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didn't believe I had it! I was hoping waving it around might do something to help us." He stayed quiet. "Don't look at me like that! You can't believe I planned to use it."

"I do believe you." He approached me and rested his hands on my shoulders. "And I'll help you in any way you need."

Something inside my chest released, and I leaned into him, taking comfort in his warmth and the security he offered. "Thank you. I'm definitely going to need you."

Kiyo pressed a kiss to my forehead. "I'm here."

I felt a small smile pull at my lips, though as with his earlier laughter, I didn't really find the situation funny. "I suppose if there is a silver lining here, maybe I can do a better job ruling the Rowan Land than she did. Some sort of greater good."

To my surprise, his hold on me stiffened, and he stepped back. The smile he offered me looked tight. "Maybe."

We went back out to Jasmine, who was still riveted to the TV. The only acknowledgment we got was when I handed her the clothes, and she examined them. "What's 'The Clash' mean?"

I ignored the blasphemy - and Kiyo's obvious amusement at my pain. "If you want to shower, everything you'll need is in the bathroom. Towels, shampoo."

That too got her attention. "A shower ... oh, man. I've missed showers."

"Will you two be okay?" asked Kiyo, all signs of his earlier discomfort gone. "I need to take care of a few things."

I nodded. "We're fine. Will you be back soon?"

"As soon as I can." He kissed me again, this time on my lips. I must have worn another pained expression because he cupped my chin, his brown eyes full of love and compassion. "It's going to be okay, Eugenie. Everything will be okay."

I nodded once more and watched wistfully as he left. I wanted his arms around me again, to hold me and let me escape this mess. A small part of me wouldn't have minded Dorian's arms either. I sat beside Jasmine, whose attention was back on some reality show.

"He's running off to Maiwenn, you know." Her gaze didn't move. "Off to report on what happened."

My ire started to rise at her accusation, except ... I had a feeling she was right. Even if there was no more romance between them, he was still devoted to her. The recent developments were going to rock the Otherworld, and she'd want the story straight from him. I wondered how she'd take it; she'd always feared my becoming like my father.

"Probably," I admitted. I rubbed my eyes. "God, I'm so exhausted. I feel like I could fall over."

This time Jasmine turned to me. There wasn't exactly sympathy in her face, but something surprisingly close. "No shit. You just stole a kingdom and took it over."

"It sounds so ugly when you phrase it that way."

She shrugged and looked back at the TV. "You'll probably do a better job." Her words echoed my earlier comment to Kiyo. "You know," she added conversationally, "everyone acts like our dad was such a bastard, like he just wanted more power. I mean, he did, but you know what Aeson told me? He said that Storm King was always talking about how he could do a better job too, that the other monarchs weren't as good. He said he was doing the people a favor."

I froze, unable to respond. That was why Kiyo had reacted the way he did earlier. He'd heard that about Storm King's "good intentions," I realized. I'd expressed exactly the same sentiment as my father.

Jasmine didn't notice the effect of her words and instead jumped subjects in that easy, short-attention-span way of hers. "Hey, do you think you could get Wil to come over? I want to see him."

"Sure," I murmured automatically. My mind was still lost in her earlier words. "Sure."

Wil was surprised to hear from me the next morning, more surprised still when I told him the reason I was calling. He said he'd be over in five minutes.

Jasmine had asked that he come alone after I'd mentioned he now had a girlfriend. Still, she'd been curious. "Seriously? What's she like?"

I thought back to my one meeting with Wil's ladylove. Once I'd banished the monsters living in their house, she hadn't shut up about conspiracy theories and assorted coverups. "Exactly like him," I'd replied to Jasmine.

The reunion between brother and sister was strange. They stood there awkwardly, both staring at each other and assessing