“She just wants to play.”

Reaver shook his head again, and Jadis gave up on flying, opting to crawl up the cabinet, causing the entire thing to wobble.

“Oh, my gods.” I rushed over, grabbing her as she made it about a foot. “You can’t do that.”

The moment I put her down, she raced right back to the cabinet. We repeated this series of events several more times before a full-blown, baby draken temper tantrum happened.

With wide eyes and mouth hanging open, I watched her throw herself onto her belly, wailing as she pounded her little taloned fists and clawed feet against the floor, scratching the shadowstone. I froze, having no idea how to calm a mortal child, let alone a draken one.

I glanced desperately at the door, seeing that Rhain and Nektas had moved out of view. “Are you kidding me?” I whispered, turning back to Jadis.

She flopped onto her back, going so still that I feared she’d knocked herself out. I started toward her when Reaver made a rough, huffing noise that sounded very much like a laugh.

That didn’t help matters.

The draken was back on her feet in a flash, crimson eyes narrowed as she bleated and yipped at Reaver. He made no move to come back down, and I had no idea what Nektas was doing in that damn hall. I turned to find out. Just a second—one second had passed—and I smelled smoke.

I whirled, gasping as flames crawled across the leg of one of the chairs Jadis was crouched in front of. “Oh, my gods!”

Jadis jumped excitedly, eyes alit by the flames. I quickly grabbed the pitcher, dousing the fire. Heart pounding, I stepped back—

Nektas walked into the chamber then, coming to an abrupt stop. “I leave the room for two minutes…”

“That was not two minutes,” I panted. “That was two years.”

Jadis tucked her wings back and close to her body then took off, scurrying under a different chair.

Nektas looked up at Reaver, who let out a disgruntled-sounding chirp before gliding down to the floor, where he eyed Jadis. I kind of felt bad for her while her father coaxed her out from under it.

“Someone obviously didn’t spend nap time napping,” Nektas stated. “Time to do just that.”

I trotted after them, feeling as if I’d narrowly survived a war. The embers in my chest suddenly warmed as we neared Nyktos’s offices. My stomach immediately started flipping and flopping around like Jadis had in the middle of her fit as Nektas slowed, stopping in the alcove.

“You need anything?” Nektas called as I hung back. Jadis immediately started to struggle to get down.

“No,” came the response that shouldn’t have made my face feel like it was on fire but did. “You can let her down.”

“You spoil her,” Nektas muttered, but he let his daughter go, and she took off, disappearing into the office. There was a rough laugh from inside, and Reaver followed at a much more sedate pace. Nektas halted at the entrance, glancing back at me. He raised his brows.

I peeled myself away from one of the shadowstone pillars and came forward, willing my heart to slow.

Nyktos was behind his desk, and the little draken was plastered to the loose, white shirt he wore. She was either hugging…or strangling him. I couldn’t be exactly sure which.

“What have you two been up to?” Nyktos asked, glancing to where Reaver was already perched on the corner of his desk.

Reaver gave a couple of low grunts, but Jadis was chirping and yipping rapidly. She leaned back in Nyktos’s arms, turning her head to Reaver. She hissed at him, and I couldn’t help but grin.

“Maybe Reaver will play with you if you don’t chase him so much,” Nyktos responded.

My brows shot up. I’d forgotten that Nyktos could understand them.

“By the way, she set one of the chairs on fire,” Nektas announced. His daughter immediately planted her head in Nyktos’s chest. “So, it’s time for a nap.”

Nyktos’s brows rose as Jadis gave a pitiful, muffled whimper. “It’s okay. I’m not mad.” He rubbed her back between her wings. “We have plenty of chairs.”

“It is not okay.” Nektas came around the desk, extricating Jadis from the Primal’s arms. His daughter all but threw herself over his shoulder, hanging limply as Reaver eyed her warily. “No matter how many chairs there are.”

Nyktos grinned, brushing a strand of hair back behind his ear as he finally looked past the draken to where I hovered near the empty bookcases.

All I could think about was that icy-hot feeling against my skin, inside me.

Nothing could be gained from Nyktos’s expression. I had no idea what he was thinking as his gaze drifted over my features and then lower. The line of his jaw tightened. “Remind me,” he said to Nektas, “to check in with Erlina to see when she will be done with her clothing.”

Frowning, I glanced down and saw that the bodice had slipped a little, either because it wasn’t fitted properly or from trying to keep Jadis from injuring herself and burning down the palace. Either way, it wasn’t like my breasts had actually fallen out. Yet. My eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong with the gown, Your Highness?”

“Everything.”

I inhaled sharply, no longer feeling all that pretty in the gown.

Nektas’s brow pinched with confusion as he glanced at me. “I see nothing wrong with it.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t,” Nyktos muttered, leaning back in his chair.

“I find it to be many things,” Nektas offered, “none of which are wrong. I could list them for you…”

“Not necessary,” Nyktos bit out. He dropped his hand to the desk, and his fingers began tapping beside the tome I’d seen him with the day before.

The nape of my neck burned. “If I’d known you were going to insult the gown that doesn’t even belong to me, I would’ve chosen to visit what’s left of the entombed gods instead.”

Nyktos’s eyes flashed to me, narrowing.

“I believe she’s saying she’d prefer their company over yours,” Nektas added helpfully.

“Thank you for the unnecessary explanation,” Nyktos drawled. The Primal sent him a look of warning before focusing on me. Some of the tension eased from his jaw. A moment passed. “I didn’t mean to insult your gown. I…apologize if…” He drew in a breath as I stared at him. “If that was rude of me.”

“If?” I questioned.

“Okay, it was rude,” he amended. “There’s nothing wrong with your gown,” he muttered. “You look lovely in it.”

My brows shot up as I saw Nektas rub at his mouth, attempting to hide his grin. My annoyance with both of them flared. Nyktos had sounded as if he were speaking of a barrat in a gown, and Nektas had definitely failed at hiding his smile.

“I need to get Jadis to sleep,” Nektas said, and the Primal nodded. Reaver launched off Nyktos’s desk as Nektas headed for the door.

I started to follow them but stopped. Nektas didn’t need me being a distraction while he tried to get his daughter to sleep. I remained behind as they left the office, even though I suspected that Nyktos likely would have preferred I hadn’t.

As the doors closed behind Nektas, I slowly turned to the Primal. He was still leaning back in his chair, fingers tapping slowly on his desk as he eyed me. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Good.” I felt that damn warmth hitting my face again. “You?”

He lifted the hand from the arm of his chair, resting those fingers against his jaw and chin. “Perfect.”

Silence ticked by. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Nyktos went completely still. I don’t think he even breathed. “Like a babe.”

I stared at him. “You sure about that?”

“Yes.” Wisps of eather appeared in his eyes as disbelief crept in.

Was he really going to act as if he hadn’t been in my bedchamber the night before, watching me? Touching me?

“It appears you’ve had a rather eventful morning,” he said.

He was totally going to act like last night hadn’t happened. I tamped down my frustration. “That is one way of putting it.”