when suspected of violating the goodwill of the court allowing open roads.”
“Do you have direct orders from the queen to bring him in?”
A muscle in Falin’s jaw worked. This was a precarious path, but only a direct command from the queen, in her own voice, was binding. As Faerie didn’t have cell phones and she didn’t leave the court often, I was guessing he’d spoken to some other fae. Which meant there might be a little leeway in this situation.
Falin didn’t answer, which was answer enough. No. He had no direct commands.
“Fine. Then you’re not arresting anyone in my office. Think of this as neutral ground.”
Falin scowled. “This is still winter’s territory.”
So killing each other in the middle of my office was the solution? I had to defuse this situation.
“Do you want me to try to pull part of the shadow court into this room so he isn’t in winter territory?” I asked, holding up my hands.
Falin’s gaze darted to my lifted fingers. I wore gloves, but he was familiar with the scars they hid and how they had happened—he’d not only been there when I’d gathered strands of Faerie to create a small net of it in the human realm, but he’d supplied some of the needed strands of Faerie that I’d used. He also knew that “try” was a very key word in my sentence. I probably could use the shadows in the room to make a pocket of Faerie, but as I’d be fumbling blindly, there was no telling how much damage I’d do to myself and reality in the process.
Falin’s jaw clenched, and the moment stretched long enough that I was afraid I’d have to follow through with my threat. Then he said, “I suppose I could agree to a mutual truce until we both walk out of this building.”
A flash of surprise flickered at the edges of Dugan’s face, gone a moment later. He didn’t lower his sword. “A binding oath?”
“You obviously knew about the bodies before we did, as that appears to be what you were discussing with Alex. What reassurances can you give me that this is not an attack on the winter court?”
“I could demand the same. It is our courtier who is dead in your halls.”
“Damn it, both of you,” I said. “Are you seriously too stubborn to accept any alternative but killing each other?”
Dugan glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “It’s not that we’re too stubborn. It’s that we are too proud. But you do have a point . . .” He lifted his thumb to his blade and opened a small slit across his flesh. “By my blood, I swear I will do you no harm unless I need to defend myself until we both leave this building, as long as you swear the same.”
Falin glared at him for several seconds. Then he reached up and swiped some of the blood trickling down from the wound in his throat. “By my blood, I swear I will do you no harm unless I need to defend myself—or defend Alex”—he tilted his head in my direction—“until we both leave this building.”
The air seemed to zing as the last words left his mouth. Both men immediately dropped their weapons, the oath preventing them from continuing to threaten each other. Falin stepped back, holstering his gun. Dugan’s sword vanished under his glamour again. He smiled at the other man.
“Well, perhaps once we step outside, you’ll leave your little gun behind and duel me properly, like a true warrior,” the prince said, rolling his shoulders back. They had to be sore after holding that killing pose so long.
Falin scowled. Their oath not to harm each other clearly didn’t extend to verbal jabs.
“Prince Dugan, you were going to appeal to my compassion, I believe,” I said, forcing myself to sit. My body felt too tense, too flooded with adrenaline, but I tried to at least look calm as I crossed my legs in the chair. “So there is a dead shadow courtier in the halls of the winter court?”
Both men nodded.
“And the second body belongs to . . . ?”
“A winter noble,” Falin said, his gaze never leaving Dugan’s face, as if searching for signs of guilt. For his part, Dugan gave away nothing at the news, though I knew from what he’d said earlier that he hadn’t known the identity of the second fae. “Currently it appears our noble was assassinated, but he fatally wounded his killer before he died.”