Sienna’s cheeks flush with color. She yanks her cloak around her. “Enjoy the bore,” she snaps. “You’ll grow tired of her soon enough.”
She throws the door open—only to find Kuron and Rune outside, trying their best to look serious. I know Rune well enough to catch the amusement he’s failing to hide. The door slams closed a moment later.
“I swear—” I start, but Raea’s already pulling away. Hurt. Confusion. Fury. It’s all written across her face, cycling too fast to pin down. “Please,” I say, reaching for her wrist. “Let me explain.” She turns, tears already streaking down her cheeks. “It’s not what it looked like,” I whisper, hating how raw I sound. How vulnerable.
“Why? Why was she here?” she asks, her voice breaking as she pulls her arm away before shoving me.
I step back, more from fear that I’ve lost her. Betrayal settles on her face as she pushes me again. Her palms are hot against my chest. More tears fill her eyes, but the hurt on her face wraps around my heart like a vice.
“All year, I’ve had to watch her flirt with you, and you just let her, and now…” Her chest heaves. “What do you want from me? I can’t be that.” She gestures for the door.
“Everything!” I snap. “I want your pain, Raea, the darkest parts of you, even your tears as long as I’m not the one putting them in your eyes. I want everything. And I want you to believe me that nothing happened just now. I want you, not her. It’s always been you, Raea. Always.”
She shakes her head. "Are you sure?” she cries. “I trust that nothing happened, but she was naked in your room, and I can’t compete with her.” She swipes angrily at the tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. This all happened so damn fast.
I reach for her again, slowly, waiting to see if she’ll pull away. Whenshe doesn’t, I take her hand, guiding it to my heart, sending a wave of cool through her. She whimpers, attempting to swallow her tears. When she refuses to look at me, I tilt her chin up. "There’s no competition, there never has been, and if you believe anything I say, believe that.” I grind my molars, hating all of this. How can she not understand that she’s perfect for me? She’s everything I’ve ever wanted.
Everyone might see a crown on my head, but she is the only kingdom I would burn the world to protect. I’d risk it all—for her. My duty, my honor, all that I am. “You, Raea—you’re it. The only thing I want. I can’t undo what I’ve done. I’d rip time apart if it meant erasing that look on your face, but I can’t. I’ve got nothing to give you but what’s left of me. And every damn bit of my future is yours if you want it.”
I watch the fight drain from her, see her face crumble just before she buries it in my chest. I wrap my arms around her as she starts to cry, holding her like I can somehow fix this. Gods, she doesn’t deserve to be tethered to someone like me—but I’m going to hold on to her anyway.
Her body shakes against mine, and every second of it guts me. I did this. I broke her. And yet, the way she clings to me—it’s the only thing keeping me from unraveling completely. Maybe I haven’t ruined everything. Not yet.
I never thought Sienna would become this much of a problem. For years, she’s thrown herself at me—always circling, always waiting for a yes that never came. I kept the line clear. Except for that one gods-cursed night when I was drunk and she was willing. The worst mistake I’ve ever made.
I’ve been with women before—ones who understood what it was: one night, nothing more. They moved on. She didn’t. I don’t know what’s twisted in her head, but if I don’t put a stop to this, it’s going to get worse.
And I won’t be the reason Raea cries. Not again.
After long minutes, Raea's sobs turn to sniffling, but she remains in my arms, her breaths shuddering as she tries to regain her composure. “I hate her,” she hiccups. “I really hate her, and I don’t hate anyone."
“I know,” I soothe, running a hand down her hair. "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
She remains pressed into my chest as I continue to run a soothing hand up and down her spine. Over and over again until I feel her body relax and the last of her hiccups dry. I bring my hand to her nape, running my thumb along her neck, causing her to shiver.
“I was just coming to tell you that I think we should talk to Professor Ainslyn,” she whispers.
Trysten moves closer, stopping before us. I had forgotten he was here, and based on the shock on her face, I’m assuming she did, too. “I was here the whole time,” he reassures her. “Ry refused to even look at her until you came in.” She gulps and offers him a wobbly smile as she steps out of my arms. “I’ll see you both later.”
When he’s gone, I pull her back to my chest. “I’m so sorry,” I repeat, rocking her back and forth.
She sniffles but nods before pulling out a scroll from her bag.
Three days later, we’re escorted to the Isles with Professor Ainslyn at our sides. Raea said she wanted someone seasoned to work with us because she believes we’ll find an immortal species here. The scroll mentioned some of the lesser fae still being scattered around the system. We didn’t learn details about what lesser fae are, but I guess we’ll find out.
Not knowing what we’re up against, we agreed we needed more than just our friends. Professor Ainslyn has always been on our side, and when we told him all that had transpired, he just shook his head and asked what we needed. I swear, nothing surprises him.
The beach comes into view from where we’re seated atop what appears to be some sort of ray. It glides just beneath the water, but the harness strapped to it has a platform with two benches.
“What if this was all for nothing?” Raea asks.
“It’s not. We’ll either find answers or we won’t. Either way, we’ll know for sure, and then we can move on.” We both fall quiet as the ray slows, gliding onto the beach where it comes to a stop. Six men and women greet us in a language I don’t understand. We both bow, offering them thanks for allowing us to visit.
Raea and I are allowed two guards to escort us to the elder’s hut, which is nothing more than a stick room built over the water with a fire in the center. The roof is made of large leaves from local trees, and the floor features a few worn rugs that serve as a barrier from the hard floor.
Kuron and Rune stay with us as the ray disappears back into the water after the harness is removed. The four men and two women appear to have spent their whole lives in the sun, with dark, wrinkled, and weathered skin, and wearing animal skins to cover themselves. They look human, yet a closer glance reveals something ‘other’ I can’t quite place.
The two women have tusks through their noses, their long, dark hair now mostly grayed, and red paint under their wild eyes. The men’s bodies are covered in the same red paint, portraying symbols and pictures I recognize as a language, but it’s incomplete, and I can’t read it. The tallest of the four is their leader, as indicated by the symbol on his collarbone and something that tugs at my awareness.
