“Lily!” Jeremiah called. “Lily!”
River’s eyes scanned the crowd. Surely Lily couldn’t be far away. She was probably seeing what happened if she tipped a glass of water into the sand or admiring the fabric of the tablecloths.
“Where’s my daughter?” Rose’s voice had an edge of panic now and soon the entire crowd was searching for the girl with the hair of fire, who should have stood out amongst them, but was nowhere to be found.
River and Tate joined in the search, unable to understand how a small girl could go missing when there were so many people here to look out for her.
“Lily!” River cried, her heart twisting and breaking when still the girl didn’t appear. They didn’t have long to find her. If she’d wandered off into the heat of the desert, she’d perish in no time.
“But we whispered for her safety,” River heard Rose say to Jeremiah, her knees buckling as he put a steadying arm around her.
“We’re searching the palace,” said the Colonel, rushing to their side. “All our best men are looking for her.”
“I hope Jacob’s okay,” River said to Tate, sudden concern for her own son washing over her. She’d like nothing better right now than to hold her child in her arms and know he was safe.
Tate grimaced. “He’s fine. You know that.”
“Do you think somebody took Lily?” she asked, keeping her voice low.
“How could they have?” He swept his arms across the crowd. “She has to be here somewhere.”
The Colonel was gathering people now and dividing them into groups, each assigned to search in a different direction.
“I’m going to help,” said Tate. “You head back to the palace with Jasmine.”
She shook her head. “I’m going to help, too. Just one of the perils of marrying a Guardian…”
He didn’t seem amused at what he thought was her attempt at a joke. But yet again, she was deadly serious. There was no way she could stand by and wait while that beautiful child was somewhere out there in trouble. She’d spent her whole life training for situations like this.
Tate nodded, knowing her well enough to know when it was useless to enter into a debate.
“Which team do you want us on?” Tate asked the Colonel.
The Colonel raised his eyebrows momentarily, then deciding this was too important to argue over, he assigned them the team led by the large man, Toran.
“And us,” said Ari, standing behind them with Jasmine’s hand in his. “You have our support, too.”
“We’ll find her,” said Tate, directing his words to Prince Jeremiah.
It was then that River noticed the fire burning behind Prince Jeremiah’s eyes. This man had a strength and determination like River had never seen before. If anyone was going to get their beloved daughter back, it was going to be him. Queen Rose had composed herself, too. And if the stories were true of how they’d escaped the misery of their former lives under the brutal control of Rose’s father, then this wasn’t a couple to be underestimated.
It seemed that River’s earlier thought was about to either be torn to shreds or proved correct. Were they unstoppable when they worked together? Could they find a Princess when she seemed to have turned to sand and blown away in the hot desert wind?
ARIEL
THE EVERNOW
Ariel cradled Jacob in her arms, watching him sleep. Babies knew how to sleep in a peaceful way that was unattainable to any grown human. Was that because they lacked the burden of troubles weighing them down? Or because their tiny bodies were exhausted from all the growing they were doing?
She ran the tip of her index finger down the length of his tiny nose, reveling in the delicious innocence of him. His soul was good, filled with the same light and goodness as his father’s. This small sweet baby was going to be King one day and he was going to be the greatest King the world had ever seen.
And she was his grandmother.
Her heart swelled with love and pride. The moments since Jacob’s birth had been some of the happiest of her life, almost equal to the moments she’d spent with Tate when he was first born, back in the time when she’d called him Edison.
River and Tate were wonderful parents. She could see the pain that leaving Jacob behind while they traveled to the desert had caused them. But the desert was no place for a baby. He was safer here and River’s parents were doing an exceptional job taking care of him. If they were perplexed by River’s request to give Ariel time with Jacob, they didn’t show it. Perhaps they suspected the truth. Or perhaps they were just grateful for Jacob to be loved by as many people as possible.
Jacob screwed up his tiny face and Ariel rocked him, humming a soothing tune until his features smoothed out once more and he drifted back into his dreams. It was strange to have a Jacob back in her life. Each time she said his name out loud, she missed her husband that little bit more. But it was such a lovely gesture for River to want to call him this that she couldn’t object.
She was seated in her kitchen and the air was heavy with the aroma of the tonic she and Pip had made for the Guardians that morning. Pip was a fast learner and for the first time, she felt confident that her craft would be able to be passed on and survive beyond her years. Pip had started to put on a little weight and was looking more like the healthy child who’d grown up beside Ariel’s son. The Guardians were regaining their strength, too. Not one of them had fallen ill since Edison’s death.
She winced at the guilt she felt at Edison’s death. He may have been evil, but still, she’d raised him as her son. Had she done the right thing placing a bowl of soup in front of him that she’d known would kill him? But what was the alternative? Let him make another attempt on Tate’s life and next time succeeding? She couldn’t have let that happen. Jacob needed a father. And she needed her son. Even if Tate didn’t know that was what he was to her.
The door to her kitchen opened and she looked up to see Tate smiling at her. Or rather, smiling at Jacob. A warm wave of joy spread through Ariel’s body. He was back!
“Oh, he’s sleeping,” said Tate, rushing to Ariel’s side and reaching out his arms.
“Never mind,” said Ariel, handing the person she loved second most in the world to the person she loved most.
“He’s okay,” said Tate, sighing deeply as he sat down. “Thank goodness. We were so worried.”
“Of course he is,” said Ariel, surprised at his concern. Didn’t he know Jacob had been in good hands?
Jacob stirred, opening his eyes and staring up at his father like he’d seen some kind of ghost.
Tate looked at Ariel and smiled. “He’s in shock to see me.”
“So am I,” said Ariel, reaching across to touch Tate on the arm. “I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
“Something happened.” Tate’s face filled with anguish. “Something awful. I’ll explain everything in a moment.”
“Is River okay?” Ariel was aware of her heartbeat picking up pace. “Where is she?”
“She’s okay,” he said. “She went to her parents’ hut. We weren’t sure where Jacob would be, so we both went to see our mothers.”
His words hung in the air like shining stars in a cloudless sky and Ariel held her breath as she waited for him to say more.
“River told me,” he said, shuffling his seat closer to her.
Ariel swallowed, her words washed away by the stream of tears that were running down her cheeks.
Cradling Jacob with one arm, Tate reached out with his other and wiped her tears with the back of his fingers.
“Thank you,” he said.
She shook her head, unable to decipher what he was thanking her for.
“Thank you for being so brave.”
“You’re not angry?” Her voice was weak like the rapid beating of her heart was taking all her energy.
“At first I was,” he said. “Or perhaps angry isn’t the right word. I felt… betrayed. Rejected. Like you hadn’t wanted me. But then River made me see that you did
it because you wanted the best for our kingdom, putting the needs of our people above what was best for you.”
Ariel leaned forward and took Tate’s hand in hers. “You’ll never know how much I love you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Because I feel the same about my son. I wouldn’t have understood before Jacob was born. But now… as hard as it would be to imagine giving Jacob up, I can see why you did it.”
“Tate, I never gave you up. I want you to know that. I may have let another family raise you, but never did I give you up. You’ve been right here in my heart every moment of every day since I first held you in my arms.”
“But how did you know?” he asked, his own eyes sparkling with tears now. “How did you know what light or shade was in our hearts?”
“That, I can’t tell you,” she said. “I just know these things about people. I always have.”
“Do you think my mother—the Queen—knew I wasn’t her son?” he asked. “Was that why she took to her bed so often?”
Ariel shook her head. “No, her sadness ran deep, long before you were born. I think it had more to do with her husband than her children. Just like you, she was forced to marry a stranger, only love didn’t blossom in their union like it did in yours.”
“I need to tell Pip,” he said. “She has a right to know. It’s her throne, not mine.”
“That’s not a good idea,” said Ariel.
He shook his head. “River said the same thing. But this kingdom needs an honest ruler.”
“Just moments ago you told me you understood my actions. That you’d do the same for your son if you had to. Well, Tate, that moment is here. If you tell Pip, then Jacob will never be King and he must. Please, Tate. These are hard decisions, but they need to be made, not for our own good, but the good of the kingdom. Pip won’t want to be Queen, you know that.”
“I do know that. She was always grateful to be the younger child without the responsibility of the throne. But shouldn’t she know that I’m not her brother?”
“But you are her brother! Brothers aren’t just made from blood. Sometimes brothers are made from love. And you love your sister. You’ve taken such good care of her always.”
Jacob started to grizzle now, his lips puckering and his face turning red.
Tate stood up and rocked him, until his cries were stilled, kissing the top of his head making soothing noises.
“Do it for Jacob,” said Ariel. “Just like I did it for you.”
“Come here,” said Tate, motioning with his free hand. “It’s time you gave your son a hug.”
Ariel rose and went to Tate, wrapping her arms around him, sandwiching Jacob gently between them.
“I’m sorry,” she said again.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” He held her just that little bit more tightly.
Was he right? Because part of her was sorry for everything, but another part was sorry for nothing. She’d done what she had to do. And now it was Tate’s turn to do the same.
River burst into the room and without so much as glancing at Ariel, she raced to her child’s side and took him from Tate’s arms. “Oh, here he is. He’s okay. My sweet baby, we were worried about you.”
“What’s wrong with you two?” Ariel directed her question at Tate. “What happened out there?”
“The wedding. It was amazing,” said Tate, running his hands through his hair. “But then… something terrible happened. Princess Lily of Forte Cadence went missing. She vanished.”
“What do you mean?” asked Ariel, her heart sinking. “How can a Princess vanish?”
“We don’t know,” said River. “We searched everywhere for her. Thousands of people looked for her, but she was nowhere to be found.”
“Oh, her poor parents.” Ariel tried to process how such a thing could happen. What if it’d been Jacob? No wonder River and Tate had been so keen to see him!
“They’re devastated,” said Tate.
“It was hard enough losing you,” said Ariel. “And you remained right in front of my eyes.”
River’s head snapped up at this and she put her hand on Tate’s arm. “You told her?”
“I did,” he said.
Ariel smiled at River. “Thank you. I’m glad I trusted in you.”
“You finally have your son back,” said River.
“I do.” Ariel felt her eyes prick with tears again, to look at this little family unit of three that filled her heart with love.
“And we have our son back now, too,” said Tate, putting an arm around his wife and running his fingers over his son’s cheek.
River leaned over and kissed Tate gently on the lips, and Jacob gurgled contentedly.
“I’ll give you a moment,” said Ariel, standing up and walking to the door, needing a moment of her own as well. “I’ll be back.”
She walked from the kitchen to the tavern and into her garden, brushing the leaves of the rosemary bushes as she passed, releasing their scent into the air.
“Ariel!”
She looked up to see a familiar shape ambling his way across her garden. She blinked in the sunlight, watching the man approach, unsure if her heart could take anything more today. She’d come out here for space to clear her head, not for it to be crowded with even more surprises.
Her hands fell to her side, and she took a step toward the man.
“Jacob,” she breathed, as her husband approached and stood before her, studying her face. How she must look to him after two decades of life lived without him?
“Ariel,” he said again, the familiarity of his voice tearing at her from the inside.
He’d aged well. His hair had streaks of gray, and a beard covered the lower half of his face, but his eyes were still kind, surrounded by a series of fine lines that hadn’t been there before. He still wore the necklace woven from hemp around his neck. This was her husband and it wasn’t until right at this moment that she realized how much she’d missed him. Her heart had been so full of missing Tate she hadn’t stopped to mourn him properly. But there was a time when once she’d thought this man was her whole world.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I thought it was time I came home.” He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close.
Her heart may have been filled by the small family sitting inside her kitchen, but now it was overflowing, the joy spilling into every inch of her body.
“My Evernow,” she said, her words muffled by his chest. “I’ve found you at last.”
And she had. For right at this moment, everything was perfect. Her Evernow was here, and this time, she was determined not to let it go.
TATE
THE EVERNOW
Tate watched River hold their son and felt his heart melt.
“I’m so glad he’s okay,” he said.
“I thought you said you weren’t worried!” River raised her eyebrows.
He smiled. “Of course I was worried. I just didn’t want to make you worry more.”
“We shouldn’t have left Rose and Jeremiah like that.” She held Jacob just that little bit closer to her chest.
“There was nothing more we could do.” He pressed his hand to Jacob’s cheek, wanting to lift him from River’s arms, but knowing that wasn’t possible. “We searched everywhere.”
They had, too. They’d searched the desert and the Capital and every corner of the Colony. They’d searched until there was nowhere else left to look. Even Princess Rani and Aarow had joined the search, after they’d made their way back up the dune and realized something had gone horribly wrong. Their wedded bliss had quickly turned to wedded distress to think that something so awful could have happened while they’d been sliding down the sand.
“How could Lily just disappear like that?” River bent forward and kissed Jacob’s forehead. “She was right there with us one moment and gone the next.”
“I don’t know.” He didn’t, not any more now than he had the other
hundred times River had asked him this.
“What if it happens to Jacob?” Her voice rose to a worried pitch.
“It won’t.” He wished this was something he could promise. “We’ll watch him every second.”
“It’s impossible to watch someone every second of their life,” she said. “What kind of King will Jacob make if we don’t give him the space to grow? Besides, we were watching Lily! She was hardly left alone and look what happened! There must’ve been something else we could’ve done.”
“We did everything we could.” He shook his head, the image of that sweet girl with the orange hair filling his mind. “And we’ve pledged our support if Rose and Jeremiah need anything else.”
“The only thing they need is their daughter back.” River stared at him blankly. “It’s like when Daphne died. My parents have never been the same. Why do you think they dote on Jacob so much?”
“They would always have doted on him, you know that. But yes, losing a child is the worst possible thing that could happen to a person. And we may not be able to get Daphne back, but I’m still hopeful that one day Lily will be found.”
“The only way she’ll be found is if someone took her,” said River. “And I don’t know what’s worse. She could be anywhere by now.”
Jacob woke properly now and started to howl. It was perfect timing as Tate really didn’t know how to answer River’s questions that so perfectly mirrored his own.
“Let me take him.” Tate held out his arms and River reluctantly passed Jacob across.
Jacob looked up at him and cried even louder, forcing Tate to hand him directly back. Babies knew their mothers, even at this age. Had he cried like this for his mother when he’d been taken from her arms? He imagined he would have. Although, his new mother, the Queen, had loved him and he’d loved her. But had it been the same? This was just one of those things he’d never know. And perhaps it didn’t matter. Both he and Edison had been raised with love. And they’d both grown into the men they’d been born to be—perhaps not with their station in life, but with the qualities they possessed.
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 89
