by Skye Horn
Magic makes you strong. Don’t let them scare you out of using it.
She listened this time, desperately wanting to wash the grime of the day from her skin and hair without freezing to death. Closing her eyes, she let her toes dip into the icy water once more, but this time didn’t recoil from the shiver that traveled through her skin. Instead, she allowed that shiver to fuel the flame that would warm the water around her foot, even as it trembled. She recalled the heat that had radiated off Declan’s body beside her—had that been magic, not just typical body heat?
It was gradual at first, creeping its way through her veins and tickling the hairs along her skin. The tingle started in her chest and surged outward, filling her with the fire that would warm not only her body, but the icy creek.
“It’s working,” she murmured more to herself than to Haven with quiet excitement. She could feel the surge of power. In the same way one might direct a horse, Thea clung to the reins of her magic, leading it to her feet. The way the water warmed against her skin amazed her.
“Of course it is; you’re a Fae!” Haven laughed. Thea drifted into the creek, letting the running water lap against her skin in warm waves. Steam rose around her, and she could not help the grin that formed on her lips. Magic was amazing. It was something she hadn’t grown up with, and yet, it felt like something she’d always had within her. She sank into the deepest part of the creek, letting the now-warm water wash over her knotted red hair, and glanced over to where Haven stood still looking away.
“All good now!” Thea said. The other girl’s eyes shifted to look at her in the water and she gave an approving smile. “Good thing you came with me, or else I’d be sitting here shivering my butt off.”
Thea closed her eyes, breathing in the steam that radiated off the water with a content sigh. She felt like she was in a hot tub as the water moved against her skin and washed away the worries she’d been bottling up. She knew she wasn’t about to escape Haven’s questioning, but the relaxation was impossible to ignore as her wings stretched out and her aching back muscles relaxed.
“Are we going to talk about it?” Haven asked. “Or should I steal these so you have to wander back into camp naked?”
Thea’s eyes flew open to find Haven standing with a hand on her clothing. Her mouth fell open in surprise as she headed for the shore, but Haven only held up a hand to stop her.
“I’m your lead guard.” Her eyes were serious, and Thea believed she would actually do what she was threatening with a horror that settled deep in her stomach. No wonder she hadn’t pressed Thea at first. This had been her plan all along.
“Haven, please don’t do that.” She kept her voice steady but imagining walking back to camp naked had her mind swirling around too many moments of mortification to count.
“All you have to do is tell me the truth,” Haven said in a falsely kind voice. It was like the voice of a mother coaxing her child to admit wrongdoing, and Thea hated it. She pursed her lips together in defiance and lifted her chin a little higher.
“I’m your future queen. You can’t do that,” she said with as much power as possible, but Haven only burst out into laughter.
“Oh please, what are you going to do? Throw me in prison for stealing your clothes?” She tilted her head at Thea with a smirk. “Plus, it’s only fair to let Declan see what Kieran already has.”
“HAVEN!” Thea’s cheeks burned, and she wanted to sink deeper into the water, but between the shallow creek and her large wings, there was no way to do it.
“What?” Haven’s smirk was infuriating, but Thea saw the point her lead guard was making. She needed to have an open relationship with Haven if this would ever work out. They needed to trust each other, and Thea trusted Haven. The only reason she wasn’t telling her more of the personal details was because she was afraid that if she said the words out loud they might no longer be true—that she might wake up from the reality where Kieran was still in love with her and find herself back in Ivandor, empty and alone. If she spoke the truth, it would hurt so much more when it was taken away from her.
But that was the problem, wasn’t it? She was sitting there, naked, in front of Haven, wondering when her happiness would be taken away—wondering when it would all disappear.
“I won’t judge you,” Haven said, a little more gently this time, as if she could hear the inner turmoil Thea faced.
That was another fear she wasn’t ready to voice. She prided herself on being a strong and independent woman, and yet, she had forgiven a man who’d broken her heart. What type of feminist did that make her?
You’re allowed to let yourself be happy, the little voice reminded her, despite her own argument with herself. Haven was strong. Haven would never let a man, or woman, walk all over her, but Thea didn’t see Kieran as doing that. She saw the way he wanted to be the man she deserved, yet their society and lives had forced them into these roles.
“I’m in love with him,” Thea said finally. Her eyes met Haven’s with hope that she would understand. “Maybe it makes me a selfish queen, or a too-forgiving princess, but no one has ever made me feel the way he does.
“Every ounce of my soul feels alive when I’m near him, like the entire world could end but we’d still be there—together. And when I’m not with him, I don’t like who I become. I know we can’t be together, and yet, I also know we can’t be apart.”
“Because you’re soulmates?” Haven asked, her eyes softening, but Thea shook her head.
“Because he’s my person.”
“Well…” Haven took a deep breath, and Thea felt like she might never recover if her friend didn’t understand. “Then I guess we will find a way for you two to be together. To hell with the law.”
A wave of relief flooded over Thea and she wanted to get out of the water and hug Haven. If anyone understood being told whom one could and couldn’t love, it was Haven, but Thea had been too consumed by her own problems to realize that. Now, she saw it, and felt their friendship developing. This girl would have her back no matter the cost, and that was why she deserved to be her lead guard.
“To hell with the law,” Thea agreed, smiling at Haven. “And if you ever threaten to steal my clothes again… I will figure out a worse way to punish you than prison.”
The challenge in her tone was clear, but Haven only laughed.
“You’re on, Princess.”
But both girls settled into content silence as Thea allowed the creek to wash away her worries and fears, enjoying being around a woman she thought might be best-friend material.
Chapter 27
Thea and the rest of her companions reached the outskirts of Ivandor before nightfall the next day, but the mood of those who knew what lay ahead had darkened. While Jami, Brayden, Derek, and Rolan remained happy to be returning home, Thea and the others stared with anxious dread at the castle walls. Amara’s face paled as they neared the entrance, and Kieran looked no better.
A lot had changed in the months since they’d left Ivandor, but Thea imagined they were both having flashbacks of more sinister days. Not that the days ahead were full of promise.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked them, but no one appeared ready to speak. They nodded as Thea led the way through the opening gates of the castle, flanked by Haven and Kieran on each side. The rest of her soldiers took up the rear, leaving Amara, Ethel, Mica, and Declan secure in the middle.
Various gazes watched as they entered the inner courtyard of the castle. Royal Fae had been returning to Ivandor for months, but the castle was still not at its full capacity. It was nothing compared to the crowds of Gimmerwich. The human servants who’d chosen to remain glared at the sight of Amara, many spitting despite Thea’s look of disapproval. Her sister shrank against Mica as they dismounted their horses, which earned her a glare from Ethel.
A few stable boys greeted their group with helpful smiles, despite the strange atmosphere, and offered to take the horses for the princess. Thea returned the smile and nodded, bu
t became distracted by a familiar face in the whispering crowd.
“Millie!” Thea called out as the young human girl bounded toward their group, dark curls bouncing atop her head as she pushed her way through the crowd of onlookers. The last time Thea had seen Millie, she’d been skin and bones. Her shallow cheeks now looked plump and rosy. Her lips were no longer cracked from dehydration, and Thea felt the toned muscles of her arms as she hugged her. “You look well!”
“Thanks to you, Princess Thea.” Her eyelids fluttered downward against a warm pink flush that kissed her dark skin. Millie bowed as soon as Thea had released her from the embrace, but her smile faltered when she saw Amara.
“Hello, Millie,” Amara mumbled, staring at the ground.
“Hi,” the other responded with a frantic look from Thea to Amara then back to Thea.
“She won’t hurt you,” Thea told her, patting her arm. The reassurance was ridiculous, of course. Millie had every right to fear Amara, but Thea knew Amara was on her best behavior. She could only hope Millie would trust her. “Have you been to see your grandmother?”
“Yes. I arrived a few days ago.” Millie relaxed under Thea’s touch, but her eyes still held a look of terror as she shifted her gaze back to Amara. There were some things that no amount of time could erase, and this would likely be one of those things.
Thea regretted not checking in on Millie sooner, but her world had been one chaos after another. Now, she was just happy to see the girl was alive and well.
“My grandmother is in the kitchens right now. I was on my way there when I saw you arrive. You must be starving after your lengthy journey. We can all go!”
The look of excitement on Millie’s face broke Thea’s heart. She wanted to go with her, but there was no time to waste.
“I have a meeting with my council, but I promise I will come find you later.”
“Oh, of course. You’ve just arrived home and must have loads of people you need to see.”
No one missed the note of disappointment in the younger girl’s voice, including Thea. For a minute, she didn’t want to be Princess Thea or the future queen who needed to save Faerie. She just wanted to go to the kitchen and eat freshly baked bread while listening to Millie tell her all about what she’d been doing since she’d left, the night of the winter solstice.
Thea imagined what Miss Elizabeth would say, though. She’d expect her to do her queenly duty, so that was what she would do.
“It is amazing to see you, though, Millie,” she said, hugging her again. “And perhaps you can get Miss Elizabeth to give my companions here some fresh bread? I think we are all starved.” She smiled over at her soldiers, whose eyes lit up at the suggestion of food. “Ethel, Mica, why don’t you two go on as well? Kieran and Haven can accompany Declan and me to the High Council.”
“What about me?” Amara asked, looking uneasily at Millie.
“You should come with us,” Thea said. She didn’t imagine most people would react well to seeing Amara wandering the castle, so she’d have to keep her close by. “I’m sure your mother would love to see you.”
At that, Amara’s eyes lit up. Thea knew the two had had little time to talk or bond, but she liked the fact that Amara looked forward to seeing Iris.
“I’ll see you later then,” Millie said, smiling at Thea. “You all can come with me.”
And she left with the four hungry soldiers in tow. Ethel and Mica glanced at Thea with worried looks before following her orders to go to the kitchens, and she was thankful that they hadn’t argued. She still planned on keeping them as uninvolved as possible.
“So that leaves us, the cavalry, to take on the High Council.” Haven smirked.
“If only,” Thea laughed. “I’m pretty sure I’m the only one expected to take them on.”
“I’ll have your back,” Declan smiled, and for once, Kieran didn’t look offended. Perhaps this trip had strengthened their relationship, or perhaps they were only getting along for Thea’s sake, but either way, it relaxed the tension between her wings.
“Don’t forget that you’re the one who will rule this kingdom,” Kieran encouraged. “Not them.”
“And if they have a problem with that, then Goddesses-be-damned, we will have a problem with them,” Haven added, and Thea couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. She knew that the challenges they faced were extreme, but having them all here was enough to calm her endless nerves.
“I’m just here so that no one kills me.” Amara smiled. “But I support you too.”
She gave a thumbs-up that made everyone laugh as they left the courtyard.
When they reached the throne room, Thea’s heart was in the pit of her stomach. Declan did not release her hand at any point. She hoped he wasn’t judging her sweaty palm, but by the way his chiseled jaw edged toward the door, she figured he had other things on his mind.
“For Faerie,” she whispered to him before pressing her free palm against the door and pushing it open. He didn’t respond, but she saw it in his eyes as they strode into the hall with every ounce of confidence they could muster.
“We will be right here,” she heard Haven say as she and Kieran took up their places in the corridor. Amara slunk against the wall as close to Kieran as possible, disappearing behind his wings, and Thea saw one last encouraging smile from him before the door shut, leaving her and Declan alone with the council.
They’d gathered in the same semicircle Thea had seen them last, but she was thankful to see Iris had returned to her seat among them. She was the first to look up, and if it surprised her to see Declan and Thea holding hands, she did a fantastic job at not letting it show.
I’m sorry we haven’t had time to tell you, Thea tried to convey with her eyes to Iris, but she couldn’t risk the others seeing the web of lies beneath the surface. They needed to sell this, and that would include Iris’ surprise at the news. She swallowed hard, feeling all of their gazes shift from her to Declan, to their intertwined fingers.
“Princess Thea, you’ve returned!” Lord Thompson, who had always been her favorite of the group, said with a smile that spread across his entire face. “Queen Ismara informed us you were on your way home, but we hadn’t expected you so soon.”
They had made the journey in record time, only stopping for a couple of hours’ rest. Thea hadn’t wanted to risk waiting any longer than that. Queen Ismara’s messenger must have taken no rest at all to have beaten them there.
Thea just smiled, inclining her head. She could feel Lord Walshe’s eyes assessing her attire with boiling judgment, so she flashed her teeth at him despite her nerves.
“Iris,” Thea said, directing her attention to the only person in the room she trusted. “I am happy to see you made it back safely.”
She let go of Declan’s hand and walked forward to meet Iris in an embrace, pressing her lips into her hair to whisper, “We need to talk.”
A gentle squeeze from Iris’ left hand, which was out of sight of the rest of the council, told her she’d heard Thea.
“I’m pleased to see you are doing well, Princess.”
“What is this we’ve heard about you selecting a lead of your Guard?” Lord McCarthy said, looking around as if the guard was hiding in the room. “Was it Derek or Jami? Lord Brennan has his bets on Derek because of his looks, but I was sure Jami would win your trust first.”
Thea tried to control the spark of anger at their betting that she’d choose her key protection based on looks. How stupid did they believe she was? She also bit back her remarks about not teaching her to protect herself from mental invasions. Those arguments were not as important at the moment, no matter how badly they made her blood boil.
Thankfully, Iris cleared her throat to regain their attention before Thea could start cursing.
“We will discuss that later. I think there are more pressing concerns to talk about.” Her eyes drifted to Declan, who stood a few feet behind Thea, watching the council members with a look that made Thea proud. He
too didn’t agree with the way she was being spoken to. That much was clear.
“May I introduce Lord Declan of Gimmerwich,” Thea said, motioning him forward. Each of her council members bowed as Thea and Declan walked toward the single throne. Thea took her seat, while Declan stood faithfully at her side, resting his hand on top of the wooden arm. “My fiancé.”
The last word made the ring on her finger feel even heavier, but she kept her face composed as the room exploded into chatter.
Thea knew it was best to let her council members say everything they wanted to say before she started speaking, but even she hadn’t expected so much commotion.
Lord McCarthy beamed at them, telling Lord Thomson that he’d been sure all along that Thea would make the right decision. Lord Byrne came forward to shake Declan’s hand and examine Thea’s ring, and Lorde Walshe watched Thea’s expression for any discrepancy in her story.
When Iris had calmed the older men down and everyone returned to their seats, Thea said, “We realize that this arrangement is best for our kingdoms, and have already informed Queen Ismara that the wedding will take place here in Ivandor.”
“Perfect!” Lord Brennan said.
“Excellent,” called Lord McCarthy.
“We could do it as the same time as the coronation,” Lord Thompson grinned at her.
He had been on her side since the beginning about having a coronation sooner rather than later, but his words shocked her still.
“Really?” Thea asked, failing to hide her surprise. She saw Declan cast a look at her, an obvious reminder they wouldn’t be getting married, and flushed.
“I suggest the Summer Solstice, if that is the case,” Lord Walshe said, folding his arms over his chest and watching Thea with a look that felt like claws down her back. It was clear he didn’t believe a word of this act, but Thea didn’t allow herself the time to react. Instead, she composed her face into a smile, meeting his gaze.
