“I understand.”
Halfway through the end of the meal, a group of male gargoyles enters the room. The elves around me all stop eating for a moment. I guess they’re still getting used to having gargoyle allies. One of the males is Erit. As soon as he sees us, he heads in our direction. His gaze flickers to Indira for a moment and the smile he gives her warms my heart. Reaching my position, the males all take a knee.
“Supreme Incorruptible, we honor you.”
I stand, ignoring the astonished stares from the elves. I’m guessing the gargoyles haven’t shown deference to anyone since they got here. My tiara glows in recognition of the gargoyle’s fealty. “I am honored.”
As the other gargoyles disperse to eat dinner, Erit says, “We’ve just come off patrol. We rotate on and off so we keep our energy up.”
“Was Baelen with you?”
He shifts a little, suddenly uncomfortable although I’m not sure why. “He was, but he’s headed to the furthest outpost to make sure they’re prepared if there’s an attack in the night.”
My heart sinks. The furthest outpost is miles away. It’s the smart thing to do, but why does it feel like Baelen is avoiding me? I try to focus on the preparations. “What about the remainder of Erador’s border further south?”
“Llion, Roar, Welsian, and Arlo have that covered. There are patrols up and down the border at all times and multiple outposts in the places most vulnerable to an attack. The villages close to the border have been evacuated and the army is gathered at strategic points further inside the border, ready to defend any attack. Also, Senturi has gathered Outliers to guard the wastelands on either end of the border.”
The gargoyles’ resilience and determination constantly amazes me. A little over a week ago, they were devastated by Howl’s treatment of them. Now, they are fully prepared for war. “Thank you, Erit. I’m impressed with everything you’ve done.”
He gives me a smile. “It’s good to see you safe, Lady Storm.”
His gaze falls on Indira. She clears her throat and rises to her feet. “Please excuse me, friends.”
Soon after she leaves with Erit, I’m surprised to see the former Elven Commander, Teilo Splendor, bring food around for the newly returned gargoyles. He’s wearing a cook’s apron and carrying a large plate of boiled potatoes. When he reaches me, he gives me an acknowledging nod but I can’t keep my surprise to myself. “You’re working in the kitchens.”
He says, “I’m doing what I should have done when I was an Elven Commander—serving my people.”
Sahara, his daughter, gives him a genuine smile. For a while their relationship was strained by the Elven Command’s treatment of me, but it looks like they have mended bridges.
Soon after, Sebastian and Eli return from patrol, heading for us first. They bow to me. “Storm Princess.”
Like Erit and the gargoyles, they appear tired but focused. “We’re pleased to report no incidents at the outposts this evening.”
“Thank you, both.”
Jordan is already on her feet. I give her a smile as she joins her husband at his table. Instead of heading toward the food, Eli hovers for a moment at my side. “What is it, Eli?”
His crystal clear blue eyes remind me of Cassian for a moment, serious and stern. “I understand you encountered my grandfather while you were held against your will.”
I recall Elwyn Elder raging at Grayson about not taking me to prison. “Only from a distance.”
“Whoever he was before, his soul is gone now. He is nothing more than a predator.”
I contemplate Eli. He was always quiet, thoughtful, a lean fighter. He helped me when I was Howl’s prisoner by giving me information about my Storm Command. “What are you trying to tell me?”
“I will not hold it against you if you kill him. The grandfather I knew no longer exists. He killed himself a long time ago.”
I swallow against the lump in my throat. I can’t imagine what he’s going through to be fighting against his own people. Against his own family. He spins on his heel and I return to my seat, feeling subdued.
Neither Baelen nor my brother appears during dinner, and afterward, I want to go out and find them, but Mom orders me to go to bed. “A Queen is no good to her people if she’s asleep on her feet.”
She orders me to my room, waits while I change, and kisses my forehead, extinguishing my lamp as I snuggle into my old bed. “I promise you, we will wake you if you’re needed. Sleep well, sweetheart.”
My father waits outside the room and before Mom closes the door behind her, worry passes between them.
“Macsen is at the eastern outpost with Baelen,” Dad says as their footsteps recede. His voice is low and moving down the hall, but it’s amazing what I can hear when I want to. “They want us to make sure Marbella stays here where she’s safe.”
Mom’s voice cracks. “Our baby girl has been through so much.” The heartbreak in her words makes my chest ache. I suspected she was putting on a brave face for me, not wanting to show the full extent of her worry about my safety.
Dad replies, “We can’t risk that she’ll be captured again.”
I understand their motives but I sigh into my pillow. It looks like I’ve swapped one sort of cage for another. I shouldn’t be angry. I’ve missed my family. I’ve missed my ladies. If I have the chance to spend time with them, then that is a gift. But it’s not my role to be wrapped in cotton wool and put on a pedestal. That’s not who I am. I’ll do what they want tonight—I’ll sleep and stay safe—but tomorrow I’m going straight to Baelen wherever he is. I won’t let others fight my battles for me.
For the first time in many years, I sleep in a room alone. For so many years, my Storm Command slept right outside my door and often one of them would sleep on the floor of my room. That was mostly in the beginning when the nightmares were bad. Then in the mines, I was surrounded by gargoyles. And for the last week, Grayson was always there.
It’s only when I’m about to fall asleep that I remember I left Cassian’s bone lash in Grayson’s room.
