“What do you mean, if?”
“Eleanor’s ritual room was destroyed when the volcano erupted during the revolution. We rebuilt the palace on top of it. As far as I know, Brynhoff’s and Killian’s hearts are buried under tons of rock and debris, somewhere inside the mountain.”
He stared at her, disbelieving what he was hearing. His eyes stung, and frustration caused his talons to sprout from his knuckles. “How?”
“How do we get to them? I’m not sure,” Raven said softly, her gaze falling on the sharp points in his partially shifted hands. “I need to talk with Nathaniel. But I will find a way, Marius,” she added sincerely. “I’m not going to let you suffer. If we have to tear out the walls, we’ll do it.”
He released a blustery sigh. Not ideal. It would take more time. But it was more than he’d hoped for.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Thank the goddess! Where have you been? Your father and I were worried sick!” Lemetria charged toward Harlow the moment she walked through the door and pulled her into her arms.
“Out, Mom. I’m sorry I didn’t send a falcon. The night… got away from me.” Harlow slumped into the kitchen chair. She needed a bath and some time to think.
“We feared something horrible had happened to you. Between what happened with Adradys and our debts—” Lemetria sniffed the air, her brows knitting together. “What is that… scent? You smell like…” She cocked her head to the side, her mouth dropping open by degrees. “Is that your mating scent?”
“And his.”
“Not Adradys?” she asked incredulously. Of course she’d assume that. She wasn’t aware Harlow had any other suitors.
“Never.”
“Then who?”
Harlow coupled her hands under her chin. “You can’t tell anyone. Not anyone.”
“Why not? If you’re mated, why wouldn’t we be screaming it from the rooftops?” Her face fell. “He’s not already married, is he? Not… Brantley!”
“No and no.”
“Then who?” She slid into the chair across the rickety table from her.
“Where’s Dad? If I tell one of you, I should tell both of you.”
“The pits, trying to win us money enough for dinner. He won’t be home for hours. You’ll have to settle for telling me.” Lemetria held perfectly still and stared intently at her. She loved that her mother was excited for her but wondered if she was repeating Please let him be rich over and over again in her head.
Harlow sighed through a smile. In truth, she could hardly keep it to herself. She loved him, truly loved him. He’d said he needed time. All they had was time. A mating bond was eternal. She was sure down to her bones that he’d fix this and they’d be together eventually. If she didn’t tell someone, she was going to pop. “Marius.”
Her mother’s grin faded, and her nose wrinkled. “Which Marius?”
Harlow pointed in the general direction of the palace. “The Marius, Mom. Former heir apparent.”
“Oh my goddess. Oh my goddess!” Her mother’s hands flew to her mouth. “How? When did you even meet?”
Fuck. She’d never told her mother about what happened with Marius. Harlow gave her a sheepish smile. “I’ve been coaching him in pit fighting for the past cycle. He’s where I got the money from to help with the bills. Most of it anyway. Some I won in the pits.”
Her mother reached across the table and squeezed her shoulders. “And to think we thought you’d settle on Adradys. You’re going to be a royal! A princess!”
“He’s not exactly a prince anymore, Mom. When he stepped aside to make room for Gabriel to become king, he renounced the title. He’s an ambassador.”
She waved a hand through the air. “Pish… Same difference.” She clapped her hands together. “When can we meet him? Have you started thinking about the wedding?”
She shook her head. “Let’s take it slow. This isn’t something either of us expected.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it snuck up on us, that’s all. We were friends first. Let’s just get our bearings before we start planning the royal event of the season.” Harlow said it sarcastically, but the look on her mother’s face suggested she’d already picked out a wedding dress in her head and was picturing Harlow striding along an imaginary runner toward the altar.
