The events after returning to the forest house were a blur after Leo and Amneris carried Colt and Nikki inside, Amneris collapsing minutes later. They were rushed to their rooms, Kayla close behind. She must have spent hours working on the three, Leo by her side and helping her the entire time. He was exhausted by the time they were finished, but there was still more to be done.

Being the only one who was not killed in Kek’s ambush, Leo explained to the Court what had happened. Their reactions were all the same. Shock. While it was normal for some members to be killed depending on the situation, it was all but rare for everyone to be taken down. It required a lot of power.

As soon as they were done, Hathor had run to check on her mother with Kayla alongside her. Zoe and Carmin had gone into the kitchen to start on dinner, saying something about how immortals get grumpy if they’re not fed after reviving. They refused to tell anyone what was being cooked. Dan and Jay vanished, returning minutes later with several bottles of wine. They claimed they would be needed once the others woke up.

Indeed, as soon as Nikki had wandered into the room, she poured a glass of wine and downed it in one mouthful, quickly refilling her glass. The process was repeated several times. Colt was next to arrive, stumbling in moments after Nikki begun to sway. He looked between the group and the wine, sighing, and grabbed the rest of the opened half-empty bottle. He chugged the entire thing before collapsing onto the lounge, his head hanging.

Leo watched him. Right, he thought. That was his first time dying. There seemed to be more to it than that, but he decided not to press the matter.

Kayla, Hathor, and Amneris entered about ten minute later. Hathor, natural, went straight to the kitchen. Jay tried to ask her what they were cooking, only to be given a secretive smile. Kayla took the glass out of his hands and finished the contents. Jay did not bother complaining, instead pouring two more bottles.

Amneris sat herself down next to Colt, resting her head on his shoulder. He almost unconsciously wrapped an arm around her waist. She looked dreadful, Leo thought. She was missing her usual glow and was very pale, which was strange to say the least. Still, Leo could not help but be amazed she had been able to walk!

He stuck his head into the kitchen and told the three women that they would be eating inside tonight. It was a good thing he did, especially once Nikki handed Amneris the third bottle of wine after the proper meal. She popped the lid and drank deeply, not bothering with a glass. Leo watched as Nikki and Zoe gave each other wicked grins. He rubbed his head. It was going to be one of those nights, then. At least this won’t be boring.

Nikki curled up next to him, pulling his arm around her waist as she closed her eyes. He froze at the movement. She seemed so content to stay there. Nervously, he paced his hand on her head, slowly moving it through her hair. The Shifter purred.

“I have a question.”

Leo looked up to his Queen as she started speaking, her words beginning to slur. She raised her brows at the sight of himself and Nikki, a knowing smile crossing her features. He lowered his arm, so it was back around the Shifter’s waist, sending Amneris a withering glare. She acted like she did not notice.

“Some’ve us are from Earth, yeah?” The Queen seemed to forge what she was saying for a moment but recovered quickly. “So, how’d we go from three season to four?”

She’s drunk, Leo thought, supressing a laugh.

“Whaddaya mean three?” Jay asked, looking like he was about to pass out.

The Queen’s eyes narrowed, and she pointed the bottle at Jay. “I said those from Earth, Fae.” She leaned back. Everyone watched her closely. “What?” She made a displeased noise at the lack of an answer.

“You want a good question?” Nikki started, surprising Leo. “How did you get ‘Amneris’ out of your name?”

“That is a good question,” Colt agreed, leaning forward. “How did you do it.”

Leo shook his head with a smile as his Queen burst into the story of how she gained the name. He, along with the rest of the Court – his family – roared with laughter when she threw the now-empty bottle at Jay for interrupting her. The bottle shattered just above his head, Jay brushing the glass from his shirt. Zoe looked like she was about to fall onto the floor from laughing too hard.

Leo could not help but be surprised when Colt made a remark about not seeing Amneris this drunk since the Festival of Sekhmet. This caused an argument between the Queen and the Terpolite. Leo was amazed at how easily they got along since meeting less than a month ago. Still, there was something between them. A bond of some sorts. The Terpolite knew too much about how she had been five thousand years ago. There was no doubt he knew things that even Leo did not, and he had known her longer than anyone in the room. At least that was what he thought to be the case.

“You put a hole in the throne then threw it at one of the nobles when he called you a freak,” Colt was saying, bringing Leo back to the current conversation.

“The fucker was asking for it!” Amneris countered. “Besides, I replaced the throne. No hard feelings. It lived on with daddy dearests royal arse sitting on it.”

“And let us not forget about the time you tried to burn down the armoury,” he continued with a smirk. “All this because you said, and I quote, ‘Earthen weapons are stupid! They should be strong, not twigs!’ and this was when we were twelve.”

Leo blinked. We? Did he say we? The General glanced around the room. The others had not seemed to notice the word. They were too busy watching the argument, all engrossed in what they were hearing. Either that or everyone was drunk. He could not tell.

“Can I help it if they broke easily?” Amneris spread her arms in annoyance.

“Need I mention the horse incident?” Colt asked with a smirk. The Queen went red and he grinned like e fool. “I win.”

She flipped off the Terpolite before standing. Slowly, she stumbled out of the room, using the wall to keep herself upright. It was a struggle. Leo was about to go help her when Colt chuckled, going after her. They all watched as he casually swept her off her feet, carrying her down the hall and – from the sound of their footsteps – up the wooden stairs.

Jay was the one to break the tension in the room. “Well, that was weird.” He promptly passed out seconds later.

* * * * * * * *

Leo opened the door to Amneris’ room almost silently. He poked his head in to see what was happening. She and Colt were sitting on the bed. The Terpolite seemed to be telling her something. He could not tell what it was, but she seemed to be happy at whatever it was. He wanted to step inside and listen as well but was stopped by a wall of dark air. Did she actually put up a shield?

He was about to turn and leave when he saw Colt lean in and kiss ger lips. She made no move to try and stop him. Leo gasped the door frame hard enough that it squealed under the pressure, a strange feeling rising inside of him. It was one he had not felt since back when they first met.

He silently closed the door before either of them saw him.

Leo leaned against the wall beside it. This was far from a good sign. If the Terpolite was a spy, he had just found his way to get all the information he could ever get.

The General shook his head. Some part of him knew there was nothing to worry about and that he was just being overly paranoid. Still, he was suspicious. It was his job to look after the Queen so, in a way, it was also his job to be suspicious. There was one question he wanted an answer to more than anything. How does Colt know so much about her past?

Leo faced the door as though he could see straight through it.

If the Terpolite made her happy, then who was he to interfere? If he betrayed her . . .

Leo’s fists clenched.

If Colt betrayed her, he would be the first to show him the true meaning of pain.