Anya bounced Urban up and down and patted him on the back, struggling to get him to burp. “I want to hear more about Kane beating up your lecherous half brother. I bet that rocked your panties off! It would have mine, if I ever wore any.”

Haidee, Amun’s wife, shook her head; a mix of blond and pink hair danced over her shoulders. “You have to forgive her. She’s just a little crazy in the head.”

“Uh, try a lot crazy in the head,” Anya retorted, as if she were complimenting herself. In her mind, she probably was. “I should have been committed centuries ago. Oh, wait. I was!”

“Stop talking, Anarchy. Josephina was just about to tell us if Kane’s as much of an animal in bed as I think.” Gwen, Sabin’s wife, waved to Tink, a silent command to continue.

“I’m pretty sure I wasn’t going to talk about that,” Tink said, taken aback.

“Oh, yes, you totally were. And while you’re at it,” said Kaia, Strider’s consort, “I’m going to give you one of my galaxies’ famous makeovers. Strider told me your family treated you like a servant and I firmly believe the best way to get revenge—besides killing the stupid jerks with a blade...or a hammer...or a saw—is to kill the stupid jerks with jealousy.”

Sienna, Paris’s wife, snapped her fingers and a rack of dresses and a vanity piled high with makeup appeared. “Ta da! Let the makeover begin.”

“Neat trick,” Tink said, clapping.

Gilly, William’s teenage charge, leaned toward Tink, her expression earnest. “I hear you spent some time with William. Did you happen to notice the kind of women he...you know?”

“My poor ears,” Anya said. “They do not need to hear about Willy you-knowing.”

“You guys are weird,” Scarlet said. “I should kill you all in your sleep. That way, I’d stop stressing about missing friends—because I wouldn’t have any friends. It would be win/win.” She was the keeper of Nightmares, the wife of Gideon, and there was no one scarier. Most people ran from her at the first opportunity.

But not Tink. Tink patted her on top of the head. “Don’t go near Kane, or I’ll have to hurt you.”

“What about William?” Gilly prompted.

“She can go near him if she wants,” Tink said with a nod.

“No.” Gilly twisted the fabric of her T-shirt. “His women.”

“Can I go to my room now?” Legion, Aeron’s adopted daughter, interrupted. She was pale and withdrawn, and Kane hated the reason why. Like him, she’d spent a little time in hell.

Earlier today, he’d gone to her room to talk with her. She hadn’t responded when he’d knocked, so he’d gone in thinking to leave her a note. He’d found her huddled in the far corner, her knees drawn to her chest as she etched pictures on the wall. Pictures of Galen, once the second in command of the Hunters, now under Sienna’s control.

Galen, who’d once thought to enslave the girl.

“Legion,” he’d said, and she’d stiffened. She had the body of a porn star, and yet, at that moment, she appeared to be nothing more than a child.

With her back to him, she’d said, “I hate that name. I won’t answer to it.”

“What would you like me to call you?” He’d kept his tone gentle.

“Anything but that.”

“All right, then. I’ll call you Honey.”

“Whatever. I want to be left alone.”

His heart broke for her. “I’ll go. I just wanted you to know I’ve been where you are, and I’ve been through what you’ve been through, and if you ever want to talk about it with someone who understands, come find me. It doesn’t make you better, but...it helps.”

Now, in the present, Olivia, Aeron’s wife, wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Stay with us a little longer. Please.”

Legion—Honey—flinched at the contact, but nodded reluctantly.

“Well...” Tink scanned each expectant face, a gleam of awe dawning in those baby blues, as if she couldn’t quite believe they were talking to her—and actually liked her. So wise in so many ways, yet so innocent in so many others. “Let me tackle this one at a time. First, the Fae palace is huge and luxurious and filled with treasures, but the people kind of suck.”

Gwen and Kaia smiled and nodded.

“I think a treasure hunt is in our future,” Kaia said.

“Agreed,” Gwen replied.

“Second,” Tink continued, “I won’t divulge a single detail about what Kane and I do in the bedroom. Except to say that it’s awesome. I’m probably the most satisfied woman in the fortress, if not the world.”

“No way. I am!” Anya said.

“No, me!” Kaia replied.

“Third, a makeover would be nice. Thank you. Fourth, William...yes. He spent time with a beautiful but very cruel blonde. The queen, who is kind of like my stepmother. I’m sorry.”

Gilly nodded, the twinkle fading from her eyes. “A married woman,” she said. “He’s not the man I thought he was.”

Tink reached over and squeezed her hand, a gesture of comfort and understanding. When she realized she wasn’t wearing her gloves, she jerked her arm away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have touched—no, wait. I can. Kane made sure.”

He grinned—the pride was back.

Hate her! Hate them!Disaster banged against his skull, roaring, growling, threatening.

Beside him, a light bulb shorted out. At his feet, a crack formed in the marble.

Here we go,he thought, fighting a spear of dread. The hunger pains had begun.

Every eye darted to him. He ground his molars and nodded in acknowledgment.

A hard hand on his shoulder drew his attention to the male behind him. “You ready?”

Surprised, he said, “William. What are you doing here?”

“That’s the welcome I get after everything I’ve done for you? Thanks a lot, dude.”

Kane drew back a fist and let it fly, nailing the warrior in the nose. Blood instantly spurted. “No, that’s the thanks you get.”

William grinned, his warped sense of humor obviously coming out to play. “Better.”

“Next time you try and trick me, I won’t stop with one punch.”

“I’m sure.”

And now that that was settled... “Last I saw you, you were headed into a fight with the minions. What happened?”

“A slaughter, that’s what. Those females got what was coming to them, I assure you. And now, you owe me, like, big time.” He blew the ladies a kiss and started toward the library. He only looked back at Gilly once.

Kane followed him, and, taking a page from his playbook, threw one last glance at Tink. She smiled at him, so sweet and pretty, and he smiled back.

“I owe you nothing,” he said to William. He wasn’t sure whether to feel elated his enemy was dead, or ticked that vengeance would never be his.

He’d go with ticked.

“So, where’d you get my ring?” he asked, just to taunt the warrior.

Those electric blues narrowed to tiny slits. “You mean myring.”

“That’s what I said. My ring.”

A pause. A stiff shrug. “Fine. Keep it. I stole it from a woman I bedded and killed. What? Why are you looking at me like that? Anyway. The ring’s probably cursed, luring you into a false sense of calm.”

Another light bulb shorted out, a spray of flames seeking Kane as if he wore a bull’s eye. He remained silent as he entered the room. William shut and locked the door, just in case the women decided to come looking for them. Kane swept his gaze over the men scattered throughout the room. Lucien, Sabin, Strider, Amun, Paris, Gideon, Aeron, Reyes, Maddox and Torin, who stood in the far corner. Weeks had passed since they’d all been together like this.

Together, they were a force to be reckoned with.

“So your girl’s in trouble, huh?” Strider said. “William told us about her father’s plans.”

“What can we do to help?” Sabin asked.

Help, he’d said. He wasn’t trying to take over, and didn’t plan to leave Kane behind. He understood Kane’s need to participate in his woman’s liberation. Some of the tension left him—

Until another light bulb shorted out.

“First, I have to be straight with you,” he said. “I need you out of the fortress, no questions asked, in a little less than three months.”