by J. L. Weil
Her nose wrinkled as she stood. “I like it better when you call me Kitten.”
“As do I,” I agreed, slipping my arms around her slim waist. “Are we actually alone?”
Her eyes glanced around the room and a twinkle moved in the center of her blue irises. “It appears we are.”
Leaning forward, I paused close to her ear. “Whatever should we do?”
She shivered in my arms. “Why aren’t you angry at me for what I did?” she asked as she tipped her head back to look me in the eyes.
My lips pressed against the frown wrinkles on her forehead, erasing them with a kiss. “It’s simple. Because loving you is more important than holding onto anger. I don’t want to waste the time I’ve been given with you. Kitten, you can’t control your feelings. And I won’t try to change your heart or make you feel guilty for who you are. Besides, you love me more.”
Her laugh was clear and light as it echoed over the flowing of water from the fountain. “Is that so?” she asked, winding her arms around my neck.
I pulled her to me, our bodies flushing. No one fit into my arms the way Karina did. We were a perfect match. “It is. And nothing you can say or do will change how I feel about you.”
She swallowed, a soft smile on her lips. “I don’t deserve you.”
Closing the distance between us, I took possession of her lips, kissing her with all the love that burned inside me, the intensity of it an eternal fire. “It is me who doesn’t deserve you, Kitten.”
“Thank you for protecting me. For believing in me and making me believe in myself. I love you, Devyn St. Cyr,” she whispered.
Her words cause a chain reaction of emotions within me. “You were always a star. I just helped you shine.”
“If I am a star then you are the moon. I can’t shine without you,” she replied breathlessly, and my heart jerked in my chest.
Epilogue
KARINA
Kai’s lazy smirk was a slash of white when my eyes opened. “Good morning, little queen.” He twirled a piece of my hair in his fingers. “You’ve been asleep for hours.”
“And let me guess, you’ve been sitting here, watching me the entire time?” The scent of Kai filled the room, like the ocean at midnight, cool and tranquil.
He shrugged, tugging on the strand he still held. “There was nothing else to do, and besides, I find your little snores amusing.”
I rolled my eyes. “You need help. And a hobby. Remind me to command you to find a hobby after I’ve had caffeine.”
Kai chuckled, his cool lips grazing my cheek. “I will do no such thing.” He leaned over the bed, picking up a cup of hot tea, and handed it to me.
“Where is Devyn?” I asked, noticing the bed beside me was rumpled but empty. If Kai managed to get in my room, it meant Devyn wasn’t nearby.
After all that happened, Kai, Devyn, and I had come to an unconventional agreement.
Devyn was crowned king. As promised, my first act as queen had been to disband the law of a queen or king only marrying a royal, at least in Katsura. What other kingdoms did wasn’t of concern to me, and Kai assured me the fae council would fight me.
And because I was an overachiever, and I really liked to rock the boat, I also crowned Kai as king.
Yes. Katsura had two kings.
The three of us belonged together. We ruled better as three.
I didn’t want to choose, couldn’t choose between them. My claiming bond to Kai might be forever gone, but those feelings didn’t just vanish. True, they might not be quite as strong as before, but I still loved him. I needed them both at my side. There was strength in numbers, and each of them brought something different to my court. I needed all the help I could get, but it also meant the Shaman and the Unseelie were constantly at ends.
Except when it came to what was best for me and the kingdom. Those were the only things they seemed to agree on every time.
Yet, if there were ever a disagreement about something political, I had the final say. In this world, it didn’t matter it if was a king or queen, it was the blood heir, the one who inherited the kingdom’s power who reigned supreme.
Thornland still was without a king, a position I knew Kai had considered until I asked him to share the throne with Devyn and me.
Kai shrugged again. “I’m not my brother’s keeper.”
I took a sip of my tea, wishing it were coffee. A wistful sigh left my lips. Soon. The tea was hot as it hit my tongue, hints of cinnamon and spices teasing my taste buds.
“You’re leaving,” he stated, sandy brows drawing together as his eyes studied my face. Regardless that our bond was gone, the Unseelie was still so damn in tune with my emotions that I couldn’t have a fleeting thought without Kai picking up on it.
He looked so forlorn that my heart ached. I wanted to wrap my arms around him in a hug. It was true. I’d been thinking about going home every day since I left.
“Not for good,” I assured him, reaching out to lace our fingers together. “But I need to go home, Kai. I need to see my family, my friends, and let them know that I’m alive, that I’m okay.”
When I set out on this journey with Devyn, I’d been clueless about my future. I knew I wanted to go to college, but I had no idea beyond that who I wanted to be. It sure as hell hadn't been to become queen or fae. Now it was something I wanted. The crown might have been thrust upon me, but I’d earned it with every tail along the way.
I also couldn’t leave behind my old life, not entirely or for good. So, I would find a way to live in both. I didn’t know what that would look like, but I’d figure it out soon enough.
Wisps of Kai’s shadows curled over my hand and arm. They seemed to cling to me as if they also were not ready to be parted from me. “Devyn is going with you?” he asked.
“I hope so. I haven’t told him yet. But I need you to rule in my absence.”
His lips twitched.
“Don’t make me regret this,” I swiftly added, shooting him a warning glare.
Kai shifted on the bed, stretching out his long legs on the mattress. “I would never do such a thing.”
I snorted as my fingers brought the teacup back up to my lips. “Kai. I’m serious.”
He settled back against a stack of pillows. “How long will you be gone?”
The tea was brewed strong, just how I liked it. I took another sip before I replied. “Just a few days.”
Turning his head to the side, he regarded me with a lopsided smirk, but he couldn’t hide the sadness from me, not even behind the cocky mask. “That is a lifetime here. Do I at least get a kiss before you leave?”
Time flowed differently in the Second Moon. The first few days since being crowned had been hectic, a whirlwind of meetings, ceremonies, decrees, and of course, rebuilding. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but it was a start. We were working on opening the borders and allowing our people who were displaced and forced from their homes to return.
Kai and Devyn both attended all the meetings with me since most of it was over my head. I trusted them to do right by Katsura.
My lips curved up over my cup. “I’ll miss you too.”
The day finally arrived. I was going home.
Home.
The word echoed through me, vibrating to some deep part of my soul.
Home seemed so far away, almost unreachable, yet all I had to do was picture some part of my life, my bedroom, the cafe, school, and I’d be there within seconds.
This was what I wanted, to see my family and friends. Then why did it hurt so much to leave this world behind? I had every intention of coming back. This was where I belonged now, where I was needed.
Besides, seeing Kai linger in the doorway of the throne room reminded me of all that I had here, people who loved and depended on me. He didn’t wear his usual grin and I hadn’t anticipated how difficult it would be to leave him, even for a short period.
Devyn gave us a minute to say goodbye, waiting for me in the courtyard.
The s
oles of my shoes squeaked over the polished floors as I strutted across the room to stand in front of him. Kai’s eyes followed my every movement. I smoothed out invisible wrinkles on his shirt, before laying my palms down on his chest. His hands came up to cover mine.
I didn’t notice the tears clouding my eyes until I lifted them to Kai’s, forcing a smile on my lips. “Don’t run the kingdom into the ground while I’m gone.”
His lips twitched. “I make no promises.”
“I will miss you.” Lifting on my toes, I kissed Kai.
“And I you, little queen,” he whispered, turning his head so our lips brushed again in a flutter of a kiss.
Stepping out of his embrace, I walked to Devyn, weaving our fingers together as I allowed myself to picture my bedroom, something I hadn’t done in months. Wisps of shadows caressed my body, and I welcomed the cool darkness of void.
Jumping worlds made me a little nervous, but most of the butterflies zooming in the pit of my stomach were from the anticipation of going home. How would my parents react? My friends? Was my mother okay? Had she held on until the last moment with me as the blight had finally been eradicated?
“Kitten, open your eyes,” Devyn murmured near my ear before pressing a quick kiss to my neck. His warm breath fanned over my skin.
I blinked, realizing I stood in the middle of my room. The same mint-green walls and white furniture greeting me. My bed was made. Everything looked exactly as I had left it. Not a picture or piece of clothing out of place. I breathed it all in. The familiar smell and feel, the safety and security. My humanity might be gone, but my mind remembered what it was like to be human.
My eyes drew to the window and a million memories flooded me, so many of them of Jesse. Did he still live next door? Did he think about me? Miss me?
How much time went by here? Obviously, graduation had passed. Was he at college? Hannah too?
“There is only one way to find out the answers.” Devyn’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I smiled up at him. “I know. Is it wrong that I am nervous?”
“I don’t think there is a wrong or right way to feel in this situation. You made a great sacrifice for someone you loved. They will understand.”
Swallowing, I wiped my sweaty hands over the back of my pants. Before leaving Katsura, I changed into human clothes, jeans and a T-shirt. I never thought it would feel uncomfortable in something I’d wore nearly every day. How quickly our minds and bodies could adapt and adjust.
I let myself wander around my room, running my finger along my dresser and desk, familiarizing myself with my old life. Lifting a small glass bottle, I inhaled the scent of wild bluebells. Returning the perfume to its place near the others, my fae ears picked up the sound of a soft laugh. My eyes whirled to the closed door.
Mom.
My ears clung to that sound. Musical. Alive. Familiar.
I rushed to the door and flung it open, taking the stairs two at a time to the first floor. Voices came from the kitchen, a sound I’d woken up to my entire life. Reaching the first floor, I hooked a right around the staircase, heading down the hallway. My pace slowed as I listened to my parents chat about mundane things—the weather, what they had planned for the day, and if my mother wanted cinnamon on her French toast.
I wanted to hear her laughter once more. It was a sound I didn’t know if I’d ever hear again.
Devyn shadowed behind me, but he hung back, giving me space as I finally stepped over the kitchen threshold.
My heart squeezed in my chest at the sight of her, blooming with so much love that I thought it might burst. She was beautiful. Gone was the frail woman who I’d left behind, nearly on her deathbed. Now she looked so... healthy and vivacious. Her cheeks rosy, flushed from cooking at the stove. Long dark hair glistening.
Needing something else to help me support my jelly legs, I pressed a shoulder against the doorway. “Mom?” I breathed.
The kitchen fell into still silence, only the hiss and popping of bacon grease on the hot pan echoing around us, and my heart skipped a beat. Both my parents looked toward the sound of my voice, and at first, it was as if my mom didn’t see me, despite her staring right at me.
Then she blinked. “Karina?”
“Is that really you, KitKat?” Dad added, looking just as wide-eyed.
A second later, Mom let out a small cry and dashed across the space, throwing her arms around me. She hugged me so tightly, sobs shaking her shoulders. I closed my eyes and embraced her back, not wanting to let go.
“You’re home. I knew you would be alright,” she whispered. On a laugh that was watery and emotional, she pulled back to frame my face with her slim fingers, her eyes taking me in. I knew she noticed the change in me, but she only smiled. “Thank you, honey. What you did…” Her voice trailed off and she wiped her eyes.
“We knew you’d come home,” Dad admitted, engulfing me in a bear-sized hug. His blue eyes were the same, shining brightly with tears now, but his hair had more grey to it than when I left.
I imagine I had something to do with it.
“Tell us everything,” Mom urged, pulling out a chair out on the kitchen table.
And so, I did. Over breakfast, and for the next two hours, I told them everything. Devyn was there to help fill in any blanks.
The sky was now a soft pink, glowing over the evening horizon. Our lawn, as always, was immaculately cut in diagonal lines. I glanced over at Jesse’s house, wrestling with my lower lip. A warm breeze stirred the branches of the tree he used to climb inside my bedroom countless times. Its white flowers were in full bloom, perfuming the air, and a few fallen petals scattered over the grass.
Devyn gave the wooden porch swing a gentle nudge with the sole of his boot, sending it swaying. “He would want to see you, and you know you won’t forgive yourself if you don’t.”
I let the rhythmic rocking back and forth calm me, as the chains holding the swing to the post squeaked. For about twenty minutes, I struggled with going to see Jesse. “Is it really fair though? I’m not staying. Perhaps it is better if Hannah and he both think I’ve run away, or I’m missing.”
“If it were Hannah or Jesse, would you want to know?” he countered.
“Of course, but—”
Devyn grinned. “They deserve to know the truth, to know that you didn’t abandon them, that you still love them. They need to understand why you can’t stay home.”
A weight pressed against my chest. “Why is it so hard?”
Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. A fly buzzed around the swing. A lone cricket chirped from under the porch. It was all normal, and it should have brought me comfort. In a way it did. But there was also a restlessness in me to return to the Second Moon. I blamed my fae blood.
“Because you're afraid they won’t accept you,” Devyn revealed my deepest fear. “But you know deep down, that is not true.”
“Yes,” I agreed softly.
“And this isn’t goodbye. You are queen, Kitten. No one will stop you from coming home to visit.”
A familiar jeep rolled into the cul de sac at that moment, windows down, and Def Leppard crooning from the radio. A wave of déjà vu washed over me. The feeling was followed by my heart stopping when I saw Hannah in the passenger seat, an arm hanging out the window. Whether it was out of habit, or if she just let her gaze wander over to my house, our eyes connected. Her mouth dropped, cornflower blue eyes going wide.
“Oh. My. God!” I heard her squeal as she flew out of the Jeep. Blonde hair sweeping behind her, she ran across the yard, the Jeep door left open.
Devyn stopped the swing with his foot and leaned closer. “This is the reunion you’ve been waiting for, Kitten. Go. Hug your friends.”
Until that moment, I hadn’t moved a muscle. The sight of my two best friends after so long stunned me. I wanted to stop time and capture this moment, to work through the feelings of seeing them stirred inside me. I was overwhelmed with it all and felt slightly out of touch.
<
br /> Jesse called after her. “Hannah, what the—?” Then his gaze landed on me as I stood up from the porch swing, my legs like rubber.
“Karina?” The sound of my name carried over to me, and a shy smile graced my lips.
I took the two steps down the porch, and when my shoes hit the grass, my legs moved on their own accord, jogging to meet Hannah. We crashed together, a tangle of hair, tears, and giggles.
“Where the fuck have you been?” she demanded, pulling back to look me in the face. Her eyes were bright and glistening. “Do you know what you put us through?” She swatted at my arm. “I swear, I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere. Do you have any idea what it is like to picture your best friend floating in the bottom of the ocean? It’s the worst feeling ever. God, K.” She hugged me again. “I missed you.”
I’d forgotten how fast Hannah talked, and how much she could ramble. It made me smile. “So, you’re not mad at me?”
“Hell yes, I’m mad at you. But,” she paused to take a deep breath, “I'm happier to see you. Alive.” Her gaze shifted over my shoulder to where Devyn still sat in the swing. “I should have known he was involved. Did you run away with him?”
Chewing on my lip, I shook my head. “Not exactly. I’ll explain everything. I promise, but first—”
“K, is that really you?” Jesse’s deep husky voice murmured.
Taking a deep breath, I slid my gaze over to the guy who had been my neighbor and best friend for as long as I could remember. His sandy hair was shorter than it had been before I left, but it was still rumbled and windblown. Eyes a mixture of grey and purple ran over my face, an expression of disbelief in his drawn brows.
“Hey, Jesse.”
His arms dashed out, pulling me into this chest, and wrapping around me like pythons. Burying my face against him, I breathed in, the familiar scent of his cologne filling my nose. I loved that some things never changed. My eyes closed as I squeezed my arms around his back, not ready to let go just yet. I felt him heave a long sigh, his chest rising and falling.
