Possibly brushing a bald spot into Greg, I came around to where Evie sat and put the brush down.
“I should have killed him.” Evie’s snarl was downright feral.
My knees buckled and I fell down into the straw with her, as some of it stuck in my hair. I didn’t care that it turned me into a mess. This was far more important. I set my blackened hands on her knees and looked up into those eyes so like my own.
“My entire adult life I have told myself what a villain Iam and that became a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. My life ended up between men’s sheets and in the cracks where trouble grew because that's what I thought I deserved.”
Evie inhaled but didn’t contradict me. I was glad to see that she had grown more confident.
“I've been selfish. How long have you deserved an apology for what happened?” The tears welled up in my eyes and I let them spill forth rather than suck them back in.
How long had I wanted to truly matter to someone when all I had to do was turn to the people trying to hand it to me?
“I’m sorry, Evie. I’m sorry I hurt you and continued to hurt you afterward. I didn't know how to act or get the words out but, Godds bless him, Noth showed me the way. I will not be ashamed of needing sex. It got me this.” I blossomed a flower out of the straw and I tucked it behind Evie’s ear. “But I was wrong to search for power anywhere I could. I can tell you I will do better, but that won’t mean much if I don’t show you I will do better.”
Evie touched the flower in her hair.
“I can see you trying. Is that why you’re here rather than with Noth?”
“Yep,” I confessed, shrugging. “And I could really use some sisterly advice on how the hells I’m supposed to be a Queen because, turns out, we’re mates.”
“Advice from me!?” Evie squeaked.
“From you, E. I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher.”
“Well, first off, you need a crown if you’re going to be a Queen.”
My heart overflowed with gratitude. This was okay. We would be okay. I tried to gentle my smile from the grimace slowly forming. I saw the crown she made for Ward and it was a hideous monstrosity with wrong angles and random spikes sticking out of it. Breathe in. Breathe out. It didn’t need to be perfect to be valuable. That Evie didn’t give up on me, humbled me more than I could say.
“I would love a crown.”
Evie shook her hands out and called up her dragon magic full of light and awe. My magic surged in return, happily mimicking hers. Blinded, I had to close my eyes against her sorcery. When I opened them, a beautiful creation of silver and radiance winked in her palms. It looked like she captured live stars in a field of darkness that swooped and soared. Delicate metal would curl around my ears and bracket to my chin to hold the dainty chains that dripped from the crown. I knew just what to do. Taking Rue’s diamonds from my storage pouch, I pressed them against the crown until they hung from every fine chain Evie created.
I eagerly grabbed it to set it on my head and I found a lumpy curl at the back–a swirl of unmoldedmetal.
“Oh, sorry,” Evie started to say, “I can fix it.”
I gently brushed her hand away. “No. I love it.” I worked the final and largest diamond into the lump at the back and set the crown on my head.
“How do I look?” I asked, giggling.
Evie whipped out the crown Ward made her and set it on her head too. “We look fabulous!”
We both laughed loud enough for Greg to swish his tail in annoyance. I hugged my sister and went back to horse chores in our matching crowns.
Chapter 22
Noth
My chandelier rattled as it swung back and forth. The stone of my chambers shuddered as shadows flickered out of the dark corners of the room. Tendrils of Ribwort Milkweed outside my window pushed their roots and flowers toward the twitching magic filling the air. The need to touch her, reach for her with every fiber of my being, shook my soul. Chills ran over my skin in waves.
Breathe.
I couldn't breathe. She wound me so tight my dark magic jolted the palace down to the foundation.
Breathe, Noth.Maggie yelled in my head.
The longing to lick her skin was so heavy, enormous, I didn't think I could.
