The hour was entirely too early for Virelai’s liking, but she still forced herself out of bed because today was the day she was leaving the Seelie Court. Part of her was sad to say goodbye to it—mostly because she’d be leaving behind a comfortable bed and the bathing chamber, but another part was glad. She’d be away from everyone else.

  Someone knocked on her door. “Are you ready?” Ren called through the wood. “We need to be off soon.”

  Well, almost everyone else.

  “I’m aware,” she called. “I’ll be downstairs in a few minutes.”

  Virelai looked between the two faery dresses she held in either hand, trying to decide which she should take with her. Neither were practical, but she needed to have more than one outfit choice. Only having the one dress she’d left Nyrene in had been miserable, and she was not about to repeat it.

  One of the others must have informed the faeries of their plans to leave because Maescia had appeared at Virelai’s door the night before, shortly after Kai’s departure, with a set of riding clothes and a small satchel of provisions. While Virelai appreciated the gesture, one set of riding clothes was simply not enough.

  She stared at the two dresses. If she thought she could stuff both of them into the provided satchel, she would. As it was, it was going to be difficult to get even one of them in there.

  The blue, she finally decided. It was the dress she’d worn to the feast during their first night at the Seelie Court. Its fabric was lighter than the other one, therefore, it should be easier to travel with.

  When Virelai arrived downstairs, the others were already gathered. Wisteria, Kai, and Seraiah had all come to see them off, even though the sun was only beginning to peek over the horizon.

  Whoever had decided journeys must start at dawn was wrong.

  The fairies had brought their horses from wherever they’d been kept, and they stood saddled and waiting for them. It had been decided that Virelai would take the horse Wisteria had ridden to the Court. It would mean leaving the three remaining members of their party with only one horse, but they’d thought it likely they wouldn’t be leaving before Ren and Virelai returned from their journey.

  Virelai found Wisteria next to the little brown mare, whispering nonsense to the horse. Ren was busy talking to Kai and Seraiah, who Virelai noted had their fingers entwined. She was definitely glad to be leaving if those two were going to be so public with their affections. Virelai could never imagine doing the same. Who knows who could be watching and planning to use the other person against you? No, she would never be so open with anyone she cared about.

  “What are you staring at?” Wisteria asked, startling her out of her thoughts.

  “Nothing,” she said. “It’s early. I’m tired, and I have to get on this horse for the gods only know how many hours. At the end of it, I’ll stink like horse again, and I’d only just gotten rid of it from the last journey.”

  “Well, I hope you come back soon,” Wisteria said. “I’m going to miss you.” Then she threw her arms around Virelai.

  Virelai stood there, unsure what to do. Since when did anyone care about seeing her?

  Wisteria leaned back but didn’t let go. “You’re supposed to hug someone back when they hug you, you know.”

  Virelai lifted a hand and patted her on the shoulder.

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  It only made Wisteria sigh. “We’ll work on it,” she said.

  “I’ll miss you too,” Virelai told her after Wisteria had released her.

  And she found it wasn’t a lie. She didn’t love having to make sure Wisteria stayed out of trouble, but the girl had grown on her. They were becoming—dare she say it—friends.

  “Also,” Wisteria said, “do you think you could be nice to Ren?”

  “I—what? Why would I—”

  “I think he might like you,” Wisteria whispered. “And maybe you might like him too. Being nice could go a long way.”

  Virelai’s cheeks flushed and her eyes darted to Ren. Thankfully, his back was to her, and he was too far away to hear Wisteria.

  “I have no idea what you are talking about. Where would you even get such an idea?”

  “You did share a bed at his cabin. I’m sure you didn’t want anyone to know about that, but we all knew about it anyway. Why else would you share a bed if you didn’t like each other?”

  Virelai took a deep breath. On second thought, perhaps she wasn’t going to miss Wisteria, after all.

  “Did you think I was going to sleep on the ground?” she asked. “It had nothing to do with anyone liking anyone, and everything to do with me liking being comfortable.”

  Wisteria gave her a knowing look. “It’s all right if you don’t want anyone to know. I won’t tell.”

  Virelai looked at Ren again. At that moment, he glanced over his shoulder and met her eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched up in a half smile before he returned to his conversation.

  “I’ll try to be nice to him,” Virelai said stiffly, hoping it would end the discussion. There would be no changing Wisteria’s mind once she’d decided on something Virelai had learned.

  “Good. I also expect to hear all the details of the journey when you get back. I want to know everything about the dragons.”

  “You could go with us and see the dragons for yourself. No one is going to tell you, you can’t.”

  Wisteria shook her head. “I’m needed here. Who else will help Kai watch over Seraiah while she is in her visions?” She lifted her chin toward where Maescia was hovering in the shadows. She was the only faery Virelai had seen this morning. “I also have other things to do.”

  Virelai raised one brow. “Not more games to play, I hope.”

  Wisteria shrugged, which Virelai took to mean that’s exactly what she had planned.

  “Be careful or you’ll find yourself caught up in a faery bargain. Even when it seems like they are a friend, they are still out for themselves. It is their nature.”

  “I know, I know. Don’t worry. I know what I am doing.” Wisteria waved away her warning.

  Virelai had the distinct feeling that Wisteria did not know what she was doing and with Virelai leaving the Court, there would be no one to save her from herself. “I mean it. Be wary of anything they say.”

  “Oh, looks like it’s time for you to go,” Wisteria said, pretending not to hear her.

  “Wisteria, do not—”

  “If you’re done gossiping, we should be leaving,” Ren said, coming up behind her.

  “We’re done,” Wisteria said at the same time Virelai said, “We weren’t gossiping.”

  Ren didn’t say anything as he mounted his horse.

  “One more hug,” Wisteria said, before wrapping her arms around Virelai again.

  This time, Virelai hugged her back.

  “Have a safe journey,” Seraiah called.

  Virelai waved to her and Kai after she’d seated herself on the little brown mare. Then they were off.

  Ren had taken the lead, and they rode single file in silence until the path widened where it left the buildings. Then Ren dropped back beside her.

  “Were you and Wisteria talking about me?” he asked.

  “Of course not,” Virelai lied. She was not about to recount any of her conversation with Wisteria to him.

  “Then there was another reason I felt you watching me?”

  “I was wondering when you were going to be done speaking with Kai and Seraiah so we could leave. I thought we’d already finished all the plans. What more was there to discuss?”

  “Nothing,” he said. “They only wanted to make sure I remembered what to ask.”

  Virelai wasn’t sure she believed him, but if he didn’t want to tell her what they’d been talking about, that was fine by her. They could make the entire journey in silence for all she cared.

  “Do you know the way?” she asked.

  He gave her that half-smile again and something in her chest fluttered. “That’s what I brought you for. You’re the one who should know how to get there since you’re the dragon expert, right?”

  She may have known the children’s stories about the dragons and their history and knew vaguely of their location, but that didn’t mean she knew how to get there.

  “I never said—”

  Ren’s smile morphed into a full-on grin.

  He was teasing her. How dare he.

  “Relax,” he said, holding up one gloved hand. Clasped in his fingers was a rolled up paper. “Seraiah drew us a map. I really only asked you along for the entertainment.” Ren nudged his horse, and they took off before she could do anything but glare at his back.

  “Sorry, Wisteria, but if the dragons are hungry, I know just the snack to suggest,” she muttered as she nudged her little mare after him.