Seraiah awoke with a gasp as the vision released her. She lay still for a moment, staring up at the ceiling and trying to calm her wildly beating heart.

  This was the first time she’d seen the Winter Queen since she and Kestrel had fled the Unseelie Court. Sterling may not have known she was listening in on their conversation, but Seraiah had been terrified the Winter Queen would sense her.

  “Oh, you’re awake! That was fast.”

  Seraiah turned her head and found Wisteria in the chair at her bedside. She took a breath, willing her heart to return to its normal speed, and wiped her sweaty palms on the sheets.

  When she was sure she could speak without a tremble in her voice, she said, “How long?”

  “Only a day and a half this time,” Wisteria said, jumping from the chair. “Can I get you anything? Water? Food?”

  Seraiah shook her head. A day and a half. That was half the time the previous visions had taken. She hoped that was normal and not something she should worry about. If these visions took less time, it would be a good thing. It meant spending less time in the Seelie Court. It meant taking fewer potions and possibly avoiding the madness.

  “Where’s Kai?” she asked, pushing herself up to sitting. She needed to get dressed and present herself to the Summer King. He’d want to know all the details she had learned from the Winter Queen, and she needed another potion. There was no time to waste.

  “Sleeping, I think. Technically, he should have been here by now to take his turn watching you.”

  Seraiah paused halfway out of bed. “What do you mean he’s late? Could something be wrong?” Alarm spiked her heart rate again.

  “I’m sure he overslept, and everything is fine,” Wisteria hurried to say. “He’s not that late. I would have gone to look for him myself, but then that would mean leaving you alone, and I’m sure he wouldn’t appreciate it. Now that you’re awake though, I can go see if he’s in his room. Do you want me to do that?”

  It took Seraiah a moment to sort through Wisteria’s long string of words and make sense of what she was saying. Her head still felt fuzzy from the potion. “No, that’s all right,” she said, before Wisteria could get halfway to the door. “I’ll just get ready and see him myself. I have to go see the Summer King too.”

  Wisteria hesitated. “If you are sure . . .”

  “I’ll be fine,” Seraiah said. “Promise.”

  As she stepped into the bathing chamber, she heard the door to her room open.

  “Oh, there you are, Prince Kaimana!” Wisteria exclaimed. “I was just coming to get you because Seraiah woke up.”

  “Already?” Seraiah heard Kai ask.

  “I was surprised too. Do you want me to let her know you are here?”

  “I can hear both of you,” Seraiah called. “If you wouldn’t mind waiting in the hall, I’ll be out in a moment.”

  “We’ll be right outside the door,” Kai said. Then she heard the door open and close again, and she was finally alone.

  Seraiah quickly used the facilities and dressed in the clothing the faeries had provided for her. This time it was a gown the color of fresh cream. She couldn’t imagine it would stay that color for very long. One stray splash of wine, and it would be ruined.

  While she got ready, she thought about her vision. She’d known Sterling was going to contact the Winter Queen, thanks to her first potion, but she hadn’t expected the Winter Queen to be there in person. From the way Sterling and Cylan had been acting, it seemed they had not expected it either.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Seraiah wished she might have seen the beginning of the meeting, and what led the Winter Queen to make an appearance.

  She’d been exactly as Seraiah had remembered her. Beautiful. Cold. Controlling. Even in the few minutes of conversation Seraiah had witnessed, it had been easy to tell who held all the power.

  Seraiah replayed the conversation in her head.

  The Winter Queen had mentioned a project of Gavaran's but refused to say what it was. She had a feeling the fae queen might have been referring to the humans Gavaran had stolen from Ratha and Baromund. Sterling had attempted to act as though knowing about the project was beneath her, but it was obvious to Seraiah she was trying to hide her lack of knowledge. If she had seen through it, then the Winter Queen had surely seen through it as well.

  “Oh, Sterling,” Seraiah murmured as she brushed out her hair. “What are you doing?”

  Even more concerning than the conversation was Sterling’s reaction after the Winter Queen had left. There had been a heavy-looking silver bowl sitting on the table in front of her, and Sterling had picked it up and hurled it across the room, barely missing Cylan’s head. The vision had dissolved as the bowl had crashed into the wall, but Seraiah feared what Sterling might have done next in her anger.

  It wouldn’t be the first time the shadow creature had pushed her into murdering someone.

  Seraiah finished getting ready and called the others back from the hallway.

  “What happened?” Kai asked. He studied her intently, eyes running over her from head to toe as though looking for some physical sign of what had occurred in her vision.

  “I’m fine,” she reassured him. “I’m not so sure Sterling is, however.”

  She recounted everything she had seen. Wisteria was staring at her with wide eyes by the time she finished.

  “I’m going to need to speak with the Summer King right away,” Seraiah said. “Wisteria, do you think you could find out if I can get an audience with him?”

  “Of course. I’ll go see.”

  After she had left, Kai asked about the madness. “Did you send Wisteria away to avoid speaking about it in front of her?”

  “Yes, and no. Nothing happened this time to worry me—other than the brevity of the vision. I didn’t see Lonan again or anything that might hint of the madness. However, I fear what Sterling might do next or what she already may have done. The meeting seemed to go poorly for her, and she was so angry afterward. I worry about what she might allow the shadow creature to do. That’s why I want to talk to the Summer King right away. I need to get another potion and try again immediately.”

  Kai rubbed his jaw. “I don’t know. I don’t like this. What if we try to get into the city to speak to her in person instead? Wisteria made it out of the city and back in again with your father in tow, and the others were able to escape the same way. What if we tried that?”

  Seraiah pressed her lips together. There was so much more danger in what Kai was suggesting.

  “You wouldn’t go,” Kai said, reading the look on her face.

  “Then who would? You? That’s not any better, and I’d never ask any of the others to go in my stead. It is better this way, and there haven’t been any more signs of the madness.”

  Kai shook his head.

  “I know you worry for me,” Seraiah went on before he could say anything, “but I must do this because it is the only thing I can do.”

  “No,” Kai said, reaching for her and drawing her into a hug. “Never say that again. You are capable of many things. You are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for. I know you want to keep doing this, but it is so hard for me to watch and wait and hope nothing happens to you in a place I can’t reach.”

  Seraiah leaned back to look at his face. “I understand. I would feel the same if our places were switched. Let me try another time, or at least until Ren and Virelai return. Then we can leave.”

  “Even if you aren’t able to make contact with Sterling?”

  Seraiah nodded. “Yes. I hope that won’t be the case, but even then, I promise.”

  She stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his lips. Kai kissed her back, his hands coming up to cup her face and deepen the kiss.

  Seraiah was so lost in the feel of him, she didn’t notice until her back hit the wall that they’d moved.

  The heat of him burned through the thin fabric of her dress, and she suddenly wished it weren’t there. Before she could do anything about it, however, someone knocked on her door.

  Kai groaned and pulled back to look down at her. His eyes were dark, pupils blown wide, and his lips were as swollen as hers felt. “You should answer that,” he said.

  “I should,” she agreed.

  Neither of them moved.

  The knock came again, and Kai pushed himself off the wall, putting some distance between them.

  Seraiah quickly ran her fingers through her hair, trying to smooth out the strands Kai had mussed.

  The knock sounded a third time.

  “Come in,” Seraiah called, deciding she was as presentable as she was going to get.

  Wisteria barged into the room with Maescia on her heels. “Finally, I thought maybe something had happened to—oh, oh, I see.”

  Seraiah’s face heated. Kai was standing behind her, so she couldn’t see his expression, but she imagined it must match her own.

  “Well, I just came to tell you, you have an audience with the Summer King right now, but maybe we could reschedule it?”

  “No, I’m ready,” Seraiah said. “No need to reschedule for any reason.”

  Maescia was grinning at her now too. “Come, come,” the faery singsonged. “I will take you to the King.”