“You said, ‘is it?’” Sylph said. “When you woke up.”
Thana shook her head. “End of a dream, gone now.” She smiledhappily, her eyes half-lidded, and Sylph had to bring her in for a cuddle.
Reminding her that they were both incredibly naked.
When the prince called again several minutes later, Thana brokefree with a huff, pulled on her shirt, and poked her head out of the tent. “Weare coming,” she said stiffly.
The prince mumbled something like, “That’s what I’m afraid of,”and Dina brayed a laugh. Heat suffused Sylph’s cheeks, and she donned herclothing. When she emerged, Dina and Prince Gunnar gave her polite smiles, andshe thanked the ten spirits that they didn’t tease her. She wouldn’t know quitehow to respond. “Are we going to sneak inside the palace?” she asked, steeringthe conversation as Thana emerged, and they began to break camp.
“We’ll not make a grand fanfare when entering the city,” PrinceGunnar said. “As for the palace, is there some reason we shouldn’t walk rightin? The pyradistés in their tunnel won’t know we’re coming.”
“My father…” She didn’t want to outline their difficulties, notwhile still carrying the bliss of the evening before. “If he knows I havereturned, he’ll want to see me.” And perhaps throttle her. No, that was too hota reaction. Depending on what he’d heard, he’d order her to her room to be keptprisoner, or he’d icily shun her, as good as announcing that she’d beendisowned.
At least until the news that nobles could be pyradistés wasreleased. She clenched a fist. And it wouldbe released.
Thana took her hand and squeezed, and Sylph relaxed her fist asthe pressure in her chest eased. She was not alone anymore.
“Don’t worry,” Prince Gunnar said. “I’ll assure him that you’vebeen on important business for the crown, business that continues until furthernotice.”
It might work. For a moment. “He’ll demand answers.”
He seemed amused, then nodded as if remembering who he wasspeaking about. He’d no doubt been to more than one council that had been takenover by Duke Felix Montague of Baelyn. “What if we promise that answers arecoming?”
She had to chuckle. “His heir disappeared from the palace amidsta string of bizarre pyradisté incidents, which were no doubt the target of hisire. Now she returns in the company of the prince, the monarch’s pyradisté, anda monk from a love chapterhouse. At best, he might conclude that Thana spiritedme away so that you and I might be married by Dina, Highness.”
Dina shook her head as she saddled the horses. “I’m not seniorenough to do weddings. Or a fertility rite, before the young couple can ask.”She grinned, even when Thana glared daggers at her.
Sylph chuckled. “Facts he will not inquire about before heimplores the nobles’ council to censure Your Highness and have the assumedmarriage forsworn. And remember, that is the bestscenario if you leave him without answers.”
Prince Gunnar looked utterly offended. “What proud parent wouldobject to their child marrying me? I’m not the crown prince, but I’m stillroyalty, for spirits’ sake. Just how protective is your dear da?”
She sighed, glad of Thana’s touch again.
“He’s not protective,” Thana said. “His feeling is allpossession.”
Sylph gave her a peck on the cheek, happy that someone could putit so succinctly. “Particularly possessive where land is concerned. He wants myeventual marriage to increase our holdings. If I were to marry an Umbriel—”
“We’d get your land, not the other way around,” he said. “I see.”He seemed relieved as he swept a hand through his hair, his ego no doubtassuaged. Then he grimaced as if just realizing that their discussion meant herfather would be angry about his family’s potential loss of holdings rather thanhis daughter’s happiness.
Or her safety, for that matter. He wouldn’t bother to inquire ifshe was all right before attempting to put her under guard again.
“Well, no matter what,” the prince said, “I don’t want himthinking you were abducted, that I blackmailed you into marriage or something.”
Dina bristled. “No proper monk would conduct a marriage likethat.”
Prince Gunnar waved her affront away. “What would you suggest,Lady Sylph?”
That they all disappear into a world where she and Thana could betogether, and everyone left them alone. That would be nice.
And it was the first time she hadn’t immediately wished she couldgo back to the way things had been before she’d ever had magic. Was thatbecause of Thana or the power?
Why couldn’t it be both?
She made another fist and imagined the future, saw herselfwalking up to her father and admitting every deed, every feeling she’d hadsince this crisis started, throwing them in his face, rejecting every lesson,being free. It seemed like what Thana would do.
And it was…sadly, still moronic. At least for the moment.
“What we don’t need is my father actively working against us. Andthe minute I show my face, that is what he’ll do. No matter what he knows,history has proven that he’ll want to control my actions, and any defiance willcause him to take steps.”
Thana looked pained as they mounted their horses and began thejourney back to Marienne. Prince Gunnar seemed thoughtful, but he said nothing,glancing at Thana as if awaiting her input.
“You could be free of your father,” Thana said as Sylph knew shewould. “Just tell him to—”
“It wouldn’t matter,” Sylph said before Thana could prove her ignoranceabout how noble life worked. “What we want to avoid is the aftermath.” Shetried to smile reassuringly, but her own words pained her now that she’d beenshown a different way to live, and Thana’s hangdog look hurt even more. “Myfather is powerful. In some ways, even more than the queen.”
Thana’s head swung toward Prince Gunnar as if hoping he wouldargue, but he flinched and nodded. “Duke Felix could sway the nobles’ councilif he convinces them there’s a threat to their power.”
“And he’d say whatever he needs to. There’s only one way to getaround someone who has no concept of fighting fairly.”
Thana blanched, jaw dropping. “You can’t mean to…” She swallowed.“I know he’s an
