The truth of that shines out as Auren stands here.
Even if my father had never taught me a single thing about the Turleys, had wiped them away from importance like so many other Carrick followers, I wish I would have known enough to put two and two together. Wish I would have known the significance of her golden skin. Because the first time I sawher, I knew she was extraordinary. And seeing her here and now, it’s so obvious what she is.
A queen. Gold-touched and blood-blessed. And for some reason, paired with me.
She steps back and takes my hand again, her fingers immediately twisting through mine and holding us together. She looks over at me as the people chant and clap and cheer.
“You are magnificent,” I tell her.
Her pulse quickens. “I’m just me.”
I nod. “Yes.”
Exactly.
Her eyes soften, fingers squeezing again, and all I want to do is pull her in close and have her to myself, but that’s not how it is anymore, is it? Auren isn’t just mine. She’s found a place with all of these fae. They look up to her. Stand in awe of her. She means something to everyone on this street. Her very presence impacting them.
I’m so fucking proud of her.
Things start to die down, the coldness between Lydians and Vulmin seeming to warm up purely by Auren’s glowing presence until things seem not quite so tentative anymore.
I relax a bit, but only for a split second. Because my mind drifts to my mother. It’s a constant worry that gnaws on my gut. I feel my expression pinch, and Auren notices instantly.
“Are you okay?” she asks quietly, but then she seems to read the answer in my eyes, and her own expression turns determined.
“Let’s go,” she says. “We should be able to get through the crowd now. We’ll have Wick show us where the Oreans are. We’ll go talk to them and see if they have any information about Elore.”
I nod and take in a tight breath. Just the thought of my mother being in my father’s clutches makes a cold sweat breakout over my skin. I need to find her and get her safe. I can’t stand to think about what she might be enduring.
“My father is a fucking snake,” I say as we both turn to go inside. “He’ll be keeping her close.”
“We’ll find her,” she promises, her voice steely.
I nod and press a kiss to the top of her head. “We will.”
And this time, I won’t have to rip into the worldorrip myself. My father will be the one ripped apart.
“His eye,” she begins. “I meant to tell you—I think you rotted it.”
I pause, looking over at her. “His eye?”
She nods, a wicked smirk curling her lips. “Yep. He wears a patch over it, but I think you must’ve rotted it partially all those years ago when you fought. I could see the veins.”
“Good,” I growl, feeling a hint of satisfaction. He probably hated that I was able to do that to him. That it destroyed part of his face. “The next time I see him, I won’t just rot one of his eyes. I’ll crush his fucking skull.”
Her ribbon grazes over my arm in comfort as we head for the staircase. The Vulmin inside stop and tip their heads as we pass, and Auren offers them a smile.
When we get to the stairs, she glances over at me. “Do you think everyone was able to stop the fae army at Ranhold?”
“I don’t know for certain,” I answer honestly. “But I stopped a lot of them, and King Thold’s magic is impressive. He’s formidable, so King Fulke wouldn’t dare deny him. Fifth has a good-sized army too. With Lu, Judd, and Digby there, I’m sure they were able to prepare Fifth and stop the fae in their tracks.”
Her head whips over. “Digbywent with them? To Ranhold?”
I pause. “Did I forget to mention that?”
“Yes. You did,” she says, voice taking on a nervous edge. “But it’s dangerous. And he was badly hurt…”
“He’s healed, and it was important to him. When he heard what the army did to Highbell, he was fucking devastated. I couldn’t deny him the right to go help.”
