“Are Cliff and Nathem coming around today?” Tanith wondered. All morning she’d been keeping busy, avoiding looking too closely at the walls that were burned not long ago.
Yamra closed her book, tossing it to the side as though she’d lost interest in the old pages and adjusting one of the giant pillows at her back. “No. They’re running an errand in the city. Some guy found a box of old letters written by his grandfather, and supposedly, they date all the way back to the first settlers on the island.”
Leevi looked over in interest but said nothing before going back to his work.
“You didn’t want to see them?”
“They’ll probably bring some back,” she explained. “Maybe even the whole collection, but I have no interest in being ignored while the men do all the talking. Whenever I go along, I’m hardly acknowledged.”
Tanith tilted her head. “Do you ever demand to be?”
Yamra smiled as though the question were funny. “We’re not all princesses, Tanith. Our presences don’t all draw attention.”
“You don’t need to be a princess for that,” she corrected. “It must irritate you. Being ignored.”
The brunette shrugged. “I get to spend most of my days in a palace. If avoiding meeting a couple of disrespectful men is all I have to complain about, I think I’m doing alright.”
Tanith looked out the window in thought. “We’re very different.”
“I could have told you that,” Leevi clipped.
“Oh, you’re such a grumpy old man,” Yamra drawled. “Hey, maybe you could use your gift to seek out where I left my hair clips. I’m always losing those things,” said to him.
“Menial tasks are of little importance to our Seeker, Yamra,” the king budded in.
Tanith hadn’t even heard him climbing the stairs, but she supposed she should have noticed the two huffing and puffing princes that followed not far behind him.
Ekko must have finally allowed a healer to help him because his arm was wrapped in a bandage—one not meant for broken bones and both of his shoulders seemed fine.
“That was brutal,” the prince of Ograboden gasped when he reached the top.
Ward gripped the railing tightly, looking down over the edge to assess their progress before turning back around, his mouth twisted in distaste. “I thought you were taking us home,” he grumbled at the silver-haired man.
To anyone who didn’t know him, Riven wouldn’t have seemed bothered by the question, but Tanith knew he was frustrated. “It’s my duty to make sure you have all of the facts before you make a decision. If at the end of the day, you still wish to return, my men will escort you to the barrier.”
“And steal our memories,” Ward snapped back.
The king hummed. “Leevi, will you take it from here? I’d like a word with Tanith.”
The Seeker nodded, ushering the princes towards his desk, though they both shot curious looks at Tanith along the way.
“You’ve been through this?” Ekko wondered quietly.
Tanith nodded. “Just keep an open mind.” She patted his good shoulder as she passed, and Ward dutifully ignored her as she crossed the outside of the net.
Riven started back down the stairs and she nearly groaned. No. Absolutely not. She still hadn’t recovered from the climb up that morning, and she couldn’t make it down again.
Making an executive decision, she praised herself for putting on a yellow silk dress that morning before lifting her leg over the old wooden railing and leaning forward.
The fabric slipped easily along the surface, moving her quickly around and around. She stuck her tongue out as she passed Riven, leaving him behind and flying so fast she didn’t know if she could stop if she tried. He barked a laugh from behind, and before she knew it, he was running down alongside her, his mouth stretched in a wide grin before he passed her, using his inhuman speed to his advantage.
“Show off!” she called after him.
Tanith was careful to lean the right way so she wouldn’t tumble over the side. One slip and she’d surely crack her neck, but she’d prefer that over the hike down again.
Riven was already waiting for her at the bottom, and one thing Tanith knew was that there was no stopping. At the end where the railing rounded out, she bent her knees and prepared an attempt at landing on her feet.
In surprise, she barreled off the end, arms waving and eyes wide as she smacked into something solid. Someone.
Riven caught her mid-flight, spinning her in a circle to slow her momentum before setting her down on the ground again, humor sparking behind his gray eyes.
“Smooth,” the king complimented as Tanith brushed the wild flyways of her hair out of her face.
“We don’t all have super-speed,” she defended. “What did you want to talk about?”
His gaze flicked back up the observatory where Yamra still rested in the net. Super hearing. She’d forgotten about that.
Tanith followed him outside the library, walking silently past two guards on rotation before stepping out into the garden. It wasn’t like hers at home, but rather, filled with rarer flowers—many of which only thrived in the tropical region of the island. She couldn’t explain it, but whatever season Wickenvare was in at the moment wasn’t the same as the breezy Summer she’d left behind in Ellesmere.
It was something warmer, but not overwhelming. Something that brought her ease and comfort, without making her sweat beneath the long fabric of her dress. It was something she wished she could wrap up and take home with her if she decided to return.
“It’s your mother,” Riven finally answered when they were alone. His sharp eyes scoured the lines of bushes and flowers as though weeding out any imperfections, but it was nature, and there were none. Not that Tanith could see.
“What about her?”
His face became grim. “My spies have reported back. Every one of them confirms your mother’s threats were real. She’s begun preparing some men. Counting down the days.”
Swallowing her disappointment, Tanith nodded. “I didn’t doubt she would. Did you?”
“I was hoping, but a good king is always prepared.”
“Maybe I could talk her out of it,” Tanith suggested. “It’s worth a try, isn’t it?”
Riven’s brows drew together in concern. “No. It wouldn’t be possible. Even if I sent a messenger, we’d risk having them captured and tortured until they gave up the location of the rift in the barrier. If they failed, they could expose us all.”
“That’s a lot of ifs.”
“Fairly so.”
Tanith paused mid-reach, stopping herself from tracing her finger down the velvety petal of a yellow oleander. The plant was in full bloom, but she’d never seen one in person. She’d never even known anyone who could—or dared—to grow it.
“Your mother’s ideals are a poison,” Riven went on. “I’m sorry to say, but this needs to come to an end.”
“We could fix this,” she told him firmly. “If you’d let us retain our memories, we could all return and take over our kingdoms like we’re supposed to. Then we could disband the lies. Tell the people just enough without exposing the fae or the Light.”
“How do you think they’ll react when you tell them there are no Crish?” he wondered. “What will they do when they find out your kingdoms have been ridding people who weren’t guilty of a manufactured crime?”
“Uprisings,” Tanith answered shortly and in defeat.
“Exactly. And if you tell them there’s nothing here, what will they do?”
She sighed. “The commoners will throw tradition to the wind when we stop sending firstborns to the island. They’ll go themselves.”
“And we can’t have that,” he finished. “We have very limited options and very little time.”
“But I’ll decide before my three weeks is up. I still have eleven days.” She felt overwhelmed as if they were overlooking something. “I know we can’t expose Wickenvare, but what if you integrated beyond simple s
pies? Did Yamra or Nathem talk to you about our mate theory?”
Riven paused. “There are no mates.”
“We don’t know that. You have a relatively small population. Barely half of Xeres, and theirs is a crumbling kingdom. My theory is that your mates are still human. What if you allowed a select number of fae to penetrate the human lands and travel across them for a certain amount of time. They could choose to bring back their mates, and you could take their memory and return them if they don’t want to stay. Then some of the fae who are there could work their way into high positions and council the royals against a tradition that has done nothing for us in a thousand years. That way, you could please both of our people and prevent a war.”
The king studied her as though considering it before shaking his head. “I’m afraid it can’t be done. Mates are an old fairytale. A thousand years of our existence has proved that much, and it’s too risky.”
Her gut tightened in frustration. “What if we put on a show?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, we could fool the people one last time. Convince them we found the Sight and that Crish have been demolished the minute we cross the border with it in tow.”
“Your parents know better,” he reminded her.
“And what are they going to do about it? Admit they lied? I don’t think so.”
Riven hesitated. “But you’d be returning with your memories. That’s too risky, and you’d be foregoing your choice to remain in Wickenvare.”
Her gut twisted at that, remembering the deal she made with Shaw. Either way, she could return with her memories unbeknownst to the king, but once again, if she returned pretending to have found the Sight, she’d be sacrificing another future she couldn’t help but long for.
“I know.”
The silver-haired man took a deep breath. “Pretending to return with the Sight might be the best option, but I’m going to put it aside for now. We already know Kent wishes to return to Shadow Hunt, so if there are no other willing volunteers among the firstborns who might choose to go home, I’ll let him retain his memory just long enough to stop this nonsense. My men will meet him in Shadow Hunt to wipe it when the deed is done.”
He would never agree to that. She simply knew he wouldn’t, even for the greater good. Not when his distaste and hatred for the island burned so brightly, but she didn’t tell the king that. There was still time. Maybe she would choose to go home, and the task would be hers, or perhaps he’d give it to Shaw. No matter what, she looked forward to the day when Ellesmere and their neighbors broke through the veil of lies that had ruled them for so long.
“Who’s to say my mother won’t send an army in retaliation for our trick? Maybe you ought to have her memory taken too,” Tanith suggested.
Riven smiled slightly. “We’d have to know when the rulers first learned of the immortality to take that memory from them. Unfortunately, we haven’t the slightest clue where to begin.”
“And what will become of the island after the three-week mark? Will you ever allow it to appear again?”
She couldn’t imagine going back to looking at an empty ocean from her window. Couldn’t imagine leaving Wickenvare behind forever, despite the fact she’d only been there a short time.
The king looked away for a moment, watching a royal gardener pass by before answering. “I don’t know, princess. I truly don’t know. Part of me believes it would be safer to let the island disappear until humanity is gone altogether, but I dread being the king to break tradition. The beauty of my home is a sense of pride for me. Despite the pointlessness of your people’s search for the Sight, the appearance of the island was also a message to humanity: that there are mysteries in this world beyond our understanding. If I take it away, eventually the stories of the invisible island will become nothing more than fairytales, and the generations will forget that.”
Tanith reached for his hand, squeezing it in a small semblance of comfort. “You don’t have to isolate your kingdom. I know you don’t believe in the mate theory, but just think about it. Maybe if you spent some time in the human lands, you could find yours. Then, at least you wouldn’t have to make these difficult decisions alone.”
Riven smiled slightly, looking down at their intertwined hands and shaking his head. “There’s no need. I have everything I need on this island, and I’m an incredibly patient man. My queen will rule by my side in due time, but until then, I need to prepare a safe environment. I’d hate to be on the brink of war when she declares the palace her home.”
Tanith couldn’t help but grin at the thought. There was something about the idea of a soulmate that warmed her from the inside out. A perfect match. An undeniable equal.
A throat cleared from behind, making her tense as she released Riven’s hand and turned. Kent strolled towards them, hands in his pockets and his eyes fixed on the Fae King. “I need to speak with Tanith. Alone,” he said.
The silver-haired man looked down at her, bobbing his head before slipping past and no doubt returning to one of his many duties. How he carved out time to speak with her every day, she still wasn’t quite sure, but Tanith realized as he was walking away, that she much preferred his company to Kent’s.
Her friend’s demeanor hadn’t changed since the first day they rejoined in the palace. His strawberry blond hair was the most familiar thing about him, but otherwise, his once kind face was filled with judgment and displeasure.
“Have you come to argue with me again?” she asked, expecting nothing less than trouble.
Kent bit the inside of his cheek. “I came to check on you. I haven’t seen you since the night of the fire, and I wanted to make sure you were alright.”
“Is that why you look pissed?” she wondered, almost regretting the words as they tumbled out. She was practically begging him to argue. “And I’m fine,” she added to water down her more aggressive statement.
“Sorry I’m not singing and dancing, but that guy gets on my nerves,” he explained, eyes drifting over her shoulder in the direction Riven had disappeared. “I tried checking on you last night, but he wouldn’t let any visitors in your room. I wanted to apologize. Shaw was right. I never should have left you behind, whether you wanted me to or not. That isn’t what a good friend does.”
Tanith raised a brow. “I thought we decided we weren’t friends anymore.”
“I was hoping we could remedy that in the human lands.”
She nearly sighed. “For the last time, I don’t know if I’m returning to Ellesmere or not. I still have time to consider my options.”
“I’m aware,” he noted. “And when you choose to come home, we can go back to the way things were.”
Tanith wanted to scream. She wanted to know if Shaw had bargained for him to keep his memory too. Probably not. Not since he’d proven that he couldn’t be trusted. That meant she would remember, and things could never go back to how they were.
“Stop pressuring me,” she nearly seethed. “It isn’t going to get you what you want.”
“Maybe a little pressure is what you need,” Kent countered.
Tanith dug her nails into her hand. She couldn’t take it anymore. Couldn’t stand what the island had done to him, or maybe he’d always been this way and she’d never noticed. Either way, she was done—for real this time.
With clenched teeth, she spun and stormed towards the palace doors with one destination in mind.
“Tanith!” Kent called after her. “We’re not finished here!”
“Oh, yes we are,” she muttered to herself. “We are most certainly done with this bullshit.”
CHAPTER 29
“You’d commit treason for me,” Tanith stated simply, staring down Shaw in the middle of the hall.
She’d been on her way to his office but had found him headed Ghods only knew where in full uniform, his long silver coat partially torn on the sleeve. It looked like he’d gotten into a fight, but her mind was racing too quickly for her to care about a stupid brawl.
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“Say it louder, why don’t you?” he drawled sarcastically.
“I need another favor.”
The auburn-haired man turned serious. “What is it?”
Tanith shifted on her feet, daring herself to tell him before she lost her nerve. “Take Kent home. Today.”
He lifted his chin slightly. “You know he’s trying to wait you out. My brother asked to remain here until you’re ready to go with him.”
“I know, but I want you to discard that. He wants to go, so wipe his memory, and take him back. I can’t handle having him around anymore, and I’ll never be able to come to a good conclusion on the matter if he’s breathing down my neck and whispering in my ear.”
Shaw shook his head, gaze hesitant. “I’m not sure if that’s my place, Tanith,” he confessed.
“Please,” she begged. “You want me to stay, don’t you?” He nodded. “If there’s any chance of that happening, he can’t be here to spend his days trying to convince me to go home.”
The Admiral closed his eyes for a moment. “You think it will be easier for you to choose if he isn’t here?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Shaw let out a long breath. “Alright. I’ll discuss it with the king, and if he agrees, I’ll have Kent on the next boat to the barrier. Your mother will have passage secured for his return to Shadow Hunt on the shores of Ellesmere.”
Tanith shoved back the urge to hug him in relief. “Thank you.”
He dipped his chin. “I wouldn’t leave a damsel in distress, sweetheart. Your wish is my command.”
Silently, she cursed his charming grin as he passed, a sense of ease settling over her when she was alone again. Riven wouldn’t say no. At least, she didn’t think he would, so it was only a matter of time until she had peace of mind. Enough so that she could really start weighing the pros and cons.
She had only a matter of days left. Barely more than a week to decide her entire future, and the one thing she’d learned was that the boy she’d turned to for guidance in childhood could no longer be trusted to help pave a future in adulthood. It was perhaps the most painful realization she’d come to thus far, and foolishly; she hoped her remaining days on the island leading up to her decision would be smooth sailing.
Tanith & Shaw (The Fealty of Firstborns Series Book 1) Page 25
