Thierran cocked his head and raised a brow. “Acknowledging your presence already isn’t worth my very precious time,” he said, sipping from his glass. “Let alone answering your questions.”

Kyn halted, his flesh thinning until I saw hints of gray beneath. My skin prickled as energy ramped up. He lifted his left arm, eather sparking.

Essence flooded my body in a hot rush as I stepped forward. I didn’t rein the power back in. Gold-tinged silver filled the corners of my vision. A glow pulsed around me, and several strands of hair began lifting off my shoulders. “Don’t even think it, Kyn.”

He slowly turned his gaze to me. Our eyes locked as brilliant strands of gold-and-silver eather streaked from my legs. One side of his lips curled up. “Weren’t you in a cage the last time I—”

“Finish that sentence, and I will rip out your tongue and then feed it to you,” Ash growled, his shadows snaking out and streaming between the rows of benches.

Holding Kyn’s gaze, I smiled. “Finish it.”

Kyn’s nostrils flared.

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Attes intervened, holding up a hand as he glanced over his shoulder at Ash and me. “Let me handle this.”

The hazy outline of wings appeared behind Ash’s back, stretching out. “If by handle this, you mean removing him from my sight, then you’d better do it quick.”

“I want payment for my hounds,” Kyn demanded, glancing to where Rhain stood. “He’ll do. We have some unfinished business to attend to, anyway.”

“Try it.” Rhain’s nostrils flared as Saion moved closer to him, his hand going to his sword.

“Stop it.” Attes blocked his brother. “Fucking Fates, what are you thinking? You shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither should you,” Kyn retorted. “And you definitely should not have freed her.”

“He didn’t,” I said, fingers twitching. “I freed myself.”

“Congratulations.” Kyn blew me a kiss.

“I’m going to fucking disembowel you,” Ash promised.

“Can’t wait.” Kyn turned back to his brother. “You should be before our King, begging for his forgiveness after the shit you pulled.”

“That’s not going to happen.” Attes moved toward his brother.

“Preferably on your knees.” Kyn ignored Attes. “Something I’m sure some of you are well versed in.”

Anger pumped through me. “Your insults are only slightly less amusing than Veses’.”

Kyn huffed out a laugh. “What’s going to be amusing is seeing you try to repeat that with a dick in your—” He grunted, sliding back several feet before catching himself. Eather lit up the veins in his cheeks, and his head jerked back toward me.

I stood several feet from where I’d been standing before. My reaction had been immediate, the eather rising to meet my will seamlessly. “Watch your mouth.”

Kyn straightened. “That was a cute parlor trick.”

“Did you see what I did to Kolis?” I asked, lowering my hand as I felt the throbbing awareness of a draken. “Was that a cute parlor trick?”

“No, that was what we like to call an act of treason.” He focused on his brother. “And that is exactly what you’re doing by being here.”

“Actually, it’s not, considering I no longer recognize Kolis as my King,” Attes replied. “And I didn’t long before she Ascended.”

“You…you fucking idiot.” Kyn’s jaw throbbed, and he inhaled sharply. “You’re endangering your Court, Nyktos.”

“Is that so?” Ash replied in a voice that was too quiet.

“Kolis won’t stay my hand now.” A glint of eagerness sharpened his features. “He will order your Court to be returned to dust.” His gaze shot to the dais as the door leading to what I called the war room opened. “Along with your draken.” He let out a cutting laugh. “Even you.”

“Sure, he will.” Nektas crossed the dais and jumped down. He exchanged a look with Ash and then planted himself before me.

My narrowed-eye gaze landed on Ash. We would have to talk about that later—like after the trash had been dealt with.

“Kyn,” warned Attes, creeping closer to his brother, “you need to leave. Now.”

He wasn’t listening. Instead, he said, “And I will gladly see it carried out.”

“No, you will not.” Attes planted a hand on Kyn’s shoulder, shoving him back. “You aren’t going to do shit.”

Kyn laughed. “I always thought you were a little soft. But this? I never believed you capable of being this much of a fool.”

“It is not I who is the fool.” Attes followed as Kyn stepped to the side. “You need to leave.”

“But I just got here.” Kyn edged to the side more. “And I haven’t received my payment. Nor any thanks.”

“And what do you think we need to thank you for?” Ash asked.

I couldn’t wait to hear this.

“For staying out of the goodness of my heart and attempting to talk some sense into you.”

“Do any of us look like we need that?” Thierran asked.

“You always look like you need that.” Kyn shadowstepped, passing his brother.

Shadows spun across the floor, rising within inches of Kyn, forcing him back a foot.

Ash’s wings thickened behind him. “I thought you were going to handle him.”

“Yeah, well, it’s taking me a minute,” Attes muttered.

“If you stand against Kolis,”—Kyn lifted a hand, sending his brother skidding backward—“you will spend the next several centuries regretting it.”

“Do you think we haven’t already spent centuries doing just that?” Attes spat, a pale shade of gray appearing just under his flesh.

Kyn’s lips peeled back. “Kolis has only done what was necessary.”

“Are you serious?” I demanded. “If you’re going to support him, then at least be truthful about who you are supporting.”

“And what would that truth be?”

“That he’s a monster,” I hissed, eather crackling from my skin as I sidestepped Nektas. “And the worst parts of you have benefited from that.”

“It doesn’t have to continue to be that way,” Attes said, clasping Kyn’s shoulder from behind. He spun him around. “You weren’t always this—”

“This what?” Kyn shrugged off his brother’s grasp.

“Violent,” Attes answered without hesitation. “Aggressive. Bitter. Demeaning—”

“He’s always been annoying as fuck,” Ash cut in, shadows swirling rapidly around his legs. “Just wanted to throw that out there.”

Kyn’s head whipped toward Ash. “Fuck you.”

“You weren’t always hungry for vengeance,” Attes rushed on. “You used to live for peace. Both of us did. What you’ve become is Kolis’s fault. His actions have corrupted you.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kyn snarled. “If his actions corrupted me, then it would’ve done the same to you.”

“You think I haven’t felt his influence? I have,” Attes shouted. “All of us have. You know I speak the truth, and the Fates know I should’ve spoken it earlier than this.” Attes’s voice roughened. “I should’ve stepped in centuries ago. But it’s not too late to stop this.”

“It might be too late for you, brother.” Kyn extended his arms. “For all of you.”

“It’s about to be too late for your ass if you don’t get the fuck out of my Court,” Ash warned.

Kyn spun, baring his fangs. Eather swelled inside me, pressing against my skin.

“Look, I get it.” Kyn drew back, his body moving in a disturbingly serpentine manner. “Kolis took your mother. Your father.” He smiled. “Then your Consort.”

The shadows stilled around Ash.

“Of course, you’re angry. You’ve always been angry. But you, brother? You may feel a little regret here and there, but you live. You still prospered. All because of Kolis. All because he kept the balance.”

“Balance he had to maintain because of his actions,” Attes argued, his eyes wide. “Are you fucking serious right now?”

Kyn smirked. “Not to sound cliché, but I’m deadly serious.”

“And you’re also worried,” I said. “I remember what you said to Kolis. You were concerned that his idea of creating life wouldn’t continue to maintain the balance.”

Kyn stiffened. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”