Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(132)

“You could have caught me, Donovan,” Lee groused.

“Do you have any idea how heavy you are, man?” Daniel shot back. “Besides, I thought you were all lone wolfie. You don’t need anyone. Have your master there catch you.”

I held my arms out with a welcoming smile. Lee grumbled as he rolled his eyes, but I saw his grin.

“That one is mine,” Daniel said seriously as he caught Zack, who was scrambling even as he fell through the air. Zack was on his feet, smoothing out his clothes before Lee managed to catch his breath.

“I don’t see what the problem is.” Zack was completely unruffled by the experience. His attention was on the sky above as Neil came through and Zack caught him easily. “I think it’s kind of fun.”

Neil didn’t look like he thought it was fun. My bestie was a little on the green side.

Declan landed on his feet and then caught Chima and Sean, who laughed the entire way down. Declan tried to hold her, but Chima insisted they be put down.

Declan looked at his son approvingly even as the rest of our party descended. “The boy is unaffected by his uncle’s poor driving. He has a strong stomach. He will be a great warrior.”

“What if he doesn’t want to be a warrior?” Chima replied tartly even as Sean was trying to play with his father’s bow.

“What else will he be, Chima? Are you planning to send the boy to butcher’s school? Perhaps he will be a gardener?” Declan asked sarcastically. “He will be king one day. He could be king of both the Seelie and Unseelie. He will be a great warrior.”

Dev hit the ground on his feet, his form perfect, and there was a smile on his face as he found me and Daniel. “It’s good to see you survived the experience, you two.”

“I landed on my ass, Dev,” Daniel complained.

“I landed on Daniel’s ass, too.” I gave my faery prince an encouraging hug. Though it had only been a couple of days, it felt like forever since we’d been together.

“It’s quiet.” Nim glanced around the seemingly empty courtyard.

There was a silence about the place that I found disconcerting. The palace should be bustling with activity. There should have been soldiers and guards, but the entire place looked deserted.

“Too quiet.” Chima managed to stop arguing with Declan long enough to look around the palace grounds.

I took my first glimpse at the Unseelie stronghold. King Angus’s home stood roughly half a mile from us. Unlike the marble white of the Seelie palace, this one was done in dark stones. Dominating the landscape, it looked entirely medieval and highly fortified. It also looked deserted.

“Where is Grandpa?” Sean asked.

“I don’t know.” Chima shook her head, staying close to her son.

“The traitor said the war was about to begin,” the Hunter noted. “Perhaps the king has joined his army on the battlefield.”

Dev stared at the palace as though trying to see if anyone was there. “But Mother intended to talk to Angus first. They should have met at either our palace or here. Even if they chose a neutral location, the entire population of the Unseelie palace wouldn’t be gone.”

Lee held a hand up, getting everyone’s attention. “We’re not alone.”

“Lee’s right,” Zack concurred. “There are people here. They’re hiding.”

Chima stepped forward. She held Sean on her hip. “Hello? Is anyone here? It’s Princess Chima. I’m looking for my father. Please show yourself.”

Declan tried to pull her back. “Chima, you cannot leave yourself open like this. Get behind me.”

“These are my people, Declan,” Chima said. “Why would they hurt me?”

I heard Declan’s snort. “My lovely na?ve wife…”

Chima shook her head. “Don’t you call me that.”

“It’s what you are,” Declan shot back. “And one of your people just tried to kill our son.”

“With the help of your mighty duke,” Chima replied.

“Yes.” I was willing to look at the positive side of things. “See, the Seelie and the Unseelie can work together.”

Dev laughed but Declan huffed. “I am merely pointing out that we are not so different. Both of our palaces are filled with traitors trying to kill us all. It is a piece of common ground that we can build on. That and my and Chima’s undeniable sexual chemistry.”

“We don’t have any sexual chemistry, you idiot,” Chima snarled at him.

Declan’s green eyes narrowed. “We certainly had good chemistry when I f*cked you in the yard during our argument.”

Chima’s lovely pale skin took on a distinct red tone. “I can’t believe you just announced that.”

The prince waved off her embarrassment. “It is faster that way. I was going to tell my brother, who would certainly tell the vampire and Zoey, who would immediately tell the gossipy blond wolf, who would tell Zack, who would mention it to the irritable wolf, who wouldn’t care. See, they would all have known anyway.”

“You didn’t have to announce it in front of our son,” Chima said.

“The boy should know his parents are passionate.” Declan disregarded her concerns. “He should know they can’t keep their hands off each other.”