Adrenaline pounded against my eardrums, limiting my hearing and blurring my vision. Magni was there. He was right there. The man that had almost killed us. He had no guards left, no protection. Hell, he’d brought women and children to block our path. It would be so easy to summon my axe and swing. Bury my axe in that scaly neck and watch him bleed out all over the floor.

“Matt,” Keke murmured, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get cleaned up.”

And just like that, we watched him walk away.

My hands balled into fists, nails piercing dirt-caked flesh. “Cailu,” I snarled as he passed.

“Let it go, Matt,” Cailu hissed. “One way or another, this odyssey ends tomorrow.”

“But, Magni—”

Cailu snatched the front of my shirt in a fist, his cold slate eyes inches from mine. He lowered his voice, the words strung together with a ferocity that paralleled mine. “Games of court intrigue do not absolve Magni from what he has done. One false move here will destroy everything we have worked for. Is that what you want?”

“No. I just—”

Tristan appeared at my shoulder, his hand over Cailu’s fist. “There are a lot of eyes watching how we interact right now.” He tipped his head back, gesturing to the crowd of catgirls lingering behind him. “It would be safest to assume that they’d love to report this back to the king.”

I looked between them, an inch of my anger deflating from my shoulders. They were both right. The only ‘court’ I’d ever been inside was while I waited for jury duty, so I didn’t have a clue what formalities were being enacted now. Plus, seeing the abject horror in the kittens’ eyes with our entry tore at my chest. How could they not know about girls like Meera? Kittens on rationed water and leftover scraps of food.

“Behave yourself, Matt.” Cailu released my shirt, spinning on his heel and jogging to catch up with Kirti and Naeemah.

“Sure. Thanks, Dad,” I grumbled, rubbing the spot on my chest where Cailu’s knuckles had dug into my skin.

Tristan chuckled. “He does kind of give off that vibe, doesn’t he?”

“I guess.” I shook my head. “Tristan, how can you be so damn calm right now?” Our strides fell in sync as we followed the two girls to the guest wing of the citadel.

“Well, any way you think about it, we’re all safe. It’s a nice change from the last couple of weeks.” He glanced behind him and said in a hush, “Magni won’t try to kill us. Not right now.”

“How do you figure?”

“It would ruin the appearance of his hospitality for the First Shell girls. He treats them well, and they’re his eyes. Every one of them will be on high alert to see what either side does.”

“Wouldn’t that be more of a reason to kill us all if we’re the villains in this charade? Seems like the girls would have no problem helping.”

“From what I’ve read, any Nyarlean inhabitant who witnesses a man’s death would need to report the incident to the Queen and have the account corroborated by any other witnessing citizens of the city. They launch a full-scale investigation with the Royal Guard; it’s incredibly intensive,” Tristan explained.

“The boy is correct,” Cailu called over his shoulder. “At least one of you has performed a modicum of study.”

Tristan flushed, then sighed. “Anyway, it’s one thing for three men to die in the unexpected collapse of a wall. Easily substantiated, especially if the Ejderha perished with it. It’s another to commit outright murder.”

I frowned. To me, it seemed Magni was willing to do just about anything to see us all locked in cages or with our heads on pikes. But if both Tristan and Cailu trusted the political song and dance, I would go along with it.

“Here we are,” the white-haired girl stopped at one door, and her black-haired cohort moved to a second one a few steps away. “There are three beds in each room. Lakshmi and I will draw your baths just across the hallway.” She pointed to a door to the room’s direct opposite. “We will fetch you when the baths are ready.”

Three beds. I looked up at my girls, meeting Keke and Ravyn’s gazes. Keke and I could share—

“I’ll stay with Tristan and Zahra,” Cannoli said, moving to stand next to Zahra without ever meeting my eyes.

I see. “Sure, Cannoli. That’s fine.” I didn’t want to push her. We could talk about it later.

Keke, Ravyn, and I wandered into the room the white-haired girl—Aanya, I remembered—had stood by. The chamber was enormous; each bed could comfortably hold three people. Mosaics plastered the walls with more delicate glass tiles in the shape of fire-spewing dragons. A fireplace was embedded into the far wall, with a small water fountain gurgling cheerily beside it.

“Damn. This would fit well in the queen’s castle,” Ravyn noted. She lifted Ball from her shoulder and placed him on a wooden headrest.

“Why is it like this, though?” I ran a hand through my hair, then tossed my [Cat Pack] on the nearest bed. “Is he really hosting anyone?”

“Maybe not. But if it’s an intimidation tactic, it’s working,” Keke admitted. “Magni has enough Bells to afford anything he wants.”

“That’s a dangerous thought,” Ravyn replied.

“Yeah. I think so, too,” Keke agreed.

“Pardon me. Your bath is ready,” Aanya announced with a bow. “I will have a clean set of clothing for each of you here when you are finished.”

“Thanks, Aanya.” There was no reason to be rude to the girls in the castle. It wasn’t their fault that their king was an enormous douchebag.

We watched as she exited the room to tell the others, then Keke whispered, “Honestly, if there’s a long hot bath waiting in there for me, they can poison me all they want.”

Ravyn cackled a laugh, and I responded with a weak chuckle. I wanted to feel better about the whole situation, really. Find some humor in it with the others. But the image of Ceres lying in my lap, holding her guts in with her arms, kept replaying in my head.

I sighed and followed them to the bath.

Once we were clean and redressed, I felt a little bit like a civilized person again. Aanya left me a pair of loose-fitting tan trousers and a white button-up shirt. The material allowed the air to pass freely through it, cooling my skin as I walked.

For the girls, well, they looked like Arabian princesses.

Keke wore an ivory top that wrapped across her chest, around her waist, then crossed high on her back. Flowing white skirts hung at her hips, shifting like water with her every step. Long sleeves belled from the bends of her arms, the edges trailing down to the hem of her dress. Golden chains, charms, and accessories dripped from her neck, waist, and sleeves, shimmering like stars in the light of the lamps.

She caught me staring, performing a twirl on the ball of her foot. Everything moved with her; a hypnotic blend of skin, fabric, and gold. “Like it?”

“I do,” I admitted. “But now I feel pretty underdressed.”

“You can wear mine if you want,” Ravyn grumbled. Her attire was similar, though the cloth was crimson red and the gold accented with rubies. Strings of metal beads around her hips jingled as she walked. “Everyone will hear you from a mile away.”

“It’s better to warn them, really,” I teased.

“Baka.”

The sleek lines of their taut stomachs seemed to invite my fingertips. I shook my head to clear it.

“Pardon me.” Aanya was at the door, her long white hair falling over her shoulders as she bowed. “Dinner is served.”

“Shall we?” I turned to the girls, and they nodded.

Aanya showed us to an enormous dining table packed to every edge with food. Cooked meats, sugared fruits, bread, and vegetables both familiar and foreign. An assortment of wine bottles and pitchers of golden liquid punctuated the feast from one end of the table to the other. The smell was incredible. Magni sat at its head on another golden throne accented with wings and dragon heads, Eshe at his side.

And here I thought Nyarlea’s theming was too strong.

Cailu and Tristan were already there. Naeemah had returned to her green silks while Kirti still wore the pink patterns of her [Witch Doctor] attire. I briefly wondered if she had [Casual Mode] clothing.

Zahra wore a deep red saree that crossed over her left shoulder, and Cannoli donned a simple white shift. She didn’t look at me as we took our seats at the table.

“Now. Let us eat as friends at least, hm?” Magni spread his arms wide, his glowing white smile radiating from his face.

I grunted a non-committal reply; Tristan and Cailu were more vocal. Everyone filled their plates and ate in silence. It had the same feeling as one of those family holiday meals that no one wants to actually be at, but everyone showed up for the free food. Which was excellent. But the whole time, you sit there wondering when Aunt Patti will ask you why you’re not in business school or have a girlfriend.

The other problem was the exhaustion setting in with every bite. It really started to sink in. I hadn’t slept in almost forty-eight hours. From the Chikara, to the Ejderha fights, to the tunnel. Then working tirelessly to clear the wall enough for us to pass through. After a bath and a good meal for the first time in weeks, every nerve in my body was screaming for me to sleep. Even with sticking to water over wine, I felt my eyes grow heavy. My head lulled forward, threatening to choose the table as an adequate pillow.

“Magni, will you allow me to explain our true purpose here?” Cailu announced suddenly.

His voice jerked me awake. Even Keke and Ravyn flinched with Cailu’s booming voice.

“A summit, correct? That is what you told my Ejderha before slaughtering them?” Magni asked, venom coating his words.

Cailu frowned, then looked around the table. “Matt, choose one of your girls to remain behind.”

I blinked, my tongue trapped in my mouth. “Why?”

“Let us each keep one pair of additional eyes and ears for this meeting. It will help us stay on track and prevent idle banter,” Cailu explained.

“I—” I started.

Ravyn stood and touched my shoulder. “Mattaku. You can explain everything later.” She moved to Cannoli’s side and knelt to grab her hand. It was strange to see her act with so much care. “Come on, Cannoli. Let’s go relax.”

“O… Okay,” Cannoli squeaked, standing to follow Ravyn out of the room.

Kirti shrugged and did the same without another word. Zahra remained between Tristan and Naeemah, and Eshe at Magni’s right.

“Allow me to be frank.” Cailu clasped his hands on the table. “Nyarlea, as a whole, is in desperate straits.”

“My island is fine,” Magni growled.

“Every island,” Cailu continued, emphasizing the word, “as well as Nyarlothep, has its slew of problems and difficulties that would be better handled by all four men as a team. Not a solo endeavor.”

“As I understand, my position in this world is to protect and produce offspring. By all accounts, I’ve done just that for many years,” Magni countered.

“I would argue the latter more than the former,” Tristan said.

Magni’s eyes narrowed, white irises burning into Tristan’s face. “Who are you to cast stones, boy? Is your island free of Defiled? Economically prospering? Are your girls content with their daily lives?”

Tristan blinked. I could see his hands fidgeting beneath the table. But, to his credit, he never dropped Magni’s gaze. “I understand when it’s important to ask for help. Do you?”

“I do not require your help, boy. Don’t you see? You are the ones who have done everything in their power to manipulate and mutilate this island,” Magni snarled.

I’d had enough. “Because you refused to meet with us on equal terms. Instead of leaving your precious castle, you would rather murder us and our Parties. You’ve built an island where anyone that refuses to bend to your will must die.”

Magni raised his eyebrows, then laughed. “I have never heard such hypocrisy.”

“Silence! All of you!” Cailu bellowed. His deep voice echoed against the walls, and the room fell quiet. “Judgment of ruling methods and approaches aside, I need assistance from all of you in curbing the Defiled threat in Nyarlothep and reestablishing order on the islands. I will not always be here to continue this legacy, and it is high time for us to work together in this world.”

“And if we do not wish to help you with your… legacy?” Magni asked, crossing his arms over his chest. “If I’ve more important work to do here?”

“Then I will see you at dawn,” Cailu snapped. “My challenge stands.”

Magni looked incredulous. “Do you have such a grand death wish, Cailu?”

Cailu leveled his gaze. “What is your answer, Magni?”

“I have no use for other islands or Nyarlothep. They are not my burden to bear.” Magni pushed his throne back from the table and gestured for Eshe to step back. “A duel to the death, then, as you so desire.” He looked from me to Tristan. “If you are still in my sights when I am claimed victor, I will kill you both.”

I tensed, but the exhaustion stilled any comeback that I hoped to have. We watched Magni leave, and Eshe closed the door behind them.

“Cailu—” Naeemah began.

“Tristan, Matt,” Cailu interrupted. “I will write you both letters of recommendation for Queen Nehalennia. Should I not be available to join you to Nyarlothep, you must take them to her.”

“What?” Not join us? Was he really afraid of losing to Magni? “Cailu, seriously?”

Cailu nodded. “Magni has made it so that I cannot view his information in the iPaw. I must assume he is Third Class, which leaves no room for error.” He looked at Naeemah and Zahra. “This island and its people are promised to Naeemah. I ask you to retreat if the worst happens and find a way to return it to her.”

Naeemah snatched the butter knife from her plate setting and stabbed it into the table with a snarl. A chill ran down my spine as I watched it wobble back and forth. “You promised me, Cailu. Finish this, or I will never forgive you.”

A wry smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. “Both of you must reach Second Class as soon as possible. Do every Quest available to you and find your way to the Queen. Nyarlothep will fall without your aid. Do you understand me?”

With another frustrated growl, Naeemah stood and marched out of the room.

I wanted to fight him on it, but there was no reason. He’d made up his mind. It seemed Tristan understood, too. We replied, “Yes,” in unison.

“Thank you.” Cailu stood, the dark circles beneath his eyes a lot more evident in the candlelight. “Get some rest. This will all be over soon.”