"Not ours," she groaned. "In general."
"Probably," Torian said. "I'm not sure. We can try it later."
My brows jumped into my hairline. "Just ward something and let her break it?"
Torian shrugged. "Sure. My bathroom door works. If she wants out, she has to break the wards or knock and admit she failed."
Which made my eyes narrow. "Yeah, because it's gotta be a sink or swim thing with you, huh? Instead of just learning, someone succeeds or fails? No middle ground?"
"The world doesn't offer a middle ground," he shot back.
"Tor, you're wiped," Hawke said. "We'll get more pillows if you need them, but you're being a dick."
"Sorry," he said, everything about the kid softening when he looked at Hawke.
To me, that felt like a slap in the face. No matter how hard I tried to help - even running into the atrium during a lockdown - Torian always acted like I was in the way. I'd still helped hold the Hunt back. I'd stepped up and done something, but he wasn't even willing to give me a civil tone, let alone anything else.
"Look," I said, "I'll go so you can all rest, but - "
"No..." Rain broke in. "Keir!"
"I'm with her," Aspen assured me. "Stay, Keir."
"It's my room," Hawke said, "and I saw you down there. Torian didn't. He was staring at the Huntsman, so he didn't see you ready to shield his ass from that fucker."
"What?" Torian asked.
I just waved it away, because Hawke had just reminded me of something else. "What did he say to you, Torian?"
"He said," Rain replied, "that Torian wasn't on his list. Aspen was, and he knew she was there. He also keeps asking me to ride with him." Shelooked from person to person, her eyes landing on all of us in turn. "Does anyone know why?"
"The Huntsman recruits," Torian said, sounding truly exhausted. "He invites the strongest to ride with him, filling the ranks."
"They're invulnerable," I countered. "Means there are no spots to fill."
"There are always spots to fill," Torian said. "And with a list as long as 'every fae on Earth?' I'm pretty sure he wants more hunters."
"Do the others do that?" Rain pressed.
"Never heard of it," Torian admitted.
"They don't talk at all," I assured her. "But that's the thing. The Huntsman doesn't either."
"He talked the first time he saw me," she countered.
"He didn't until you," I said. "Now Torian. He also discussed Aspen; he didn't talktoher."
Wilder murmured thoughtfully. "Think the spell on them is weakening?"
"Hopefully," Torian said.
"Doubtful," Hawke added. "Wilder, it's the Wild-Fucking-Hunt. They've been around forever."
"Not this particular one," I reminded them. "They change with each monarch. Maybe this one's screwed up? I mean, the King of Winter is gone. The Queen of Summer is mad. Wouldn't the Hunt reflect it too?"
"Jack!"
Hawke just pointed at the bird. "His dad is the monarch they change with, I bet."
