"These corridors are never ending," Azriel said as I led him back to my suite a short while later. He held my hand as we walked and I stopped him with a hand on the chest when we reached the door. I opened it carefully and Artemis bolted out of the bedroom, barking and jumping up on Azriel's legs as we closed the suite door behind us.

"What's this?" My mate asked, looking down at the barking puppy that barely reached his knees.

"This," I told him, "Is Artemis, our puppy."

"We have a puppy now?" He crouched down and scratched her head. She nuzzled against his hand and I smiled at the sight as I slipped off my shoes.

"A gift from Eris," I said, "She's only half bloodhound, but isn't she adorable?"

He laughed softly, "She is." He stood up then and surveyed the living room. Then he walked through it to the bedroom and then the bathroom. "This is… fancy."

"The princess suite," I told him, "So it has to be fancy." I turned to face him and pressed my hand to his chest. "But of course that makes you my Prince."

Azriel laughed but he stopped as my fingers brushed against the bare skin at his collarbone and the top of his chest. His breath caught and I pulled him towards me by his shirt, kissing him. His arms wrapped around me and he pulled me closer as the familiar sparks seemed to move through me. His lips moved to my neck, gently kissing and his teeth nipped at my earlobe, releasing a soft moan from me.

He paused.

"What?" I asked and I followed his gaze.

"The hound is staring at me," He said.

I laughed, "Is she distracting you?"

"Can't we put her in the other room and close the door?"

I led Artemis to the door and she trotted over to the sofa, curling up on it, as I shut the bedroom door. Azriel kicked off his boots.

"Better?"

He smiled as I walked back over to him. I unbuttoned his shirt, slowly, and I removed it, running my hands over the muscles and the tattoos on his perfectly carved chest. I placed my hand over the star tattoo, the twin of mine and he watched me beneath his lashes.

"I love you," He said, softly.

"I love you too, your highness, " I teased. He laughed and turned me around in a quick motion, brushing my hair to the side and kissing my neck, my shoulder, as he undid my dress. It fell to the floor in a swift motion and he took in the silky undergarments I wore, different to what I wore back home.

"Well?" I said, turning back to face him. His eyes had darkened, his shadows brushed against my skin.

He answered me with a passionate kiss that had my head spinning. My fingers moved to his trousers and I undid them before removing them. I reached for the crown on my head and he shook his head, a sly smile on his face as his hand brushed against when my dagger was strapped to my thigh. His other hand moved to the strap of the fabric covering my breasts and he removed it in one quick movement.

I leaned into him, our bare chests against each other and a low moan escaped from his lips as I kissed him again. And then I let my mouth travel down, down, until I reached the shorts he wore. I pulled them down and he shuddered as I caressed his length with my hand and then my mouth.

Moans and curses escaped from his own mouth as I moved and then, after a short while, I stood back up, a sly smile on my face. His nostrils flared and he removed the last of my silky underthings quickly, pressing me into the wall. His hand moved to the dampness between my legs and he kissed me as he dragged noises of pleasure out of me.

My breath caught in my throat as he wrapped my legs around his waist and plunged his cock into me. It took everything in me not to scream. How thin were the walls? Not very, I hoped, as Azriel and I moved against each other, moaning each other's names. After a while, he carried me to the bed and continued to thrust in and out of me as my body shivered and writhed in pleasure.

And when we both reached our climax, I swear I could see stars in the shadows that had wrapped themselves around us in some kind of cocoon.

I woke up beside Azriel just before sunrise, our naked bodies intertwined and his wings tucking me into him. I brushed the back of my hand against his cheek and he caught it, pressing a kiss to my palm and then another on my ring finger. I snuggled in closer to him and my mate kissed my forehead.

The bedroom door opened and I dragged the sheets up higher as Azriel's face looked amused. He seemed to know someone was coming, but from his smug expression, I gathered he didn't care who found us naked in bed with each other.

Rosia's eyes widened but Doja seemed unphased.

"Sorry, Miss," Rosia said as Doja moved to open the curtains. "And… er… Azriel." The sky was lightening outside. Ever so slightly. "We were told we had to make sure you were up at sunrise."

I knew my cheeks were crimson and Azriel let out a low laugh, kissing the top of my head. "Er… yes."

Doja walked into the bathroom and I heard the sound of the bath running. Then she stepped back out, "I'll fetch breakfast."

Rosia moved to my armoire instead and took out my Valkyrie leathers, hanging them up next to my sword. She placed two robes, one for each of us, on the end of the bed, next to where Artemis was sprawled out, and then she disappeared into the living room, the hound following her.

"It's not funny," I hissed to Azriel and he grinned again. "We're naked."

"And?" He tugged at the sheet and I tugged it back. "In case you'd forgotten, my love, we're mates." He pointed to his ring, "It's not exactly a scandal to see us in bed together," He tapped my nose and grabbed his robe, tying it around himself and getting up. I was surprised to see that there were slits in it for his wings. "Well? Are we having a bath?"

I wasn't ready to say goodbye a short while later, especially when neither of us knew how long it would be before we were together again. Ten days had been hard enough, but the thought of more was enough to break my heart. I watched my mate as he knelt before me, fastening my dagger around my thigh, the gesture incredibly intimate. He then stood, turning me around and braiding my hair. I sighed at the touch as he ran his fingers through my still-damp hair, working it into a tight braid, and then I smiled as he tied a white ribbon to the base.

"All set?" He asked and I gave a nod. He tucked his fingers under my chin and pulled me in for a kiss that ended far too soon. Then he held my hand and led me out into the hallway, down the stairs.

Eris waited at the bottom of the stairs, in his armour. He gave a polite nod to us both. "We must go," He said to me.

"Stay safe," I told my mate and despite the concern on his face, he gave a small smile.

"And you."

It may have been summer but it certainly did not feel like it in The Middle. A low mist hung across the landscape, sending dread through me, chilling my bones. We walked with the soldiers around us, through the mud in the bogs. In the distance I could barely make out the mountain that had been ruled by Amarantha just years before. It tipped above the mist, as if watching over everyone who dared set food in this empty land.

Quiet. Too quiet.

Guards flanked us as we walked, Eris' hand hovering above the hilt of his sword.

"Did the Shadowsinger approve of your chambers?" My grandfather asked and my cheeks flushed.

"Yes," I replied. My eyes scanned the woodland around us and I tried to ignore a howl I could hear somewhere in the distance.

How long had we been searching now? Three hours? Four? It was hard to tell where the sun was in the sky with the mist and dense forest around us. We reached the skeleton of some kind of creature and I wrinkled my nose as I covered my mouth at the strong, rotten scent surrounding it.

Eris kicked it with his boot, "Been dead a while."

"What was it?"

"Probably best that you do not know."

I'd read the book he'd given me and some parts had made me feel sick. Others had been horrifying. What was worse, was that there was still so much we did not know about this land. Still little we knew in terms of landmarks and places we could hide.

The sounds of a voice singing filled the air and I turned in the direction it came from, my eyes narrowed. The sound made my ears sting, the voice a screech. But Eris…

"Don't!" I said, grabbing my grandfather's wrist. I realised then that we'd already lost some soldiers. My eyes widened.

"It's calling us," He said, shaking my hand off of him and pacing.

"Stop!" I hissed, slapping him across his face. But he did not respond. He was in some kind of trance and as I tried to pull him back once more, he pointed his sword towards my heart. I sucked in a breath and took a step back. How was the voice calling him when for me it seemed to make my ears bleed. I followed him then, as he headed towards the bog. Soldiers were already walking into the waters, following the call.

"NO!" I called out, panic filling me this time.

I moved to go after them but another guard pulled me back.

"My lady, don't risk yourself for them." The guard said. The one I'd seen in the garden. Was he somehow immune to it too? Another guard also seemed to be ignoring the sound. Suddenly, he grabbed the hilt of his sword and bashed it over Eris' head, knocking him unconscious. "Forgive me, my Lord." He said with a sigh. "We need to get him to safety, unless you can winnow?"

I shook my head, "I… I can't."

And then I heard footsteps. Squelching in the mud. My body became alert, the fire swimming through my veins. I stepped in front of my grandfather, blocking him with my body.

"Hide him!" I hissed to a guard.

"But my Lady-"

My voice lowered, commanding, "That was an order."

The guard lifted my grandfather and took him with him as they disappeared into the trees. The other, unfamiliar guard remained with me, his sword withdrawn as I withdrew my own.

Three familiar males stepped out of the forest towards us, two winged, one not. The three had the same hair I remembered- so dark it was nearly black. They still wore the sigils that I knew now as the Dusk Court rebellion. The one in the centre, with half a shaved head, tattoos on his scalp, stepped forward, Gwydion in his hands.

"So we meet again," He said in greeting.

"Indeed," I said with narrowed eyes. A ball of fire appeared in my left hand and he raised his eyebrows.

"Perhaps you can tell us where your mate is," He said, casually.

"I don't know," I replied.

The male looked down at the sword and it seemed to glow. He nodded in approval, "So you do not, very well then."

"What do you want with him?" I asked.

"He has something I need," The male paced, the two winged males marking every movement of my own, as were the soldiers behind them. "Although I can't imagine he'd give it up willingly."

"Truth-teller," I murmured and he raised his eyebrows.

"Quite a clever female, aren't you?" He breathed in, "Now where is your grandfather? I doubt he let you venture into The Middle alone."

"I don't know where he is," Another half-lie. Because I didn't know where the other guard had taken him.

"A shame really," He shrugged. "I was hoping that perhaps he could tell us where your mate is. After all, he's working closely with the High Lord of the Night Court."

"Please leave Azriel out of this," I said and as I did, the nightmares I'd been having filled my head. My breath quickened and the fire in my hand seemed to grow. A winged male blew cool breath towards me and the fire snuffed out. I took a step backwards.

"I think I'd enjoy torturing him… running his own blade across his-"

"NO!" I shrieked and lunged towards him with my sword. My blade crashed against Gwydion and the sound of metal filled the quiet air. A flap of wings sounded, as if creatures left their places in the trees. Where was the creature in the bog now? I could use it…

"Do you know what your mate did to my brother? Why he deserves to be slowly carved upon a table, bit by bit?" He winnowed and then was behind me. My guard's throat was slit and he fell into the ground. I turned quickly, but not quick enough. He grabbed my waist tightly, pressing his blade to my throat next.

GWYN?! Azriel's panic voice filled my head. Gwyn! Where are you?!

I reached for my fire but it would not come.

Gwyn, I'm coming, just hold on!

No… no he couldn't… because if he did…

"Please," I said now to the male holding the blade to my throat, "Please take me instead."

"And why would we do that?" A winged male asked.

"Because I'm worth a lot," I replied. "To both the Night Court and the Autumn Court… I'm one of the Valkyries and I'm the heir to the Autumn Court throne… think how much you could be given for my safe release… and… and I can help you find the Dusk Court."

"What would you know about that?" The male holding the blade to my throat asked.

"I'm a priestess, I work in a library and I've read many books about the Dusk Court," I said. "I'm sure I can help."

"We need a priestess for the ritual," The other winged male said.

"Well then," The male released the blade from my throat, "I suppose you'll be valuable for us after all." A hilt of the sword hit me in the back of the head, knocking me unconscious before I could even hit the ground.