"Oi, what are you doing down here, Princess?" Jeromi Rayburn said when he saw us.

Not even a flicker of recognition crossed his face when he looked at me, but I doubted he would have recognized me in my usual garb. As the second son of the High Lord of Terra, Jeromi spent most of his days whoring about and riding on Tievel's coattails. He found his prince's fondness for me amusing at best, and most of the time couldn't be bothered to refer to me by name. Now, his pink eyes continued to drift toward me as he waited for Astreia's response, and there was no mistaking the heat in his gaze.

"Queen Thera sent me to check on Prince Tievel," she responded, dipping her head in unnecessary reverence.

I resisted the urge to elbow her. Our primary goal was to not raise suspicion, and if there was one thing that would do just that, it would be a meek Astreia.

"Guess after that last lashing you received, you jump when she speaks now," Jeromi said, leaning against the doorjamb with a cocky grin. "Heard she whipped you from the back of your thighs to your shoulders. Care to show me? Should still be pink at this point."

Nails bit into my arm to stop me from speaking. Astreia kept her eyes forward, but I received the message she sent. How could she have been so mistreated and not tell me? What other secrets was the princess keeping and did I have any right to be upset when I had a bigger one?

"Jeromi, who is it?"

Tievel's voice echoed off the stone walls and drew me toward him, earning another pinch from the girl at my side. Biting back a snarl, I tilted my head to the side and smiled at the young lord.

"If she's not interested in showing us, perhaps I can help you with a reenactment later," I said with a pur as Tievel appeared behind Jeromi.

Astreia stiffened, and I wondered if I'd gone too far. The little I remembered about the Terra lord suggested he had a proclivity for violence, and he wouldn't be opposed to bringing it into the bedroom.

"Astreia, you may return to your room. You're not needed–" Tievel stopped when he saw me. He did a double take, his eyes lingering on my hair before devouring my silk clad body. "Morana. What? How?"

We took his confusion as an opening and pushed inside. The palace was built on caves, and they'd been put to good use over the centuries, becoming prison cells for royal traitors. This main area was used as a guardhouse, and one other person occupied the room. Lady Yoko, a daughter of the Sea Court, lounged in a chair by a folding table, twirling the tip of her knife into a playing card while eying us coldly.

"It's bad enough you boys wanted to play cards and drink while we're guarding a prisoner, but now you want to rut like animals too," Yoko snarled, slapping her palm over the knife as it tipped sideways. "If you think I'll carry the slack while you two go about your business, you're—"

"What?" Astreia challenged, her braids clicking as she lifted her chin. "If your prince commands you to do so, you'll do it. If your prince commands you to step outside, you'll do it. If he tells you to watch, you'll do it. Was anything I just said wrong?"

"That's enough," Tievel said, running a hand through his light blue hair. He sounded exasperated, but I knew him well enough to know Astreia's outburst amused him. No one cared for Yoko—we all knew she was the Queen's puppet.

"She shouldn't be here," Yoko pressed, then pointed at me. "And who the hell is this?"

"The Princess was kind enough to bring one for me," Jeromi said, putting his arm around my waist, proving my earlier flirtations were right on point. "I believe she has something to show me."

Tievel's jaw tightened, and he ripped Jeromi's arm from my body. Rather than confront his friend, he dragged me to a drafty corner while Astreia continued to bicker with Yoko. Jeromi watched us for a moment before sitting down at the card table and turning his attention to the girls.

"I don't understand," Tievel said, gesturing up and down. "This isn't you."

"You don't like it?" I asked, running my hands over my rib cage down to my hips. The plan had been to work Tievel into a jealous frenzy, but I hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. I was glad I hadn't had to kiss Jeromi. Just thinking about it made it difficult to keep from wrinkling my nose in disgust.

"Of course, I like it," Tievel said. "That's not the point. The hair. The makeup. You look like Astreia, not yourself."

"She isn't the one to blame here," I insisted, real anger heating my words. "I asked her to help me dress up. I wanted to feel pretty. Appreciated."

"Is this because of the other night?" His voice dropped low. "I thought I made it clear. I don't need this to want you."

"Stupid boy. You and I can't happen." I snapped my mouth closed. This was supposed to be pretend, but it was quickly becoming real.

"So," he stepped closer, and I stepped away, my back hitting the cold wall. His fingers wrapped around my wrists, and he pulled my arms upward until he locked them above my head. "You'll bed every other man but me? Could you at least have the decency not to do it in front of me?"

I swallowed hard, hating myself for the obvious display of emotion. This was a side of the prince I had not witnessed. There were no drugs or alcohol in his body, nothing to cloud his thoughts or the intensity of his gaze. He was not bemoaning his lot in life or spouting poetry with a slur that made me giggle. This sober version of Tievel was pure, angry male, and it was the most attractive thing I'd ever witnessed.

Keeping one hand on my wrists, he dropped the other to my hair. The dark pieces spilled through his fingers. "Is this punishment? Are you trying to teach me a lesson?"

I heard three quick taps of a heel. Astreia's signal that she was moving into phase two of the plan. We both thought I'd still be flirting with Jeromi and I would only have to deal with Tievel's antics for a short period; however, I was fast growing certain the situation I found myself in was more dangerous than the rescue mission we were attempting.

"Oi, come on," Jeromi groaned.

Tievel twisted to look at his friend, and I used the moment of reprieve to draw in a shaky breath. When the prince laughed, I pulled on my hands, but he held firm.

"What's so funny?"

"Looks like Yoko is the one taking care of business now," Tievel said.

"How on earth did that happen?" I asked, genuinely confused by the sudden change.

Yoko's love of women was no secret, and Astreia's taste was mercurial. But otherwise, the one thing they had in common was their distaste for each other. Now, their bodies were entwined, not a single crack of light passing between them.

"Don't you know," Tievel said, dropping his head so that he could speak directly into my ear. "This is far from the first time."

Another secret. I wrenched free and pushed him away. He stumbled back, the naughty expression on his face fading to something more serious and concerned.

"You didn't know."

"I should go." I was supposed to leave. It was part of the plan, but Tievel had me scattered and confused.

His eyes softened, and he took my hand, his touch gentle. Gone was the jealous male, and in his place was the gentle boy I'd fallen in love with. "Stay, please. I'll be on my best behavior."

"That's not saying much."

"Morana... I promise."

He sounded so sincere I almost believed him, and maybe I should. Never had anything meant so much to the prince he'd abandoned his vices. In a way, I felt guilty, knowing I was depriving him of what he believed to be his chance at stopping his father, but this girl's suffering would accomplish nothing for anyone.

"You should guard your prisoner. What if she Sings?"

"She's drugged. Not to mention, she's too weak to lift her head, much less stage an attack. I'm safe."

I looked down the black tunnel, grateful it was too dark to see the prisoner. Tievel must have spotted the torment in my eyes because he frowned.

"I know it seems cruel, but she's a monster. A murderer. She would kill me if she had the chance. That's what we have to remember."

Murderer. Monster. I was none of those things, but I was a Deathsinger. I didn't realize until then that a small part of me held out hope that I might be able to tell him the truth one day. He crushed it with every hateful accusation. He would throw me in the cell beside the girl if he knew.

"You're right. I'm tired. I'm sorry for whatever this was," I said, sidestepping his outreached arm. Bits of the prince I was used to had returned, and there was a tenderness in his smile.

"At least let me escort you to the upper level. It's not a pleasant walk alone."

Jeromi pouted and called me a tease as we walked by. "Grab another bottle!"

"I'm fine," I said, putting a hand on Tievel's chest as he followed me up the stairs. "And I want you to know... I didn't come here just to act out. I wanted to check on you. You worried me the other night."

"I truly am sorry," he confessed, kissing the top of my hand. "I joined the Hunt because I was angry, but it changed me. I grew up, and I saw I was wasting my life. And now that we have a Deathsinger in captivity. Everything is going to change. You'll see. It'll be better. For both of us. For Edresh."

"Good, I'm glad. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Morana," he called out, staying at the bottom of the stairs even as I shut the door.

I sagged against the wall, tears clouding my eyes. Some fell from frustration, others from worry, but most of them were full of sadness. Sadness for the future I could never have. A rustle to my right had me straightening, and I wasn't surprised to see a pair of amber eyes floating in the shadows.

"More tears."

"Go away."

"I am. For now," the Reaper said. "But I'll be back far sooner than you like."

And with those ominous words, he vanished. Leaving me alone to cry. Only the tears were gone, and a new emotion stole into my chest.

Fear.