Enzo looks equally amused, while Aiden looks like he could burn them both alive on the spot. I wonder what they are going on about.
We all turn when we hear a commotion through the door to the hallway. Enzo quickly stands, but Hazel speaks up again. “No, I’ll handle it.”
“Probably a good idea,” Aiden grumbles under his breath as she breezes out the door, closing it behind her.
“I don’t care about some prophecy claiming I need a queen, mate, or whatever. I can rule my kingdom without all that.” He shoots an intentional look at Cillian, staking claim to half the Two Kingdoms.
“That’s actually why we’re here,” Cillian says.
Aiden raises a single eyebrow.
“As you clearly know, the Goddess intended for you to rule your kingdom.” Cillian pauses.
The silence is thick in the room.
“Obviously the priestess got it wrong when they believed you were meant to be with Nissa. But we believe Gaia still wishes for you to rule even if Nova isn’t…” He squeezes my hand. “We wantto officially make you the King of Varethiel. Not just in title but you will have all the say, all the power over it—without Vaylor involvement.”
It’s Enzo’s turn to laugh. “What’s the catch?”
Aiden says nothing, watching us intently.
“No war? No arguments?” Enzo asks, more serious. “You want us to believe a Vaylor walked in here to just hand over half the world that you rule?”
“We don’t want a war.” Cillian focuses on Aiden. “We want what’s best for the Fae across both kingdoms, no matter what king rules them. We don’t know why but it is clear in the prophecy that our world needs you on the throne as well. The storms are starting back, but only here in Varethiel. We want to do whatever we need to make them stop.”
Enzo looks at him like he’s grown a second head. Aiden seems bored.
“It’s true,” I chime in. “We’ve already been working to restore the energy in our elemental lands.”
“It won’t matter if I rule over all of it,” Cillian says, giving Aiden the same rationale he gave me outside of his office that day, “if we’re all too weak to protect ourselves against an outside attack. We’ve stopped them in Solevara, but I don’t believe they’ll stop here until you’re in full control. We can work together, rule as allies. I’m not my mother or brother. I don’t care about power. I care about the Fae.”
Again, Aiden just stares at us like he has better things to do.
Cillian stands. “We’ll let you think over everything. I’ll be in touch to discuss the logistics and what changes need to be implemented.”
Aiden and Enzo follow Cillian’s lead, standing to escort us out. Aiden reaches for the door to let us out.
I stop him before he steps through, “One last thing. How did you find me and Ophe? Who was the lead?” I search Aiden’s face and catch a spark of something in his eyes.
“That information is—” He breaks off, looking into the hallway. He drops his head and rubs his eyes, mumbling something into the wind.
I can’t hear what he says because the blood is rushing in my ears. Blinking, a hand pressed to my chest, I look past him into the hallway.
To a Fae who is supposed to be dead.
Nova is standing there, staring back at me.
Epilogue
I’m amazed at the difference in the sounds of Aquaria that surround us. The first time we came here together, the prominent sound was the dried mud cracking under our feet. Today the roar of distant waterfalls mixed with the subtle trickle of the streams nearby bring a smile to my face.
“How was your conversation with Nova?” Cillian asks, his fingers threaded through my own, warming me. I just got back from Varethriel and I still haven’t shaken the slight chill that fills my bones from their snowy environment.
“Alive,” I say, shaking my head. Still in shock even after hearing her story. It’s been a week since I realized my twin sister was alive and still haven’t wrapped my head around it. Cillian gives me a soft smile as he continues to lead me deeper into his elemental land.
The elemental lands have begun to thrive from our clean up efforts and from the lack of Gaia’s storms in Solevara. I can’t say the same about Varethiel though…
“Caspien didtryto kill her but instead of finishing the job he threw her through the portal, assuming the poison in her system would finish her off,” I explain what she told me.
