The black cape sweeps over the floor as Kairyn paces back and forth. “When I aligned with you years ago, it was for the good of my realm. For my people.”
Birdy throws her head back and laughs, harsh and biting. “Is that what you’re still telling yourself, love?” She swishes her short hair and drifts over to Kairyn, hips sashaying back and forth. Her fingers walk up his metal chest, and my eyes nearly roll to the back of my skull. “You aligned with me because you want that throne as much as I want to put you on it.”
Kairyn’s dark gaze burrows into hers, and I know she has him. She continues, “Ezryn left the realm to ruin. Remember what I showed you when we ventured into the Briar? He’s a beast, Kai. A monster. But you knew that already, didn’t you?” Her hand caresses his helmet. “Your brother is a murderer.”
By gods, she is good. I mean, not that Kairyn is the most difficult of subjects—all fight, no facts, just like his brother—but she could talk him into laying down his helm, and he’d thank her for it.
“He is a murderer…” Kairyn repeats.
“It is your destiny to sit atop the Spring throne,” Birdy says slowly. “We called upon the Fates, you and I, and asked them what they saw. They showed you your silver path. You will sit upon the throne of Spring and wield its Blessing. Only then can you usher in a new era of prosperity.”
It’s like a performance, and Quellos and I are mesmerized, watching as she completely wraps the prince around her finger like a piece of twine. It’s equally fascinating and pathetic.
But the dog still has some bite. “The Fates never showed me my brother’s death,” Kairyn growls. “I can still gain the Blessing my way. I just need more time.”
“You are afraid of your true potential,” she says. “Of the life you deserve. Until you free yourself of this loyalty to the brother that banished you, you will always be his servant.”
Kairyn stays silent, fists curling and uncurling. “I’m not his servant. He will see my worth.”
The Nightingale grabs Kairyn’s hand and places it over her heart. “Listen to me, Kai. I found you in the monastery when you were all but hopeless. I gave you purpose. I helped you retake the Golden Acolytes and save the people of Spring. And what has Ezryn done? He betrayed you. He doesn’t believe in you. Not like me.”
I cross my arms. From the quiver in her voice, you’d almost think she actually cared for this fool of Spring. Except I know better. Birdy can’t care for anyone; Sira beat that out of her.
Kairyn turns away. “I won’t kill him.”
Birdy fixes him with a scathing look. “Is loyalty such a foreign concept that you can’t even recognize it when it’s right in front of you? Tell me, Kairyn where does your loyalty truly lie?”
“You’re wasting your breath, Birdy,” I say and cast a smirk Kairyn’s way. “It’s hard to get approval from someone who’s dead.”
“I don’t need his approval,” Kairyn snarls.
I can’t help taunting him—it’s just too easy. “Is that what you tell yourself? I happen to remember you as a little bothersome boy, always chasing after Ezryn as he chose Keldarion again and again and again. One might think he views Kel as more of a brother than you.”
Kairyn steps forward, fist winding back as if he intends to take my head off with a single swing. Birdy puts a hand on his chest then glowers at me. “You’ll keep quiet if you know what’s good for you,” she warns.
Ah, but I love all the things that aren’t good for me. “You know all about being desperate for approval, don’t you, Birdy? I suppose that’s why you two are such a good team.”
Her glare is so cold, it could freeze the Summer Realm. “I won’t kill Ezryn,” Kairyn growls. “But I will break him. He will finally realize I am the worthy brother. I promise you I will have the Blessing of Spring.”
“And how do you intend to break the High Prince?” she snarls.
Kairyn’s voice grows so low and haunted, a shiver runs up my spine. “The Golden Rose. I saw the way he acts around her.” He raises a fist. “Her death will destroy him.”
The expression on my face remains the same: the smirk, the one raised brow. But inside, my blood rages and my mind whirrs.
Birdy begins to pace. “Yes … Yes. Lady O’Connell must die.”
“I will send my Penta Conclave after her immediately.”
Birdy makes an angry scoff. “Are you even more of a fool than I took you for? Spring must welcome you; you can’t have yourself appearing as a renegade if your men get caught.” She shakes her head. “I’ll do it myself.”
And that’s when I see it in the glint of her eye. Something deeper than wanting to break Ezryn. A traitorous glint.
She asked for Kairyn’s permission to slay Ezryn out of courtesy.
But she’ll do what she wants when the time comes.
A yawn escapes me. “Quite the plan, you two. So imaginative.”
“Something to say, Caspian?” Birdy shoots back.
I glide over to one of the shelves, start idly picking up the vials and shaking them for fun. The vein in Quellos’s head looks ready to burst. “I’m just curious how my little bird and her little dog are planning to assassinate one of the most powerful fae in the Vale. The Golden Rose took down our own dear Quellos, after all.”
“It will be quite difficult, mistress,” Quellos says. “Besides, High Prince Ezryn is in constant companionship with her.” The word comes out a slithering hiss. “She is more dangerous than she appears.”
Birdy throws her head back and laughs. “You think I’m afraid of that wretch? I’ve been waiting for this moment. I will tear her apart thorn by thorn, and Mother will thank me for it.”
My dear Birdy shows her colors, and aren’t they a vicious sight?
Quellos shoves me away from the shelves and reaches up on his tiptoes for a vial. “The mistress would do well to heed my warning. I, too, underestimated the fae woman. And now I am a servant to the Below instead of ruling over the Winter Realm as I deserved.”
Poor Perth has been in service to the Below for much longer than he realized. It was Mother after all who planted those little crowns for him to find. The crowns infused with magic of the Green Flame.
“Oh, shut it, old man.” Birdy rolls her big, blue eyes. “You’re lucky Mother saw any potential in you at all.”
“It’s that potential that might save your life.” Quellos tips the vial over and pours out a large yellow crystal. “If things don’t go as planned against the High Prince and the Golden Rose, you can use this as a contingency.”
I throw myself in the path between Quellos and my sister. The crystal gleams like a living thing. “You can’t be serious. That’s not a contingency. That’s suicide. This experiment devoured an entire unit of goblins before you contained it.”
Birdy shoves me out of her way and snatches the crystal. She holds it up to the light, examining it. “I won’t need it. Unlike you, big brother, I have follow-through. But I’ll take it … Just in case I want a little fun.”