Prince of Air and Darkness (The Darkest Court)

“Has he woken yet?”

I clench my hands in my lap. “Not yet.”

“That’s not unexpected,” Mab says. “He was severely injured. The fact that he’s alive at all after such iron poisoning is due entirely to you.”

“What if I can’t find him next time?” It’s the worst thing I can imagine, but admitting it to Mab isn’t awkward. I’m sure she’s haunted by the same fear.

“There won’t be a next time.” Her words are cool and flat. “Your recollection gave me an idea of who may have been behind it. If my suspicions are confirmed, I’ll ensure they never pose a threat to my son again.”

“Good.” I know it’s wrong, but I don’t care what she does as long as Roark is kept safe.

My adamant response amuses her. She tilts her head and examines me. “You care for Roark.”

It would be easy enough to admit my feelings, but I don’t want Mab to hear them first. That right is Roark’s, and Roark’s alone. Instead of answering, I pick up my fork and begin playing with the tines.

“Very well,” she says, putting down her utensils. I glance up. She leans back in her chair and rests her chin on her clasped hands. “We may as well get this over with. What do you desire, Phineas Smith?”

“Roark.” The answer requires no thought at all. I put my fork down and wait for her response. This is Mab. I’m not counting on her making this easy.

She doesn’t.

“Impossible,” she informs me, clasping her hands tighter. “I cannot grant you that which you already have through the bonds of love.”

“His freedom, then.”

The cunning gleam in her gaze means the negotiations have begun in earnest. She doesn’t move, but the energy in the room changes. Asking for this is a dangerous game, and I have her full attention.

“His freedom? What do you mean by that?” I open my mouth, but she lifts a single finger in warning and I fall silent. “For the sake of my son, who loves you in a way I cannot understand, I would caution you to choose your words with great care, human,” she murmurs.

It’s a kindness to remind me. One I probably haven’t earned from her. The fae love to play games for information, to trade words and deeds. If you aren’t careful, you could promise away your second child or agree to travel to the sídhe for a few dozen years without realizing it. And fae promises are binding, for them and the mortal they trick.

Or the mortal they make a promise to.

About a farm. A watch. Love.

I’ll win this battle for him.

I take a moment to organize my thoughts. I know what I want to say, but I have to get this right. Once it’s lined up in my head, I take a breath and begin. “I want Roark to have the freedom to put his needs first, if he chooses. His decisions will be made without the influence of your guilt and anger or any other form of manipulation. Any involvement he has in the Court from this point on will be of his own free will. He will not be forced into a role he doesn’t want. He will not be forced to become your Knight.”

I expect fury. I expect cool dismissal. I’m not prepared for the way her entire body sags, as if a massive weight has resettled itself on her shoulders.

“I wish I could grant you that,” she says. “But it’s not so simple.”

“You’re the Queen of Air and Darkness. Tell me how it’s anything but simple for you.”

She drops her gaze first and returns her attention to her meal. I wait while she picks at her food. I’m about to say something when she asks, “Has Roark told you about his brothers?”

I nod, unsure how Roark would feel about the direction the conversation is taking. “He told me a little bit.”

“He mentioned Sláine?”

“Roark said he had defected to the Seelie Court.”

The ley line stirs when her glamour slips, but I’m too struck by the lines of exhaustion around her eyes and mouth to feel afraid. Her vulnerability reminds me of the time I accidentally caught my mother looking over some bills at the kitchen table. The imperfections make M

ab seem more sympathetic. I’m not sure how to guard against that.

She pushes her meal away and focuses on me. “The Courts rely on a system of checks and balances to ensure no one fae is granted the full extent of our magick. Some have tried to gain total control in the past, but have never succeeded.”