“All right,” he says with a pinch of uncertainty.
“Good.” I lift my chin, gesturing that he should go and tend to his soldiers.
He walks away, and I blow out a long breath and stare in the direction Kyron went. Maybe I shouldn’t have let him leave by himself. I’m suddenly feeling very lonely. I can only imagine how he feels.
“You should go after him.”
I spin around and on impulse my arms encircle Leif’s neck. “Hey you,” I say, sobbing into his coat.
“Hey you. I’m sorry I’m late. Wel and I got your mother and sisters settled in Lucent and then headed straight here.”
“I don’t care that you’re late. All that matters is that you’re here.”
He grips my shoulders and pulls me back. The concern on his face is not one I’ve seen often. Nothing bad ever seems to affect him. The world could be freezing over, and he would wear a smile and tell everyone it will be all right. Not this time. This moment hits differently for both of us.
“You should go after him, Elle. He needs you right now.”
“I know. I’ll go.” I snake my arms around his waist and press my cheek to his heart. “Just let me hang on to my best friend for a second longer.”
He rests his chin on the top of my head. “Yeah, I can do that.”
Leif has been my rock—my constant in an ever-changing world. He knows every one of my fears and dreams. Nothing has ever been too big to face if we did it together. We could rule kingdoms or save the king’s general from enemy hands. Together, we’re unstoppable, and I don’t want to face everything that’s still to come without him backing me up.
“You’re not going anywhere, are you?” I ask, my voice muffled against his chest.
“No. I’m right where I want to be.” He guides me back from him and gives me a once-over. “I’m here for as long as you need me, and even then, I might hang around.”
I stand on my toes and kiss his cheek. “Thank you for always being here for me. Even when my plans seem a little off the wall.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d do anything for you, Elle.”
“And I’d do the same for you.”
“I know.” He gives me a firm smack on the backside. “Now, go find your parah. He needs you.”
I rub my ass and shoot him a glare as I start for the line of trees that border Basecamp. When I disappear into the thick brush, the death and sorrow found on the training field dissipates a little. The absence of the moon shrouds me in calm darkness and places the galaxies of stars on center stage in the clear night sky. Branches hang low like knotted fingers that I hold to keep from stumbling on the rocks. The babbling of running water draws me closer to the stream’s edge, beckoning me to follow it. If I walk against the current, I know I’ll findhim.
I climb a hill built of flat stones to discover my king sitting at the top. His arms rest on his bent knees and his gaze focuses on the neon light show ahead. He’s more at home here than he ever has been sitting on a throne.
I ease down beside him, leaving an inch of space between us. I’m not sure what he needs right now, but I’m here when he is ready to tell me. So we just sit in silence as hues of pink, green, and turquoise blend together in the sky. The aurora is beautiful and peaceful, quite the contradiction to the emotions that are clashing inside of us.
“I feel a little lost right now,” Kyron says, staring ahead.
“That’s all right, I am too.” I bump my shoulder into his. “But I can take the lead for a while, and I won’t let you wander too far as you work through your grief.”
He turns and takes me in for what feels like the first time since Greer died. I don’t hold it against him. It wasn’t that long ago that I couldn’t see past Micah’s death. Some days it’s still all I think about.
“You’re remarkable. Do you know that? I don’t think there’s anything you’re not capable of,” he says, his tone thick with conviction.
I stretch my arms out behind me, propping myself up on them. “Mountain climbing, cliff diving, and I’m not the girl you go to if you need fruit from the highest branch of a tree.”
He laughs and that brief warm sound is the salve that begins repairing the broken pieces in both of us. I’m addicted to its healing power. If I could, I’d make it so he would laugh again and again until everything hurtful and tragic slips away and we are left with nothing but burning cheeks and aching stomachs.
“You would find a way to do all those things if your people needed you to do them, Raelle.”
“Maybe. But I would do them without a second thought if you asked me to. No mountain would be too high. I’d conquer it just to see you smile.”
“You’ve already done that.”
