"I see you two have settled things," Lorcan said from atop his horse.

Our abandoned steeds trailed behind him. I didn't know how far Calix had teleported us earlier, and I'd lost track of time after I told him I wanted everything that came with accepting the mate bond. It was a side effect of having his hands all over my body.

Calix peeled his mouth from mine and pulled his hand out of my trousers, leaving me perched on the brink of a climax. Holding my gaze, he licked his fingers clean. When he kissed me again, I tasted myself on his tongue, and I almost told Lorcan he had to find something else to preoccupy the rest of his evening.

Instead, I stumbled to my horse and climbed back in the saddle. A whimper pushed past my lips as the ridged pattern stamped into the leather rubbed against my swollen center. Instinct rocked my hips forward and nearly gave me the release I craved. It would pale compare to what would have happened if we hadn't been interrupted, but right now, it was better than nothing.

My horse lurched to the side, and Calix grabbed me by the chin. A feverish light filled his eyes as he leaned into me. "If you come right now, there will be consequences."

"Asshole," I growled, thighs trembling around the horse as I forced my body to not move again.

"That's part of my charm."

"This is going to be a long trip," Lorcan muttered as we made our way back to the road.

"So, um...back to what I was going to ask about earlier," I said, sweat rolling down the side of my face as I tried to focus on anything but the ache between my legs. It was worse than just being left unsatisfied. It was as if declaring my intention to seal the bond had intensified it somehow.

Calix's foul mood had lifted, but I didn't care for the smug smile he wore whenever he looked my way. The bastard was well aware of the struggle I was facing, and the only reason I didn't wipe the smirk from his face was because he couldn't hide his erection.

"Please," Lorcan said, wiggling his nose and fiddling with his reins. "That sounds like a welcome change of topic."

"If they built the Temple on the Middle Lands because it doesn't belong to any Court, then why is the Coire not there? And where is it exactly?"

Calix sobered and straightened on his horse. He looked around, through the trees and into the canopy as if he was afraid someone might be listening. Then he nudged his horse closer to mine, motioning Lorcan to draw closer.

"The Coire is not something that can be moved. The Ancient Ones arrived in a meteor storm. The Ley Lines? Those run between some of the largest meteors, and where the meteors themselves are is where magic is the strongest. There's one in each Court."

"And the Coire is a meteor?" I asked.

"Of sorts," Lorcan replied. "Do you remember when you asked me about the mountain in the shadows that first day? The one to the South?"

Blushing as I remembered other things about the first day, I nodded. Calix scowled. "You told me it was a place most Fae avoided."

"They do, now. It's where the Ancient Ones arrived. It created a lake—"

I grew excited and interrupted. "Starfall Pool. Niamh mentioned it. That's where they mine Lunasta. Aventus is the name of the mountain."

"Yes. And the Coire is at the very center of the lake. Rising from the bottom, it is a pillar of light and stone that pierces the heavens. The Ancient Ones would never tell us what it was made of... Some say it's a gemstone from their old world. Others say it is the bones of the travelers who did not survive, purified by the fires of the crash. Much like the Lunasta."

My mind raced with a dozen different questions. Each one was seemingly more important than the last. Calix squeezed my hand.

"Whenever someone has mentioned taking the Right or binding myself to the Coire, I always assumed it would happen at the Coire. But it sounds like no one goes up the mountain anymore."

Calix's grip tightened. "Not since the Vow."

He didn't elaborate, and because I had too many other questions, I didn't push for more on the subject. Later, though, I would demand to know what had caused them to abandon such a sacred place.

"Then how am I supposed to bind myself to Faerie?"

"Since the Vow," Lorcan began, "there hasn't been a need for anyone to take the Right. But we have discussed how that would look. Like I said, the Ley Lines connect to every single meteor. We assumed we could perform the Right in the Temple, and it would connect us to the old magic."

"Awesome. Another experiment. Hope it goes better than your attempt to end the Vow."

"Luna—" Lorcan sucked air through his teeth, pain flaring bright in his eyes. I resisted the urge to comfort him.

"There's something else..."

I pushed my fingers into my temple. Coming to Faerie the first time had been overwhelming, but I'd also been keenly aware that my new companions were keeping things from me. Every time they let something slip, I logged it, but the chaos of the last few weeks had placed a haze over much of my memory.

"There were five statues in the temple..." I chewed on my bottom lip. "But Niamh said there were eight powerful beings who emerged from the smoke. What happened to the other three?"

Lorcan swung his attention to his brother. His lip twitched. "You're never going to keep anything to yourself ever again."

Calix shrugged and looked at me with awe and hunger. "I'm okay with that. She'll keep me on my toes, and that means I'll always be able to beat your ass."

"Cute as this is," I said, folding my arms over my chest. "You're avoiding the question."

"We're not avoiding it. It's just distasteful to speak of them. They're the Corrupted Ones, and before we could complete the Vow, they had to be defeated."

"Defeated how? I'm assuming they're like the others and can't be killed."

"Correct. They're the reason no one goes to Aventus any longer. They're chained to the Coire. Held prisoner there for eternity."

"And waiting for anyone stupid enough to get close enough," Lorcan added.

"So, why are we going there?"

Calix sighed. "Because we're stupid enough."