CHAPTER 28

Rune arched a brow at Sadi, who sat on his desk to his right with her booted feet perched on the edge of his armrest. "Get rid of her," she repeated.

The Ra'Voshnik growled through his mind, offended by the panel of Sadi's skirt that fell between her legs, exposing the length of her belted thigh-high boots.Get her legs away from us.Rune ignored it, glancing up at Sadi. "My life is tied to hers."

"Entomb her in Standing Shadows."

Kill her. She threatens our queen.The Ra'Voshnik prowled closer, eyeing Sadi's throat.A simple twist, and her head would fall at our feet.

Rune dragged the creature deeper into his mind, away from Sadi. "Have you forgotten neither of us were able to subdue her? It is unlikely the crystal will hold. She would likely destroy my father's castle if I attempted it, which I will not." He couldn't bear the thought of entombing his night breeze, making her a permanent fixture in the macabre crystalline palace he inherited.

Sadi tapped the metal claw at the end of her articulated ring against his desk. "She's dead, Rune, on a catastrophic scale."

"Be easy. She is in my care, and I am quite difficult to kill."

She leapt gracefully to her feet, crossing her arms as she stared over his realm. "Damian and I will take my rooms in the north wing. You need someone watching your back."

Hardly necessary, but Rune replied, "As you wish."

A pair of footsteps heading up the hall pulled his attention. Faye and her harpy sister stopped in the doorway of his study.

"She does look like you." Sparrow stood shocked in the doorway while Faye entered, smiling at Sadi.

"I wanted to introduce you to my sister, Sparrow." Her smile faded when Sadi leaned back on her hip and crossed her arms. Faye hesitated for a moment, glancing at him as if to ask what happened. Her attention returned to Sadi, and she asked, "Has your father decided if he'll let me invoke my blood in Chaos?"

Sadi leaned forward, pulling her shoulders back. Her mouth was wide, hissing at Faye. The minx's eyes widened, and she took a step back, pulling her arms tight to her sides as her sister stepped in front of her and hissed back.

Rune glared at Sadi as Sparrow yelled, "What the fuck is your problem?"

"You are not of my line." Sadi's feet lifted a few inches off the ground, her hair and garments swayed around her as though she were submerged in deep water. The telltale sign of Familiar magic.

"Enough," Rune growled at Sadi. When she returned to the ground, and her hair and clothes oriented normally once more, he turned to Faye. The damage had already been done. Her dark eyes took a glassy look with unshed tears. She took another step backward, out of his study and hurried back the way she came. Her sister is a step behind her.

He turned his attention to Sadi. "That was most unhelpful."

She leaned forward, baring her teeth. "She is a danger to you. Get rid of her."

Faye blinked back her tears as she rushed up the stairs. Her family abandoned her, the one person who must have some familial tie to her didn't want her. The glimmer of hope that seeded when she thought she finally found her place rotted in her chest.

Sparrow called her name, but she kept moving, needing to get away. She was a fool to let her guard down with Sadi. She'd been kind, and her kindness blinded her to the simple truth. Sadi was a dark-blood, and Faye wasn't one of them. They would only ever see her as a shiny trinket to be discarded when her novelty wore off.

"Bitch, stop." Sparrow caught her wrist pulling her to stop in the empty ballroom.

"I want to be alone." Faye jerked her arm, but Sparrow held fast.

"No, you don't."

Faye pulled away, continuing down the hall. An angry yowl sounded from behind her and something small hit just under Faye's shoulder. It suddenly grew much heavier. Her sister hung on to her back, her arms circling her neck and her legs around her waist.

"Get off me," Faye said, shifting her shoulders.

"Not until you calm down and we talk some serious shit about your evil twin."

"I was stupid. I thought she was my friend. That we might even be related." A tear slipped down Faye's cheek. She'd hoped something good came from Rune kidnapping her. That fate finally smiled on her, and she found some lost family. A place to belong. But even her twin didn't want her.

"Fuck her." Sparrow slid down Faye's back, linking arms with her and pulling it to her side. "She's jealous."

Faye gave Sparrow a sidelong glance as they walked back to their room. "She's not jealous of me."

"She's totally on his dick and upset you're the focus of his attention."

"It's two hours."

"I'm just telling you what I see." Faye nodded, not agreeing at all. "You're all tense. We should soak in his hot spring."

That did sound appealing, and she had an hour to kill before noon.

"I'll have you back before your meeting, and I'll help you pick out something nice and respectable." When Faye glared at her she added, "Promise."

They returned to the room they shared, and Faye changed into her leather bikini. Her sister donned a matching bathing suit in red. Faye pulled her fluffy robe from her closet, pulling it on.

Sparrow snorted loudly, and Faye was still waiting for her sister's opinion. "That's torn. Throw that away."

"It's my only robe," Faye said, pulling it tighter around herself.

"Darkness saves me. You have a whole wardrobe of shit, and you're wearing your torn robe." Sparrow plucked a long black silk robe out of the air and handed it to her. "Here."

Faye shrugged out of her robe and wrapped herself in the silk. "When did you get this?"

"I liberated it from your closet yesterday," Sparrow snorted. "Someone should be using them." Sparrow recalled a matching robe in white. Faye assumed her sister procured it the same way.

She walked with Sparrow slowly when they approached the great room. Her sister linked arms with her and pulled her forward. "Do not tell me you're afraid of seeing Runey's stray cat."

Afraid was a strong word, but Faye wouldn't be upset if she never saw her again. When Faye didn't answer Sparrow said, "Fuck that bitch."

"Stop. She might hear you." Faye pulled her sister to the left, toward the hall that would lead to the gardens.

Her sister twisted as she dragged her along and yelled toward the hall leaning to Rune's study. "Fuck you bitch!"

Faye laughed, pulling her forward. "You're so bad."

"You love me," Sparrow replied.

They entered the gardens, and Sparrow picked a few black roses before they reached the hot spring. Sparrow stood at the ledge, peering into the steaming water. "He has carved stone seating. Your man is fancy." Sparrow said, dropping the white robe in a pile at her feet and jumping into the pool.

He's not my man.Faye untied her robe, letting the subject go. Sparrow would only dig her demented heels in harder if she argued. She folded her robe, placing it on the ground before joining Sparrow.

The hot water was absolute bliss. Faye sighed leaning her head back on the smooth rocks bordering the spring. Her tension and muscle aches seemed to melt away.

"I think his hot spring is spelled." Sparrow twisted her back one way then the other.

"What?"

Sparrow leaned forward, shifting again before saying, "It is. I tweaked my back with Vash last night. It's all better now."

"Really?" Faye said, rolling her eyes. "So many visuals I didn't want in my head."

"We'll be trading war stories soon enough. His shadowiness probably wants to hold your ankles next to your ears."

Faye curled her lip. "I don't even bend like that."

"Better get to stretching then," Sparrow snickered.

"How are you always so sure of everything?"

Sparrow fluffed her hair, turning her head up and doing her best to look regal. "Fate speaks to me. I have a feeling."