Three flights later, they were in Nebraska in a taxi driving down a dirt road with mixed grass prairie on either side of them. How Peter—if he was guilty—had managed to get Nick from Oxford all the way to Nebraska was a complete mystery, but it would make an excellent hiding place.

Through the windshield, tall hedges were visible, and poking out over the tips of them was the top of a gray and black mansion. It wasn't hidden to humans. There was no need to hide a house from them.

The taxi let them out at the black gate embellished in gold through which the mansion could be seen. There'd been stories about the young heir to Easter. He was only a few years older than her at the age of twenty-six. His father had died seven years ago, and Peter had been forced to take on the title long before anyone expected.

Peter Ton was Acurial's most infamous playboy, a bachelor through and through and this mansion was his playground.

Faryn pressed the buzzer on the gate box.

"Yes?" a female voice said over the intercom.

Faryn stole a glance at Cassian. "It's Clora's daughter. I'm here to see Peter."

There was no response from the other end of the line.

She hung her head, letting out a deep breath of air. They'd known this would be a gamble from the start. If they had wanted his attention, they had needed to reveal one of their names, even while knowing he could call the Winter Court down on them.

Cassian stepped toward the gate box as if he would give it a try, but before he could, the gates started to open outward. The Fata kept close to her as they walked up the drive where five sports cars were parked.

They hadn't made it to the end of the drive when the front door was thrown open, and a man stepped out of it, a grin on his face. Crossing his arms, he leaned against the door frame. He was tall with a few inches on Cassian, and as he looked them both over with his brown eyes that had swirls of blue in them, Faryn felt intimidated. His ears were curved, and his short hair was styled, parted to the side. His skin was a russet brown, and his white sleeves were pushed up to reveal a blue tattoo that looked like a rune on his forearm. Over his shirt was a blue vest trimmed in gold that matched his ascot.

He was beautiful, and he looked like the sort of Acurial who'd enchant you into a deal where in the end only he would benefit.

"Fancy seeing you two."

Cassian stepped forward. "Peter."

"Flozzie's son in the flesh, visiting my humble abode? Today really has been a day for surprises."

Faryn's senses went on alert. "Has?"

"Your cousin was here earlier. Wanted to know if you'd been around."

The breath went out of her, all of it at once. "Where is he now?"

Peter tucked his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Back to that frozen tundra he calls home." The place Faryn was born but of which she was unable to draw up even a single memory.

Cassian stepped closer to Faryn, a protective move, but his scent overwhelmed her, and she scented the fear on him. "I assume you're about to call him back."

Peter smirked. "Why would I do that?" Neither Cassian nor Faryn spoke, instead waiting for him to make his move. Finally, Peter pushed off the door frame and came toward them. "Until Nick's found, I'll be under suspicion. It's not a good look for the newly minted Spring Prince."

"I haven't heard that title," Cassian said dryly.

"I gave it to myself." He cocked his head, like a rabbit sizing up the creatures before him, determining whether they were predators or fellow prey, but if anyone felt like the predator in this moment it was Peter. "The way I see it two things can happen now. One, you've managed to incapacitate Nick and I'll give you a king's ransom to return him, or two, you haven't, and after you've both not so subtly searched my house for him, you will help me find him."

Faryn held those brown and blue eyes. "And if I did take him, would you turn me in?"

His smirk stretched into a grin. "No, I don't think I would. What would be the point of the bribe then?"

Cassian was looking at her as if she'd grown a second head, but Faryn only studied her nails and said, "Then I suppose it's a shame I didn't take him."

"And what about you, Cassian?" There was humor in his voice.

Cassian's though was pure ice. "My mother has no part in this."

"Yes, yes of course. But I was asking about you."

Cassian's fingers gripped the strap of his new bag. "No, I did not."

Peter swept his arm out to the side. "Then won't you come in?"

Faryn glanced at Cassian before heading toward Peter. The Fata hovered behind her as she stepped inside the mansion. It was magnificent, somehow managing to strike a balance between sleek and cozy. In the living room were three Nymph woman, their hair and makeup immaculate, not a wrinkle present in the suits they wore. One used a tablet while the other two worked on laptops. All of their nostrils flared as Peter led Faryn and Cassian past them, their expressions darkening and eyes tracking Cassian who didn't seem to pay them much attention, his gaze directed instead at every nook and cranny. Probably seeking out places Nick could be hidden. Considering he was so certain she had done it, it was nice he even bothered.

Peter led them up a curving staircase to the second floor. The steps brought them closer to the grand chandelier that hung in the center of the stairs. Each crystal seemed infused with pinks and greens. If the sun were at the right angle to hit the crystals, the refractions would be magical.

They passed a few more Nymphs before they reached Ton's study. Blue accented the spacious room. It must be the color of his power—the blue in his eyes a glimpse at what lurked beneath his surface. The wood floors gleamed as if they had recently been polished. To her left was a long couch that hooked at both ends, and before it was a TV. Cozy. On the right was a desk, loaded down with stacks of paper but still somehow tidy. Behind that was a black bookshelf that was a mix of books, decorations, and what looked like artifacts.

Peter shut the door behind them, and Faryn tensed. He strode for his desk, sinking down into the chair on the other side. Faryn and Cassian remained standing.

"I'll have someone arrange rooms for you. Or is only one needed?"

"One. Two beds," Cassian said before Faryn could speak. She couldn't stop the image of him asleep on the balcony, not being able to stand to sleep in the same room as her.

Peter fiddled with the corner of a paper. "What are your plans for finding Nick? You are looking for him?"

Faryn ran her hand over the back of one of two chairs stationed in front of his desk. "We don't have much of a choice but to. As for plans, you're our current one."

Cassian held back near the door. "We were in Corinth. Chrysanthos suggested we come here."

Peter frowned and looked at Faryn. "And what of your mother?"

"I tried calling her once, but she didn't answer. I got rid of that phone, but I've been wary about the call being tracked to try to call her again."

"I have a secure phone you can use." He hesitated. "No one outside Winter Court has seen her. Your brother has her under lock and key." Peter opened a drawer and pulled out a cellphone before tossing it to her. She caught it, staring down at it with a raised brow.

"This is secure?"

"Trust me."

"That's a lot to ask from one suspected murderer to another."

He chuckled. "I think we're going to end up friends Faryn Morozko."

She tensed. "Just Faryn." She dialed her mother's number and held the phone to her ear. It rang until she got a request to leave a voicemail. She hung up and handed it back to Peter. "I'm sure she's just busy."

"But what if she's not?" Cassian asked quietly.

She faced him. "What do you mean?"

"What if she's missing as well and Winter Court is keeping it under wraps?"

Peter's brows rose. "You're not suggesting going all the way to Ruhnerium to do a wellness check?"

"I am. And if she isn't all right, it might have been your brother or cousin. Or maybe it was your mother who got rid of Nick."

Faryn's dagger was in her hand and pressed to his throat before she knew what she was doing. Cassian's hand gripped her arm, keeping her from digging the dagger into his skin. He growled, and she growled back.

"If my mother was missing, then she'd be the one every Acurial was looking for. Not me."

Peter stepped up beside them and placed one hand on Cassian's shoulder, the other one the handle of Faryn's dagger. He pushed the two of them apart.

Faryn bared her teeth at the Fata.

"You think my mother's guilty. Why shouldn't I think the same of yours?"

Faryn took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, knowing he was right. "If any of us set foot in Ruhnerium, we'll be arrested."

"Not if we're the guest of a Winter Court member." Peter took a step back. He no longer touched them but didn't lower his arms. "If your mother doesn't return that call . . . surely your grandfather would be worried enough about Clora to want to pay a visit to the North Pole."

Father Winter was too risky. "I don't know how he feels about me though. He could turn me in and go and check on my mother himself."

Peter dropped his arms to his sides. "I don't have any friends in the Winter Court. Cassian?"

"Only Nick."

Faryn thought she saw a flicker of distaste in Peter's eyes before they landed on her. "And you?"

She fidgeted with her thumb. "Aurelius."

Peter's eyes widened. "Shit," he said as Cassian took a step away from her.

"Krampus?"

She tucked her dagger back into its sheath. "Yeah."

"You're friends with Nick's greatest enemy?"

Her mouth went dry, knowing how it must have looked. "I'm sorry my one Winter Court friend isn't good enough for your moral standards. But yes, he's my friend."

Cassian crossed his arms. "Why didn't you seek him out instead of coming to Eiraacia?"

"Winter Court members we're being called to the Frozen City."

"But once he's back, he'd escort us to Ruhnerium?"

"I don't see why he wouldn't." He had been the one to warn her when Nick first went missing.

Cassian turned to Peter. "Is Krampus a suspect?"

Peter turns his hands over, palms up. "On some level, every Winter Court member is a suspect, but he'd be able to take us to Ruhnerium under his protection. That's if he agrees."

"He will," Faryn said quickly.

Cassian looked unconvinced, though he didn't know Aurelius like she did. He only heard Aurelius's name and thought Krampus. It was essential to remember that Cassian was on Nick's side. He just called him his friend. He was viewing their world through Nick lenses. "Do you have a way to contact him?" he asked.

"No. He's—he's always been the one to come to me."

Cassian's eyes glinted. "What exactly is your relationship with him?"

"He's my friend."

"He's evil."

"Nick's evil," she snarled, and Cassian's eyes widened but didn't retreat.

Peter only watched the two of them quietly.

"Aurelius didn't look at me like I was a bastard. He treated me like an Acurial. He talked to me. When everyone else stayed away, he came." If she could have just told them that it was because of Aurelius she got out of Oxford, then they might understand that he would help.

But she wouldn't—couldn't give up that he had betrayed his Court for her. She didn't trust either of them. "Aurelius will help me." When it came down to it, Aurelius and her mother were the only Acurials she trusted.

Cassian only stood there, staring at her, probably searching for a sign that she was willingly leading them into a trap.

Peter returned to his desk. "I have a cousin who lives in Sleet City. They'll be able to tell me when Aurelius has returned. In the meantime, I have work to finish. After you've completed your search of my home, one of my employees will show you to your room."

After gathering a few papers, Peter left them in his office. Cassian took that as an invitation to snoop through his office, immediately going to the computer he had left turned on and unlocked. Faryn blanched as he started sorting through it, occasionally reading a snippet from an email aloud. What exactly was the protocol when someone gave you free reign to invade their privacy?

She went to the shelves behind Cassian and started pulling on the books just in case he had a secret passage installed. Peter seemed like the type of Acurial who would.

When she didn't discover anything, she moved on to the drawers, finding papers, new earbuds still in the packaging, and office supplies. In one drawer were piles of photographs that looked older than Peter. Some drawers were locked, and though they piqued her curiosity, she didn't try to find a way in. She had to set some boundaries where privacy was concerned if this tentative partnership was going to work.

Even if she really wanted to know what the current Easter Bunny deemed important enough to lock up.

From Peter's office, Cassian and Faryn continued onto other rooms in the mansion, not going through all of them, mainly only seeing what was behind the numerous doors. Many were bedrooms, some tidy, some not. There were more offices, though all smaller than Peter's, and conference rooms. Where did they create and decorate the eggs? As Christmas was ruined for Faryn, Easter tended to be the most magical holiday for her. Acurials always got better eggs than humans. They looked like Fabergé eggs, and when cracked open magic escaped out into the world in flowers that bloomed at one's feet, a sweet-scented wind that whisked by, or small bursts of pastel lights—like fireworks—that sparkled in the air above the cracked egg. Reindeer shit wouldn't be waiting for her.

They passed Nymphs, both male and female, all dressed in suits or in business casual wear. Peter mainly only employed Nymphs because their magic was more in tune with what he needed.

They went down to the first floor, scoping out the living areas, the kitchen, and dining room. At the end of a hallway, they found an enclosed spiral staircase leading down to a sub floor. Cassian went first, his magic winding out in front of him.

The staircase went down into a room with walls that were a dark-chocolate brown. She couldn't tell what the wall was made of, only that it was smooth and gleamed in the golden lights overhead. The room was long, stretching out until it ended at two golden doors, encrusted with sapphires. She traced her fingers over the designs carved into it. A wide V turned on its side, a diamond with an arrowhead on the top and bottom, and two sharp angles. Runes. She couldn't read them though to know which ones they were.

The doors had no handles and didn't budge when she pushed on them. There didn't appear to be a button or a release anywhere on the doors or the walls.

"It won't open for you," a voice drawled behind them.

Faryn and Cassian whirled to find Peter leaning against the wall.

"I thought you had to work," she said. He shouldn't have been able to sneak up on them like he had. It meant they were being careless.

His eyes twinkled. "I did, but that was a couple hours ago."

Cassian crossed his arms. "What's behind the door?"

"The workshop."

"Can we see it?"

"Maybe some other time." Though Cassian had asked the question, Peter winked at Faryn. "Dinner is ready." His eyes dropped to their bags. "I'll have someone deliver those to your room."

*****

After dinner, a male Nymph showed Cassian and Faryn to their room. With the jetlag they both were experiencing, they decided to go to bed early, and when they walked inside the room, one thing was immediately apparent. There was only one bed. Which one of them would claim it? Cassian had specified a room with two beds—as if this was a hotel. Both of their bags sat on the one bed. The walls, like the comforter, were a light pastel blue and the furniture was white, trimmed with gold. A soft fairytale. As if that could cover up her distress.

"Is there anything else you need?" the Nymph asked.

Cassian's shoulders were stiff, his gaze directed at the one bed. "Is it possible to get a second bed?"

The Nymph frowned. "We weren't able to move a bed. I'm sorry." As he left, he closed the door behind him, leaving Faryn and Cassian alone.

"I'll take the floor," she said.

He ran a hand over his face. "Neither of us is sleeping on the floor. The bed is large enough."

"You'll be able to sleep with my smell?"

His eyes narrowed. "It will be fine."

"Then why did you sleep on the balcony?"

He hesitated. "I didn't know you saw that. I . . ." He sank onto the edge of the bed. "I didn't think you'd be comfortable with me being there. I gave up when it got too cold."

Her chest did something weird that made her want to forgive and puke at the same time. "You didn't have to do that."

"I needed you rested enough. I didn't think that would happen if every time you smelled my scent you thought I was about to stab you."

She couldn't look at him. Instead, she flipped open her bag and grabbed her last clean shirt, underwear, and a more comfortable pair of pants to change into before she cocked her head at him. "You seem to need me alive for now, right?" She didn't wait for his answer before slipping into the ensuite bathroom.

I'm so glad Peter's officially stepped into the story now. I don't know if you ever thought about picturing the Easter Bunny as sexy but here we are.