"I confronted Klaus."

At Cassian's statement, the Leprechaun whirled away from the floor-length mirror to face him, her clover wreath half pinned. "What?"

Cassian leaned against the wall. "You saw the bruises."

Clíodhna bit her lip, letting her hands fall from her wreath, a pin clutched between two fingers. "I may have been imagining stabbing him in the hand since I saw them."

"So why did you just sound horrified?"

"Because you didn't include me." She turned back to the mirror and slipped the pin between the wreath of clovers and her reddish-brown hair. Cassian drummed his fingers against the wall. "Is there something else you wanted to say?" she asked.

"How long are you staying?"

"In the Frozen City or with Faryn?"

"Faryn."

Clíodhna's lips turned down. "Arlo doesn't need me. Really I can stay until I annoy her."

"You're not going with Peter?"

She shrugged, the gold on her dress rippling. "He hasn't asked. And frankly I don't think he will. I assume you have to leave."

Cassian dipped his head.

"Does Faryn know?"

"I'm about to go tell her."

"I don't have to give you the whole speech about not hurting her, do I?"

Cassian rolled his eyes. "Just because I'm a Fata doesn't mean I'm going to hurt her."

Clíodhna shook her head. "Not that. I know you wouldn't. I mean her feelings."

Cassian scoffed. "If anyone is in danger of having their feelings shattered, it's me."

"You don't think she likes you?"

"What I think is that she's afraid of me."

Smiling, the Leprechaun sat down in a frosted chair. "Perhaps and yet I think she really does care for you, even if she hasn't realized it yet. Just be patient with her."

How much patience could he afford to have when he didn't know when he'd see her again? If Faryn didn't want him, surely, he could find some way to deal with that, to move on, forget her. They'd only been in each other's lives for such a short time, it shouldn't be too difficult.

Who was he fooling? He wanted her. And he wasn't going to be satisfied until he had her.

But tomorrow he'd be back in Eiraccia, at his mother's beck and call and who knew where Faryn would find herself. Hopefully already back in Oxford. Home. Surrounded by those she'd known almost her whole life. And yet, where were they when Faryn was accused of Nick's kidnapping. It was those friends of hers who shared that video in the first place that got Faryn dragged into this mess.

How was he supposed to focus on his training when Faryn would be surrounded by traitors?

"Will you go back to Oxford with her?" he asked.

"If that's what she wishes." She hiked up the skirt of her dress, revealing a brown garter, and slid a knife between the elastic, lacy material. "But if I go to Oxford, I'll be needing a place to stay, and I hear the Etend family has money."

*****

Faryn looked like a Fata that had lost its wings, and the sight of her left Cassian's throat tightening, everything tightening in these clothes that were meant to represent his mother, his inheritance. His heartbeat quickened, and it was a surprise the sound of it didn't have Faryn turning toward him, but she still stood on the balcony, hands resting on the railing as the lights of the city haloed around her, making her dress shimmer like ice did in the sunlight.

He truly had hoped to be able to stay with her longer. To be there to help as she settled back into her life in Oxford, but his mother didn't like having her heir away for so long. Perhaps Faryn wouldn't have wanted him there in Oxford anyways.

Faryn raised her hand and tilted her head down to stare at it. Did she know he was there and was choosing to ignore him? Was it because of what had happened in Ruhnerium? He never should have been so forward, but he didn't regret it. Not when he didn't know if he'd ever have the chance again.

Her shoulders tightened, and she turned, her wide eyes meeting his. She looked entirely caught off guard. She hadn't sensed him then.

Her eyes ran over him. "What is it?" she sounded concerned.

He crossed the room, headed for her. "I'm being called home. I leave"—the words thickened in his throat—"right after court."

"What about the vacation in Maladh? Spain?" Something in her tone was off. Like she was struggling to sound flippant when she really actually was crushed.

"It will have to wait." He immediately hated how the words sounded. Like an annoyed parent telling a child no. "My mother's insisting I return to training as her heir. Really I think she's just worried I'll get wrapped up in another scheme. And with Easter around the corner, Peter needs to get back to Nebraska." It sounded like he was telling her no one had time for her. That wasn't how it was supposed to sound. He wanted to go on those trips, especially after everything they'd all gone through since Nick went missing. But he did need to resume his training, but he had hoped it could be later rather than sooner.

She returned her hand to the railing and looked out over the city, a quiet dismissal, but he couldn't drag himself away yet.

"My mother's ambassador is ready to usher me out of the palace as soon as Court ends, so I wanted to get the chance to tell you that I . . . I hope you're able to finish your studies." His hands curled at his sides. It wasn't what he intended to say, but it's what he could get out.

"I'm hoping the Acurial professors will pull some strings."

With a nod, he turned for the doors that led out of her room. "I'll see you in—"

"Cassian."

He faced her.

"Thank you. For helping me even when it was probably one of the last things you wanted to do. Without you and Peter and Clíodhna, I'd be down in the dungeons."

He'd be having nightmares of her chained up in the ice dungeons below them. Dreams where he tried to get to her but never could. In some, maybe he'd even be chained with her.

"I'd do it all over again if I had to. I don't regret helping you, Faryn. I don't think I ever will." He started for the doors—

"Cassian, wait." Her hand grasped his arm. "Kiss me."

His heart lurched, skipping three, four, five, six, seven beats.

"Cassian—"

He took her face in his hands and brought his mouth down on hers before he tugged her closer, needing to feel her against him. Faryn slid her hands over his jacket, and his chest tightened a moment before he growled and pushed her up against the railing without breaking the kiss. He moved his hands to her back to secure her in place.

One of her hands slid into his hair; the other cupped his neck. He wanted to run his hands through that hair of hers that she almost always seemed to keep hidden, but she had to appear in court in minutes. She had to appear presentable. He shouldn't be—

He bit her lip, and Faryn moaned.

He wanted to hear it again, but he didn't have time to draw all the moans out of her that he wanted to. Tucking his face against her neck, he breathed in her scent, evergreen and juniper. "If you didn't have to be presentable in a few minutes, I'd show you just what we meant about biting." He'd been making a list of places he wanted to try for days.

Her body tightened against him, and she whispered his name. He pressed his lips to hers and pushed against her until her back arched under him and both of her hands made it into his hair.

When Faryn's tongue slid over his lip, he almost came undone. Her lips were going to be swollen after this, what would it matter if a few strands of hair were out of place?

He drew back, confirming his suspicion about her lips. "Faryn . . ."

"What is it?"

Someone knocked outside her room, and he gently tugged Faryn away from the balcony before letting her go. Though the scent tinged in rosemary coming from the other side of the doors faded, he still had to leave. They both did. Court was getting ready to begin, and they both had to be present when it did.

And he had to leave after. Was it really fair to Faryn if he voiced to her that he didn't want to leave her when he couldn't stay? She'd think his words empty. But he had to say something.

He turned back to her and made his way across the room. Reaching her, he lifted her face toward his. "You look divine, Faryn. I hope you know that."

And then the Tooth Fairy's heir allowed himself one more kiss, trying to convey the words he couldn't say, before he forced himself out of Faryn Morzoko's room.

*****

"You did what?" Peter who'd been in the process of crossing his bedroom to greet Cassian stopped in his tracks. Behind him, a large fire crackled in the hearth, casting golden light on the pastel green of his coat, turning it yellow.

Cassian hadn't intended to tell Peter about the kiss, but when he all but ran to the Easter Bunny's room after leaving Faryn, the words slipped out.

The Fata plopped down in one of the frosted armchairs. They both really ought to get to Court. "I didn't expect you to react like this."

"It's not that I think she and you are a terrible idea, because I don't. But right now, Cassian? She's about to appear before Winter, her grandfather, uncle, and mother arrested, and now you've gone and given her another thing to think about it."

"It wasn't like I planned to kiss her when I went to see her." And besides, it was Faryn who had told him to. "And I'm leaving, immediately after Court. I won't be around to . . . distract her."

"You can't spare one more day? She needs us. Her whole life is up in the air. She doesn't even know where she'll be tomorrow, and you want to leave her?"

"I'm being forced to return home."

"Are they carrying you off in chains to Mommy?"

Cassian let out a growl, but Peter didn't even flinch.

"The point is you are a grown man. If you really wanted to, you could stay."

Cassian pushed himself out of the chair, stalking toward Ton. "I have a duty to my family's magic to return home. Believe me, there is nothing I want to do more than remain at her side and help her with whatever comes next, but you know very well what it's like to be held to something that is more than yourself and your friends."

At those words, Peter seemed to shrink some. "If you leave," his voice was quieter now, "you can't expect her to be the same Acurial that you left. As much as she wants to return to Oxford, I'm not certain Winter will let her . . . at least right away."

"What do you mean? They aren't sending her to the ice dungeons." Did Peter know something he didn't? Cassian wouldn't let them lock her away, and he didn't think Peter would allow it either. The Fata would stay long enough to ensure that. Not even the Tooth Fairy herself showing up could drag him away.

"It may not be safe for her to return yet. Not with the majority of our world still believing she is guilty of Nick's disappearance. And if she stays here, surrounded by Winter, by Gryla, by Leppaludi, well you can't expect that not to change her."

"I don't think we have to worry about Gryla turning Faryn evil."

"If you were her, would you turn to someone like Perchta and Befana or would you go to someone who hadn't been willing to have you hunted down? And you can't deny that she was all but raised by our current Krampus."

Cassian rubbed his face, not liking how much of a point Peter had. "I don't want to leave."

"I know." Peter's voice softened at last. "Just while you're gone, check in with her as much as you can."

"And you'll do the same?"

Peter made his way to the door. "Every chance I get." He reached for the door's silver frosted knob.

"Clíodhna said she'd stay with her."

Peter's back tightened through his jacket.

"I thought you'd ask her to come to Nebraska with you."

Peter's knuckles paled around the knob. "I think we'd better get to Court."