Had something gone wrong in Westoria? If so, wouldn’t my own people have told me?

They’d taken him to my parlor, where he sat on the edge of one of the satin-lined chairs. He sprang up at my approach, hurrying over to catch my hands in his. He leaned down and kissed them.

“Your majesty. Thank you for seeing me so unexpectedly. I’m sure I’m interrupting all sorts of important things.”

“Not so much,” I said, withdrawing my hands. “And you should really just call me Eugenie now. What’s up? Is there a problem?” Around here, who knew what could go wrong? Famine, flood, locusts…

“A problem with-oh, no. Everything in Westoria is great. We made amazing progress today.”

I relaxed. “Good. I was worried.”

Leith shook his head, eager to reassure me. “No, no problems there. I just…well, I know this is strange, but I just had to come see you. That is, I had to ask you something. I feel like an idiot, though.”

I frowned. “You can ask me anything. What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“Oh, yes.” His embarrassment grew. “But after today…I just had to hear something from you.”

“Okay, ask.”

“Are you involved with the Oak King?”

“Involved with…what, you mean romantically? With Dorian? No!”

Leith’s face shone like the sun. “You mean it? When I saw you together today. The way he spoke…and the way you two interacted…well, I thought for sure the rumors were true.”

“What rumors?” I asked warily.

“That you were still lovers.”

“Where are you hearing these rumors?”

“Pretty much everywhere.”

“Well, the answer is no. Absolutely not.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Leith exhaled with palpable relief. He reached for my hand, and I stepped back, putting space between us. The rapture on his face made me uneasy. “Then there’s still a chance.”

“A chance for what?” I asked.

“You and me.”

“You and-oh, Leith, no.” It was just like everyone had said. “I like you-you’re really great-but there isn’t going to be anything happening with you and me.”

“But…” He moved forward again, and again, I moved away. “But you keep wanting to see me and have asked me to be a part of your kingdom. I just assumed…”

“No, no…Leith, I’m involved with someone already…you know, Kiyo? The kitsune? We’re together.”

He frowned and was still too close to my personal space. “I didn’t think it was a serious romance. I thought he was just a…”

“Fling?” I suggested.

“Yes. I mean, someone like you couldn’t take him as a true consort.”

I sighed. “Why does everyone say that? I love Kiyo. We’re together. We’re going to be together for a very long time.”

Leith’s earlier joy was rapidly giving way to distress. “But…I mean, with my background and the way we get along, we’re a perfect match. Admit it: you are usually happy to see me.”

“Of course I am. But that’s because I want to be your friend, not encourage you romantically. I like you-like hanging out with you. But that’s it. I’m sorry. I’m sorry if I led you on.”