“Slow down,” chided Arrian’s voice.
He appeared at her side from a darkened corner of the room and strode toward the bed with quick strides. Settling next to her, he used one arm to keep her balanced, while arranging pillows behind her with his free hand.
Then, he gingerly laid her back to rest against them so she could sit upright without having to use her own strength. Tucking the blankets in tight around her, he then pressed a hand to her forehead.
He nodded as if satisfied with what he felt. “How do you feel?”
“Like I got run over by a car,” she replied. Her entire body ached—her muscles, her head, even her eye sockets. “How long have I been asleep?”
Running a hand over her tangled hair, he grimaced. “Two days.”
Her eyes widened. “Two days!”
Arrian dropped his hand from her hair, reaching out to grasp one of her hands. “Eranna took a lot out of you. It’s a wonder you survived.”
She nodded, remembering the girl to her left who had looked like a zombie by the time Eranna had finished with her. “How many survived?”
Arrian’s brow knit in concern. “Phaedra, you don’t need to worry about that right now. Your focus should be getting better. The Fae healers brought you back from the brink of death, but it could be some time before you’re at full strength.”
“I want to know,” she insisted. “Don’t try to coddle me. I have to know.”
With a sigh, he reached toward the small bedside table and retrieved a cup. Holding it up to her lips, he urged her to drink. She almost protested, but once the liquid hit her lips, she realized how parched she was. She took long gulps of water from the cup, not even bothered by the fact that it was lukewarm. It might just be the best water she’d ever tasted.
When she’d finished, Arrian pulled the cup away and set it aside. He ran a hand through his hair once more and met her gaze. Sadness caused them to appear darker than usual.
“We lost three,” he murmured. “The healers tried, but they were too far gone ... too weak to hold out against Eranna’s power.”
Greif clogged her airway, and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. Closing her eyes, she sank back against the pillow, choking down sobs as she thought of the three young girls who had died confused and afraid. She, at least, had known she was in the line of fire as part of a war that had spilled over into the human realm. Those girls had never stood a chance.
Arrian cupped her cheek, swiping away a tear that had leaked from one of her eyes. “Luckily, the high princess did survive.”
Her eyes flew open as a gasp tore from her lips. “Max is alive?”
“Is that her name?” Arrian asked with a small smile.
“Maxine,” she amended. “Max for short. But, I saw her die.”
Arrian shook his head. “She went into a deep sleep. I believe on Earth that would be known as a comatose state.”
Phaedra’s mind whirled at what it could all mean. They had just discovered the seventh lost princess, which was something to celebrate. However, they had no notion of what her power might be, or how the prophecy might be affected by her current state.
“The healers attempted to awaken her,” Arrian continued. “They were unsuccessful. So, while she lives, she remains in a deep sleep, unable to awaken. We brought her onboard the ship, hoping that taking her to Goldun could make a difference. Perhaps Queen Adrah will know what needs to be done.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, she relaxed against her pillows. It felt selfish to be happy about Max being alive when three other girls had died. The mixture of feelings exhausted her, until all she wanted to do was sink down beneath the covers and hide.
“How long before we arrive back in Fallada?” she asked, needing to turn the subject so she could stop thinking about the dead.
“Another six hours or so,” he replied. “It could be less, but I can’t know until I leave the room to let everyone know you’re awake.”
She frowned, giving him a once-over. His clothes were hopelessly rumpled, his hair a mess as if he’d been worrying it with his fingers. While still stunningly beautiful, his face clearly indicated exhaustion.
“You’ve been here with me the whole time?” she asked.
Taking one of her hands in both of his, he raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I haven’t been away from you for more than an hour since we found you.”
Tension gripped her throat, and she felt as if she might start crying again. “But, why? I was such a bitch to you.”
He chuckled, keeping his hold on her hand. “Haven’t you figured it out by now, Phaedra? There is nothing you could do that I would not forgive.”
Lowering her gaze to the blanket covering her to the waist, she bit her lip. “Does that mean you’re not mad about Charles anymore?”
Shifting closer to her on the bed, he reached out to cup her chin, lifting it so she was staring into his eyes again. “Do I appear angry to you?”
“You look exhausted,” she replied.
“Well, I am,” he said. “I wasn’t going to rest until we had you back, and now that you’re safe I am relieved. I forgave you for kissing Charles the moment you asked my forgiveness. But, Phaedra, I had to be certain ...”
When he trailed off and glanced away, she understood what he meant but did not say. Despite seeming like something out of a dream or an artist’s canvas, Arrian had spent a century and a half looking like a monster. It had to have eaten away at his self-esteem in a way that left him questioning everything. For one impulsive moment, she had chosen her ex over him. To make matters worse, Arrian had witnessed the moment of weakness. It should have been unforgivable, yet here he was ... forgiving her.
“You had to be certain that I loved you,” she whispered.
He nodded. “As I’ve told you before ... I cannot settle for half your heart. Not when I love you so much that watching that Eendi fly off with you made me feel as if someone had snatched my heart out of my chest. If we’re going to be together—truly, be together—then I cannot allow doubts or past attachments to come between us. Not when I’ve invested every fiber of my being, every corner of my heart, everything that I have.”
He kept his gaze averted, almost as if afraid to gaze into her eyes and discover that she didn’t feel the same way. Reaching out, she did what he had just done to her. Gripping his chin, she turned his head and forced him to look her in the eye.
“Do you want to know what I was thinking about while I was chained to that bed?” she asked.
He nodded, eyes going wide as he seemed to hold his breath waiting for her to continue. She trailed her hand back along his jaw, then up the side of his face and into his hair, running her fingers through the silky strands.
“I kept thinking: ‘Here I am, about to die, and I will never get a chance to tell Arrian how much he truly means to me.’”
Arrian exhaled swiftly, as if in relief. “And now? Now that you’ve survived?”
“I’m glad I can look you in the eye and tell you that I’m all in,” she murmured, tilting her head toward his until their foreheads were touching. “I was afraid before, and I think I used Charles as an excuse. I was afraid to let go of what I had, and give you my all. But, when I realized I might die, all I could think about was what I stood to lose. I don’t want to leave this world without making sure you know that I have never loved anyone the way that I love you ... and I doubt I ever will.”
The smile that crept across his lips was almost blinding in its radiance, the pure joy of the moment emanating from him in nearly tangible waves. Cupping her face with both hands, he pressed his lips softly to hers. Raising her hand to the back of his head, she urged him to take more, to increase the pressure of his kiss. He pressed her back against the pillows, deepening the kiss and tangling his fingers through her hair.
Despite the weakness sapping her strength, she managed to wrap her arms around his neck. Holding him tight, she put her all into the kiss, ensuring he knew just how
thoroughly and completely she loved him.
Pulling away from her lips, he kissed the bridge of her nose, then her forehead and her cheeks. Phaedra closed her eyes as his lips found her chin, then her neck.
“I have to ask you something,” he whispered, pausing near her ear.
“Hmm,” she mumbled, turning her head and wishing for more of his spine-tingling kisses on her neck. “What’s that?”
“When we get to Fallada, we will most likely depart for Mollac,” he murmured, giving her earlobe a tug with his teeth. “Along the way, we will likely pass through Inador.”
“I would imagine so,” she replied, barely able to think past the sensation of his lips pressed against her skin. “It’s a long journey and Inador is about halfway between Goldun and Mollac.”
“When we arrive, I would like to take you home to meet my sister,” he continued, lowering his head to kiss her shoulder.
“Whatever you want,” she sighed. Heck, he could ask her to jump off a bridge with him, and she’d likely do it, if only he would keep kissing her as if she were the most precious thing in the world.
“While we’re there, I would like to ask her for the ring my father once placed upon my mother’s hand,” he continued, working his way back toward the line of her jaw, kissing a path to her lips. “If you are ready, I would like to give it to you.”
Phaedra stiffened, sitting upright as the gravity of what he was saying slammed into her like a fist to the gut. “Arrian, are you asking me to marry you?”
“Only if you’re ready,” he replied. “I realize that this is sudden, and we’ve only just reconciled, but almost losing you caused me to realize something. Nothing is certain, and no day is promised. Like you, it occurred to me while you were gone, that you could die and never know just how devoted I am to you. I want you to know exactly where I stand, Phaedra. I’m not asking you to marry me tomorrow, or even next week. I realize that you might wish to have your sister, mother, and brothers present for the ceremony, and am content to wait until everything is to your liking. I love you, and I have never been more certain than I am at this moment that I want a lifetime with you. I am not likely to change my mind, so in the spirit of living for the moment ... well, I thought it wise to ensure that you know what I’m willing to offer you.”
Phaedra fell silent for a long moment, allowing his words to sink in. Was she ready to get married? She did love Arrian, and yes, she was all in. There was no one else in the world she wanted to be with—which was something she hadn’t been certain of a few months ago. Almost dying had caused her to mourn everything she might have lost with him.
Allowing her thoughts to drift, she envisioned herself five years from now, and realized she could not imagine her existence without him. Pushing it further, she tried to picture her life in ten years, and was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did it include Arrian, it included children.
Yes ... yes, she was ready. And even if she wasn’t, he wasn’t rushing her. He was right about her wanting her sister, mother, and brothers present for the wedding, which meant she would have plenty of time to get over any cases of the jitters that might pop up.
Giving him a wide smile, she nodded. “Okay.”
His eyebrows shot up, and his mouth fell open for a moment. “You ... you’re saying yes?”
With a laugh, she reached for him again, pulling him close. “I’m saying yes, Arrian. I want to marry you.”
Sighing with relief, he wrapped his arms around her, crushing her against his body. “Oh, thank the gods. I don’t know what I would have done if you refused.”
Phaedra giggled, giving his hair a light tug. “You know I can’t resist this face.”
“Hmm,” he murmured, pulling back slightly to look at her. “I’ll have to remember that for after we’re married. It might work to my advantage.”
Wrinkling her nose at him, she fell back against the pillows. “Oh, no, pretty boy. That doesn’t mean I’m going to let you get away with absolutely everything.”
Rising to his feet, he crossed his arms over his chest, that wide grin still stretched across his face. “I look forward to many years of attempting to put that to the test, my love.”
Reaching out to him, she grasped his hand. “Where are you going?”
“Up on deck for a moment,” he replied. “I should inform the others that you are awake.”
Shaking her head, she pulled him back toward the bed. “Please, don’t go. I haven’t slept well since we broke up. I missed you too much.”
The smile melted away as he paused near the side of the bed. “Would it make you feel better if I told you I’ve hardly slept either?”
“Yes,” she declared, which prompted a laugh from him.
“Fine,” he chuckled, peeling the covers back and climbing in beside her. “Just know that I never intend to leave you again, which means we should both sleep like the dead for the rest of our lives.”
Turning onto her side, Phaedra nestled beneath the blankets as Arrian’s arm wrapped around her, pulling her back against his firm chest.
“Good,” she mumbled.
Seconds later, she was asleep.
Chapter Thirteen
ROTHATIN STOOD AT THE wooden rail of The Adrah, gazing out at the stars as the floating sky ship drifted slowly through the night. In a few short hours, they would arrive back in Fallada. From there, they would have very little time to rest in Goldun before they must depart for Mollac. In the abandoned building where they’d discovered Phaedra and the other missing girls, they had also found what remained of the Eye of Mollac—which had been shattered during the fight.
Eranna now knew that her daughter had taken control of Mollac, and began liberating its people. She also had enough power to return and fight to get it back.
A skirmish was coming, he felt certain. Which meant he would once more face his brother on the battlefield. Kalodan had sworn his allegiance to Eranna, and likely acted as her lover as well if the rumors could be believed. He had once tried to show Kalodan mercy, but that could no longer be an option. On the night he had held Jocylene in his arms and fought to save her from death, he’d sworn to kill Kalodan himself. If it was the last thing he did, Rothatin would ensure that his younger brother paid for the pain and heartache he had caused for so many people in Fallada. That he had harmed Jocylene in the process only added kindling to the fires of his rage.
Moving away from his place near the bow of the ship, he headed toward the staircase leading into the lower cabins. Sidestepping the crew members working the large steam engine that functioned to keep the ship afloat, he tracked a swift path to the room where they were keeping Princess Gytha—Maxine, they called her in the human world.
Pushing the door open slowly, he held out hope for a moment that she might be awake, perhaps in a panic over waking up in a strange place.
No such luck.
The High Princess of Fallada remained where he had left her, sleeping in her bed. Selena and Gretchen had taken the time to change her into clean clothes and plait her silvery-white hair into a braid which rested beside her on the pillow. Due to the stark black color of her eyebrows and lashes, Rothatin supposed she had not been born with the shocking hue—even though the Fae blood from her father’s lineage would have made it possible. All Faeries possessed some shade of blonde hair, though he’d never seen any whiter than his until now. He must ask Phaedra later if something had happened to change the hair from the inky black he felt certain it had been before.
If not for the fact that they’d recovered both Phaedra and Maxine alive, Rothatin might have counted this particular mission a failure. They’d failed to recover the Eye of Mollac before Eranna could glimpse the happenings in Mollac, and they’d lost three human girls. However, as one of the Fae, he was all-too aware of the fact that all beings were subject to the whims of destiny and fate.
Phaedra had been fated to end up in Eranna’s clutches, perhaps for the express purpose of discovering Maxine. The girl had
yet to regain consciousness, so he had been unable to ask her about her family in the human realm. There had been no time to find out—not with Eranna closing in on Mollac, and gods knew what else going on in Fallada.
Settling in the chair beside the bed, he decided to keep the girl company for a bit. If she were to awaken alone, she might become distressed.
Studying her face, he realized that she was the very image of her mother—who had been a Fox Shifter of Mollac. Maxine had the features they were known for, as well as the porcelain skin and hair. The prophecy indicated that the dreams of a white dove would foreshadow the end of the war, bringing peace. Perhaps the whiteness of her hair had something to do with that. As well, her state of sleep might prove to be a good thing. If the girl slept, then perhaps she also dreamt.
He was pulled from his train of thought when the door opened to reveal En’im, who glanced inside as if waiting for permission to enter.
“Come in,” he murmured, sitting up straight at the sight of her.
She had yet to give him an answer concerning his marriage proposal, though Rothatin supposed there had been no time.
Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and stood there for a moment in silence, watching him. After a while, she came farther into the room and paused at the foot of the bed.
“She is beautiful,” she mused. “Just like her mother.”
Rothatin nodded in agreement. “Yes, she favors Queen Anasha. It is a shame she will never know her mother. The queen has been dead for nearly a century now. Perhaps, if we can set things right, someday she might come to know her father.”
King Endroth still lived, but had been a prisoner of Eranna for so long, Rothatin wondered if the man could ever truly be saved. Rumor told of a king who had been reduced to a drooling imbecile, enslaved inside his mind by Eranna’s black magic. No word had reached him of the High King being discovered at Semran Hall since Desdemona had taken it over, but he held out hope that he would someday be found wherever Eranna had hidden him.
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