Page 20 of The Never Queen

“I’m sure that can be arranged.” She flicks a finger at the man over her left shoulder and he nods, scurries away. “Doren has been here all night overseeing a renovation project in the oracle deck. Come.”

Bash and I look at one another. Being in the palace all night doesn’t automatically absolve Doren of guilt, but it doesn’t help us.

Lanez leads us through the halls of the palace. The oracle deck is in the west wing between the library and the Night Archive. It’s a place for the fae with gifts of sight, intuition, or fortune casting to do their work.

“I didn’t realize the oracle deck needed renovating,” I say.

“Oh yes. Well,needis subjective, I suppose? You may remember that Doren’s mother was the previous Oracle High Priestess, so the place has real significance to him. We’ve replaced some of the cracked plaster and molding, and polished the stone floor. They’re painting now. Final touches! So you’ve checked in at the right time.”

“Doren does know we’re building a new palace, yes?” Bash says.

Lanez laughs. “Of course! Of course. Have you decided what will become of this palace?”

“An academy,” Bash says.

“Oh. Oh! Well. Lovely.”

It’s hard to distinguish whether or not Lanez actually thinks this is lovely.

Bash and I have discussed this at length. The fae are our people, but we’re not splitting from Pan and Vane and making Darling rotate her time with us like a fucking child of divorce.

We all stay together. That’s the rule.

But I know it will cause some frustration within the fae. We are asking them to leave the home they’ve known their entire lives. Hopefully, in the end, bringing us all together under one roof, in the new palace we’re constructing on the south end of the island, will be for the greater good.

Transitioning the former fae palace into an academy was an idea we all agreed on. It makes the most sense. We can welcome people from all of the seven islands within the Seven Isle Chain, and give us the opportunity to officially train the fae soldiers without the constant distraction of court life.

It does, of course, make me wonder if part of Doren’s objection to all of this includes moving the court to the new palace and blending the fae with the Lost Boys.

He’ll have to come around if he wants to remain within the court. And if he doesn’t, we’ll drive him from the island. I’ll make sure of it.

We turn into the Oracle Deck and find Doren directing a few fae who are flying two stories up near the domed ceiling of the deck, paintbrushes in hand. “We need a second coat here,” he’s saying.

“Doren,” Lanez calls. “The kings have arrived to see you.”

There are a dozen or so fae working in the Deck and upon seeing us or hearing Lanez’s announcement, drop everything they’re doing to turn to us and bow.

Doren though, walks forward, straight as an axe, and barely bows his head. “Your Majesties. It’s rather late for you, isn’t it?”He glances at Pan. “I wouldn’t want to risk your star god seeing the light.”

“I can taste sunlight,” Pan says, scanning the Deck, checking who is in attendance. “And the dark. I’m not worried.”

“Of course. What can I do for you?” Doren asks.

He’s looking at me and Bash, hands clasped in front of him, docile and open. But the way he asks this, with no hint of curiosity, sends the hair along my neck upright.

He knows why we are here.

If only I could prove he was part of whatever this thing is with Merry.

“We’ve just received a report that is troubling us,” I say. “One of ours has gone missing.”

“Oh terrible.” Doren makes a show of furrowing his brow. “What can I do to help?”

“We just wondered —”

My brother cuts me off. “No. Fuck this. Did you take her, Doren?”

“Who?”