Calix fumed at my side as we made our way through the castle halls. This time there was no hand holding or heated flirting. It was a shame, too, since Cyra stayed behind with her mother. Then again, I was in no mood to take advantage of him. Not anymore. My thoughts were far too preoccupied by what had happened during our visit with Queen Orla.

"Where are we going?" I asked when we passed the bedroom.

"I need to be outside."

We took a hard left as thunder rumbled across the sky. I raised my eyes, grateful that the Autumn Court favored ceilings in their corridors, and gasped. While the trees continued to grow out of the walls and arch overhead, a glass dome was visible through the canopy. It was a perfect way to let natural light in to warm the space.

Except there was no light to speak of. Menacing black clouds curtained the sun, and every few seconds lightning streaked through them, the vivid purple bright enough to blind. I blinked away the after images as I lowered my gaze and had to force myself to pick up the pace. Calix had moved several steps ahead while I took in the sights.

"Do you think we should wait?" I asked him, pointing upward.

My mate didn't bother to look up, but he did offer me an amused smile. "I think we'll be fine."

"Only one of us can control lightning," I muttered.

Calix skidded to a halt and grabbed me so fast I yelped in shock. A yelp he silenced by pressing his lips against mine. I chased after him as he pulled away reluctantly, and I soothed the sting of rejection by reminding myself how quickly things could get out of hand between us.

"What was that for?"

"I may control the lightning, little moon, but you control me. I would never let it harm you."

His sentiment warmed me from top to bottom, and it lingered long after, bolstered by the thrum of love I felt through our bond. Experiencing his emotions likes this was becoming addictive, and I wondered how normal couples functioned without this constant connection. Never would I have to wonder if what we had together was true.

"Someone is in a mood. I would think you'd be in a much better one considering you sealed your bond," Lorcan said as we stepped into the castle's inner bailey. His long blonde hair whipped about his angular face as the wind gusted through the open space.

"Where have you been?" Calix growled at his brother. "We just met with the queen."

"Did we not decide it was best that I remain out of sight? As the former king, it would undermine your position if I attended a meeting like that with you." He stood, his gaze fierce as it traveled toward me. "What happened?"

"Orla is making a power play. Of all the fucking Fae...I did not expect it from her."

Lightning struck a distant western tower, shattering stone and sending it crumbling toward the ground. I managed not to jump, but I cast a wary glance at Calix, hoping my unease would be enough to make him pull himself together. Lorcan shook his head and gestured at me to explain further.

"She's claiming..." I licked my lips and drew in a deep breath. "She's claiming that I'm a member of the Autumn Court."

Calix snarled and tugged on the ends of his hair. Lorcan paled and sat back down. "Then she knows you have Fae lineage. How?"

I shrugged. "Could Niamh have told her?"

"Could be. Or Eira. They know as well."

"Go on, Luna. Tell him the extent of it."

Lorcan arched a brow. "It gets worse?"

"Queen Orla claims she had a sister that no one knew about, and that I must be the daughter of that sister."

Abrupt anger replaced Lorcan's shock, and he leveled a heated look at his brother. "You're right. This is a power play."

"I'm not following," I said, putting a hand on Calix's arm to still him. He shuddered and pulled me against him, my back to his front.

"Remember, we told you that you belong to your mother's court until you bind yourself to the Coire. Faeborn or Earthborn, all Fae go through it, and it's there that they choose their court allegiance."

"It's all a bunch of stupid politics," Calix added, his arms tightening around me. "Typically, when a highborn Fae reaches the age of maturity, the courts start vying for their allegiance."

"What makes someone choose to leave their home court?"

"Not many do, but some choose to leave for the promise of wealth and power. More often than not, it's to follow a mate."

I leaned my head into the crook of Calix's arm. "Okay, then why would she go through this charade if she knows I'll just follow Calix? Whatever control she thinks she has over me is gone the moment I bind myself to the Coire and to Summer." As soon as I said the words, something shifted inside of me. Something dark and uncertain. Not about choosing Calix, but about choosing Summer. It did not settle well.

"Because it's more than that. She's not just claiming you as a member of the Autumn Court. She's claiming you as a member of her court."

He turned me around, so we faced one another. Panic and pain twisted his handsome face, and when I put my hand over his heart, I could feel it trying to beat out of his chest.

"What aren't you saying?" I pleaded with him. What could scare him so?

"The mating bond is sacred to the Fae. Especially a true bond. Whether you're a king mated to the scullery maid or a princess and a stable hand...it's a sacred union. But there are laws that govern mated pairs in royal service, particularly across courts. Both must have permission from their liege in order to seal the bond."

"But..." I reared back and glanced at Lorcan. Needing him to tell me Calix was overreacting. "That's ridiculous. And what can she do? Unseal it?"

Lorcan shook his head. "No."

I relaxed. "See? We have noth—"

"Something worse," Lorcan interjected. "She can arrest you both for treason. A crime punishable by death."