“Are you going to ask Ash about the note?” Her grey eyes went from sparkling to serious in a split second reminding me of her capricious nature.

As if speaking about him called him to us, Ash strode down the long walk to the docks. His dirty blond hair caught the light, and his muscles flexed with every step. His eyes narrowed against the sun. But it was the figures behind him that caught my attention. Ash didn’t notice the Undine Enders, Dolph included, coming up behind him.

I stood and stalked toward him. It was now or never. If he were honest, I could stop this. Tell Requiem I’d made a mistake. “You were given a note when you were here on the docks with Belladonna. What did it say?”

He shook his head. “Does it matter?”

My heart sunk further. “Yes. It does.”

I wanted so badly for Bella to be wrong. Why couldn’t he tell me it was some horrible mistake?

He waved his hand as if to dismiss my question. “The note was nothing.”

I pressed him. “If it was nothing, tell me what it was.”

“Fine. It was a request to train with the young Enders here in the Deep.” His words were smooth, but I knew the lie for what it was, could all but see it written on his lips.

I stepped back as he was grabbed from behind. He jerked hard and tried to get to his weapons, but he had no chance against four Enders. “Ender Ash, Requiem is placing you into the cells for subversion,” Dolph gritted out the words as he wrestled Ash to the wooden docks.

Those honey-gold eyes found mine. Trembling all over, I fought the urge to help him. To throw the Undines off him and fight our way out. I swallowed hard and took another step back. Disbelief shot through his eyes. “Lark.”

“You had your chance to be honest, Ash,” I whispered, watching as they dragged him away. Belladonna grabbed me and pulled me forward. “Hurry, or we won’t see where they put him.”

She was right, but I couldn’t un-see his face and the hurt etched there. Betrayal, he thought I’d betrayed him. But he was there to make sure we were killed, so there was no choice. Was there?

We followed the Enders to the throne room where they stood Ash in front of Requiem.

“You’ve been a naughty boy, following the ladies around when you weren’t supposed to.”

Ash said nothing, his back straight despite the hold the Undines had on him.

“Nothing to say? Just as well, wouldn’t want anyone having second thoughts about sending you to the cells.”

Ash startled as if he’d been hit, and Requiem laughed. “That’s right, your two compatriots asked me to throw you in the cells. I thought it a lovely laugh.” He tipped his head to one side and the Undines backed away from Ash. Belladonna grabbed my hand, her fingers digging in and it was only then I realized I was moving toward Ash.

“You can’t. Lark, you can’t stop this,” she whispered to me.

Requiem waved at Ash. “Have fun.”

The floor opened under Ash, a black hole that swallowed him in a single gulp, slamming shut as his head disappeared. I couldn’t help myself, I ran forward dragging Belladonna with me. The floor was smooth with no visible lines of how to open it. No way to get in and no obvious way for us to open the trap door back up.

I swallowed hard. No turning back now.

Requiem let out a long, low laugh that built to a crescendo before he seemed to control himself. “Women are so stupid. You had me send away one of your own, a very accomplished Ender from what I understand. All because you wouldn’t bed him?” His eyes flicked over me. I backed away, anger, frustration, and confusion building in me like a storm. Dolph stared at me, his turquoise eyes dark with anger. Ash was his friend.

And in Dolph’s eyes, I’d betrayed him. Hell, in my own eyes, I’d betrayed him.

“Men are so stupid,” I parroted Requiem’s words back to him, glaring. “They think everything is about sex and their ability to have it with whomever they want. It clouds their judgment. Amongst other things.”

Belladonna tugged on my arm, pinching me hard. “Thank you, Requiem. Will we see you at dinner?”

“Another meal watching you two refuse to eat while your bellies rumble? I wouldn’t miss it. I have not had so much fun in many months. I may have to keep you two around after my coronation.” He gave us a deep, mocking bow, even going so far as to flourish with his one hand rolling it at the wrist.

We made our exit, and got all the way back to the room before Belladonna let me go. “Why would you provoke him like that? Calling him stupid is not how we make friends, Larkspur.” She spoke rapidly about what we had to do next to make sure Requiem believed we were on his side. But the words flowed around me, barely reaching my ears.

I paced the room, my fingers laced behind my head. Ash was in the cells. We were safe from him. And yet, I felt lower than worm shit. Throat tight, I wrestled with myself. He had lied about the note sending us to our deaths. I knew that. Belladonna knew it.

“Larkspur, snap out of it!” Belladonna slapped me, catching me off guard. “We have to focus.”

“I am.” I rubbed my face.

“You aren’t. You’re still thinking about Ash . . . mother goddess . . . do you care for him?” Bella’s gray eyes went wide.

Fighting to keep my face smooth and neutral, I shook my head. “Not like that. He was one of my mentors. I can’t think of him as an enemy.”

She wrapped her hands around my wrists, sliding them to my hands, squeezing gently. “I know that look. I’ve seen it in the mirror. He is not a good man, Lark. Don’t mourn him. He would have hurt you in the end.”