“Do I want to know?”

When she didn’t reply, Colt leaned down to gently tug Amneris’ braided hair. She was laying face down on the bed and looked an awful lot like she’d been screaming into a pillow. It wouldn’t have been that much of a surprise, really. Amneris didn’t seem to realise she had company.

Colt pulled her hair back, laughing to himself. He pulled the earphones from her ears, pop music spilling from them. Amneris jumped up and ripped the earphones away from him with a glare. Colt held her gaze.

Amneris huffed, pressing pause and winding up the earphones. “Did you want something?”

“I was wondering why you were laying like that?”

“Why?” She grinned fiendishly. “Did it give you ideas?”

“Of course, not,” Colt answered. “I am a gentleman and have no such thoughts.”

“Uh-huh.”

Colt grabbed her waist, tackling her to the bed. He attacked her neck and shoulder with kissed. Amneris yelped, trying to wriggle out from under him. She escaped, only to be pulled back.

“Where do you think you are going?” Colt asked teasingly.

“Away from you.”

He gasped. “I am offended, Amneris. Do you not want to give your amazing boyfriend affection?”

“I give you plenty of affection.”

She had a point there.

Amneris laughed at the look on his face. “See? So stop complaining.”

Colt pouted but released her. Instead of leaving, she settled beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. Colt wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I got a call from Tara today,” Amneris eventually said.

“Anything bad?”

“Depends on how you define ‘bad’. It looks like those rumours about Enliatu’s child are true.” She tilted her head back. “Tara says her name’s Xix?”

Xix? Why did that sound familiar?

“You’re making your thinking face,” Amneris said, poking his cheek. “What are you thinking?”

Colt let out a breath. “Remember when we were trapped on the Dreamscape?”

She snorted. “That’s not exactly something one forgets, love.”

“Bast was in one of my dreams,” he said. Amneris took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze at the name of their old friend. “She said, ‘Find her before Dusk’ and I am pretty sure ‘Dusk’ was a name.”

“And since ‘Xix’ and ‘Dusk’ are the same thing . . .”

“Exactly.”

Amneris’ features became thoughtful. “Bast told you this on the Dreamscape? Talk about convenient. Although, assuming this girl hasn’t taken on Naka’s power yet, I won’t be able to track her with my own power. We don’t even know what she looks like!”

“Presumably something like female Enliatu,” Colt said.

Amneris shoved him. “Shut up, you know what I mean.”

“There are plenty of people who would be happy to help, Tali.” Colt gave her a soft smile. “All you have to do is ask.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You think people will be happy to help me find the next Keeper of Darkness, Evil and Chaos in Creation?”

Once again, she made a good point. While the Dark Rulers were not inherently evil, they did have a bad habit of turning evil after becoming corrupt with the power of darkness.

Amneris jumped up suddenly. “You know what? Screw it. We can worry about it tomorrow. How would you feel about going out to dinner?”

“And have you all to myself for a few hours?” Colt made a show of thinking it over. “Sounds perfect.”

* * * * * * * *

After dinner, Colt made his way to the dungeon. They were hidden under the vast expanse of the Palace. It was almost never used, there was rarely a reason, but there were a few residences at the moment. The cells themselves were simple – pale brown stone made up three walls while metal bars covered the entrance. They looked easy to break out of, but there was a catch. It was something Colt hadn’t noticed until it was pointed out. If one were to look closely at the metal bars, they would see a shield. It was near-invisible to the naked eye. One had to concentrate to see it, but touching the bars made it obvious. The moment contact was made, an electric charge was sent through the body of whoever touched it. Enough to stun.

The guards standing outside the entrance to the deepest part of the dungeon recognised Colt and allowed him to enter. As a member of the Queen’s Court and the Queen’s rumoured consort, he was given access to many areas off limit to the general public and most Palace workers including the Dungeon, almost all the Palace’s ‘secret’ rooms, and the upper levels of the Library.

Kek was lazing in his cell on the thin makeshift bed. He spotted Colt and flipped him off as a greeting. Colt, with forced calm, asked the guards to wait outside while he spoke to the prisoner.

“Somehow,” Kek said, “I doubt you’re here to break me out.”

Colt used the keycard he swiped from Amneris during dinner to unlock the cell door and let himself in. The door was closed behind him, the keycard secured to a chain around his neck. It was out of Kek’s sight.

“Or maybe you did come to break me out,” Kek said with clear surprise.

Colt grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the stone wall. A knife was angled at the man’s throat.

Kek glanced at the position he was in. “Look, I know I’m attractive, but this is hardly the place and you’re not my type. Besides, what would your girlfriend think if she found out?”

Colt threw the man to the ground, picked him up, then threw him at the door. Kek roared as he was jolted with more electricity than should have been in the shield. He slumped to the ground, somehow still conscious and covered in burn marks.

“I thought your sis was the merciless one,” Kek spat. “We both know I’m not talking about Tara.”

“Who do you think taught her mercy?” Colt growled.

Kek’s pain was overcome with a sly smile. “So, the future King has a dark side. I wonder what the people would say to that.” He grinned. “Maybe they’ll overthrow Amneris because she’s with a Terpolite. That would be fun to watch.”

“I am not—”

“Not what?” he interrupted. “Terpolite? Maybe not in the past but you are now.” Kek stagged to his feet, gripping the stone wall. “What do you think will happen when they Lyriumians – who have been at war with the Terpolites since Time began, I might add – find out their future King will be a Terpolite? Nothing good, I’d wager.”

Colt cocked his head. “You know what? You’re right.”

Kek blinked. “I’m what?”

Whack!

With one swift punch from Colt, Kek lay face down in the cell.

“You’re right,” Colt repeated. “I am Terpolite, but that does not mean I will sink to your level.” He stepped out of the cell, using the keycard once again to lock the door. “You can deal with my Tali and, when you do, you will wish I ended you.”

* * * * * * * *

It was near midnight when Colt returned to the forest house. Treading quietly, he slipped into his and Amneris’ room. He returned the keycard to where Amneris kept it, changing from his day clothes and climbing into bed. Amneris looked like she was asleep. Colt wrapped his arms around her and kissed her arm.

“I hope you put my keycard back in the right place,” Amneris murmured sleepily.

Colt stared. She knew? He sighed. Of course she knew.