Firelight cast a merry glow on the villagers as they danced and drank and sang surprisingly cheerful songs of farewell. Flora told me the Fae do not send their loved ones into the afterlife burdened by the lamentations of the living. Tears would come, but they were for later; instead, they celebrated with stories and laughter, wrapping the souls in love before they departed on their next journey. I preferred this way, and if I could do it again, I would tell my father goodbye in the tradition of the Fae.

Flora sat on a log on the other side of the fire. Her different colored eyes were both glassy from drink, and little Fawn slumbered on her shoulder, a thumb jammed between her little lips. From time to time, the forest sprite stopped to smile at me and raise her mug of ale in salute. I dipped my head in acknowledgement and wished I had something stronger in the chipped mug in my hand. Unfortunately, Prince No Fun at All wouldn't allow it.

If I had my way, I'd be up with the others, dancing around the flames in the arms of one of the many soldiers who had asked me to join them, but Calix's nifty little spell meant my backside was glued to this log until he came to collect me. Remembering the threat in his eyes as he walked away, I tensed and hunkered down to avoid notice from anyone else.

This was easier now than it had been right after coming out of the river. Calix dragged me above the surface, threw me onto the bank, and pounded on my back, beating the water out of my lungs until I sputtered and spit it all up. When I pushed up on hands and knees, the survivors hovered near—Fawn at the front—their faces pale and astounded as whispers the word human floated throughout the crowd.

One by one, they came to me. Some hugged me, while others wouldn't come close enough to touch. But they all told me, one way or another, thank you.

Twigs snapped, and brush rustled behind me. The lack of heat or screams from the Fae eased any worries I had that a fierig might have returned, but when Calix settled next to me, I debated whether that would be such a terrible thing. He had every right to be angry with me, considering I'd done precisely the opposite of what I promised.

"Your cup is empty," he said softly. He took it from me and returned with it filled to the brim.

Cautiously, I took it. "Thank you. I couldn't get up to get a refill, and I didn't want to ask anyone to stop celebrating to get it for me."

Being sassy was a risky move right now, but Calix didn't take the bait. He stretched his legs in front of him and stared ahead, his profile lit with a soft orange glow. At some point between our river swim and now, he'd changed into a patched blue shirt of questionable material. Because his clothing was never as fancy as his siblings, lacking embroidery and jewels, it didn't look out of sorts on him. I couldn't imagine Lorcan or Niamh donning such rough clothes, but then again, I couldn't imagine them staying behind to celebrate with the villagers, either.

"Did you get—"

"Luna, what you—"

We spoke together and then stopped. I swallowed hard and sucked in the rest of my words, waiting for the inevitable lecture mixed with painful threats. But the prince surprised me, gesturing at me to continue what I was saying.

"Did you get the worst of the damage cleaned up?" I asked, stumbling and stuttering around every other word.

"We did what we could. The Meeting Hall was undamaged, so those who lost their homes will have a place to rest tonight. A cart with supplies should arrive from the palace soon, and if we can get the Sorcerer's Guild to send someone, you won't even know a tragedy occurred here within a fortnight."

"Get them to? Can Lorcan not command them to come?"

Calix shook his head, and his hair swished across his forehead, drawing my eyes to the strands. They were shorter than before and singed at the ends. "

"Sorcerers and witches are bound to no Court. A few genuinely wish to serve the people of Faerie with their magic, but most go wherever the pay is the highest."

Yet another thing about Faerie, I didn't know. Maybe later I would ask what it was about their magic that made them so different from the other Fae, but for now, I had a more pressing question.

"How many?" Calix stiffened, his lips turning down. "How many were lost?"

His shoulders rolled forward, and his neck bent, turning his face toward the ground. He balanced his wrists on his knees and rolled his fingers together. I wanted to reach out and take his hand in mine. Let him feel my skin against his for comfort, but there was too much between us for something so simple.

"Thirty accounted for. Seventeen of them—" He choked back a sob. "Seventeen of them were children. There are at least eight others missing."

Thirty-eight. In a village no more than five hundred individuals... I wiped my palms over my knees. No sorcerer or witch could erase the scars those deaths would leave.

"And," Calix continued, drawing air deeply through his nose, "there would have been more if you hadn't intervened."

I pursed my lips together, then rolled them between my teeth to keep them closed. Now really wasn't a time to tease, but I desperately wanted to ask him to repeat himself. Calix arched a brow. Sorrow remained heavy in the lines of his body, but there was a lightness in his eyes as he raked them over me.

"Go ahead."

Shaking my head, I jutted my chin toward the villagers. "Maybe later."

"That's mature of you."

"I figure if you could swallow your pride enough to admit what you just did, I can withhold gloating. Hell, I'm just glad you're not delivering on your promise to spank me."

The air shifted, and something sparked between us. He leaned toward me. "You almost sound disappointed."

"That's ridiculous."

So what if I had imagined being spanked by the prince after he issued that threat? Those had all been scenarios involving bedroom activities and love taps, not the hide searing punishment he had in mind, and the only reason I was interested in the former was because this godforsaken place had me hornier than a pubescent boy.

Calix's nostrils flared, and the fingers on his thighs twitched. Then he pulled away and looked toward the heavens. "Besides, I believe I told you the spanking if I had to save you from yourself. From a situation you created."

"I mean... technically." I waved my hands in the air in a so-so motion. "But I do want you to know I didn't do what I did without thinking of the promise I made. Choosing to disobey wasn't something I did lightly, but it was my life or theirs. And I couldn't live with choosing myself."

"Not just Flora and Fawn." He touched my chin, caressing the skin covering my jaw before pushing gently enough to turn my head. "Probably half the people you see here would be gone. My soldiers were struggling to recover. Taking down the last fierig would have been a tremendous feat. So thank you."

I pulled my lips back in a tight smile and looked at the ground to hide the tears welling up. He couldn't understand what it meant to hear him say that. To acknowledge what I did as something important and not as foolish said a lot about him. Something told me Lorcan would be mad that I risked my life for a villager. That he would think it worth more, but not Calix.

"I have an idea on how you can thank me?"

"Not spanking you isn't thank you enough?" He nearly fell off his log when I shoved him. Laughing, he righted himself. "Okay, what does my future queen desire?"

God, he was beautiful. And laughing only made him more so. Trying not to stare, I held out my hand. He stared at it as if I'd offered him something dangerous.

"Dance with me."