“Is she here?” A raven-haired woman bursts from a room on the other side of the cottage, her delicate but familiar features reminding me of both Damien and Nyx. She comes to an abrupt stop in front of me and smiles. “You must be Eloise!”
“This is my daughter, Karyl,” Nyx says. “Damien’s sister.”
My mouth hangs open. If I hadn’t seen the king’s ghost myself, I’d be tempted to ask if he, too, was alive. “How is this possible? Does Brahm know you’re alive?”
“That is a long story. Come. I’ve made lunch. I’ll tell you everything.”
We gather around the table, and I’m served another goblet of stag’s blood. The others serve themselves a meal of roast winter pheasant and potatoes. I listen carefully as Nyxadora relays all she and Karyl have been through, and I sense her despair as if it happened yesterday. I sense, too, her need for revenge. Brahm may be her son, but the venom in her voice tells me she holds no remainder of love for him. I can’t say that I blame her.
When she’s finished, I simply say, “Damien grieved you, and I think when Brahm turned on us, he was forced to grieve him too. It was like he’d lost his entire family. I’m relieved that Damien still has you and Karyl.”
She floats me a soft smile. “Thank goodness he had you. I sense your mating bond. It’s a strong connection.”
Heat climbs my neck to my cheeks. “I love your son,” I say. “More than I’ve ever loved anything.”
She sips her wine. Her chin lifts, her spine straightens, and an energy fills her, making her diamond-blue eyes, so like Damien’s, cast even more light across the table.
“Good. I’m glad to hear that, because what I must ask of you will require as much of you as it does of him. I believe that, without you, Damien will never succeed.”
Catarina straightens. “Nyx, perhaps we should wait until Damien is with us to?—”
Nyx raises a hand. “No. Eloise must know. She is the only one who can convince him.”
“Convince him to do what?” I ask.
“Take back the kingdom.”
For several heartbeats, I simply don’t know what to say. It has crossed my mind before that Damien has a responsibility to his people. We’ve discussed it several times. But I’m confused. “I don’t understand. You’re alive, and you are the rightful queen. Shouldn’t it be you on the throne?”
“Damien is the true king of Stygarde, the eldest son of Malek. You are right that I have a claim to the crown, but I have no military experience. I am many things, Eloise, but I am no war general. No. I’ve had my time. Besides, the shades of Stygarde have never rallied around a queen the way they do a king.”
Karyl picks at her food with her fork. “What Mother means is, as hard as it would be for Damien to raise an army, it would be eight times as hard for a woman to do it. I don’t know how it is in the place where you come from, but here, there’s enough misogyny to make things needlessly difficult.”
“I understand, but we’ve only been back on this world a few months. Damien has no army or followers. He’s a powerful warrior, and I agree we must act to help your people, but waging war against New Stygarde will require soldiers. With the way the kingdom is aligned, a war against Stygarde is a war against Willowgulch. He’ll need thousands. Does anyone else know you’re alive? Is anyone else on our side?”
She nods. “The Lord of Aendor and his lady have been gathering a resistance for years. He has over fifty former umbrae on his roster. But he cannot lead a war against New Stygarde. He has no claim to the crown. But Damien does. My son led the troops for decades. He was the most respected and dedicated warrior. If he rises to lead the resistance, he will win.”
“My mother saw it,” Catarina says to Nyx. “She saw Damien’s return and his rise to power with Eloise by his side.”
“I’m only useful to him if I have my power.” I turn back to Catarina. “How soon can you help me descend?”
The witch shifts in her seat. “As I mentioned before, only when you are healed, provided Damien agrees. The bond between you is essential to your survival on the path. I won’t do it without his cooperation.”
“Descend?” Karyl asks. “Descend where?”
“My power lies on the other side of Thanesia’s door in the Darklands. According to Aurora’s vision, I help Damien restore Stygarde, but I do it with my magic. That means I have to walk the shadowpath to get it back.”
“You have to die?” Nyx recoils. “Damien will never allow it.”
I sigh. “I need that power if we are to have any hope against the elves. You need to convince Damien to allow me to walk the path.”
Nyx grabs her head as if a nasty headache has just bloomed between her ears. “As a shade male, everything Damien has done since the moment you became mates has been about protecting you, just as everything my late husband did was for me. It is undeniable fact. He will never take up the mantle for his people without your permission, and he will never allow you to do anything that could result in your death. All he wants, all any mated shade wants, is to keep his mate safe.”
“He won’t,” Karyl concurs. “No loyalty to his people or the kingdom will ever trump his instinct to protect you.”
A wave of dizziness comes over me, and Catarina steadies me as I sag in my chair.
“You need rest,” the witch says. “We’ve handed you too much today.”
