A sense of home filled me. The strongest I’d ever had.
I was a princess and this was where I belonged.
But how did Jacob fit into that? How did we make it work?
Grace and Tyson…
My inner voice reminded me that they were from two different worlds, the same two worlds as Jacob and me, so there must be a way. And now I was finally strong enough to track him down and havetheconversation. It was time to decide once and for all what our future held.
Stepping into the beam, I closed my eyes, as I always did when the rush of power surrounded me. It swept me across the water, depositing me gently on the sand, the crowd now ten times what it was when I left.
A roar went up, the evidence of my bonding to the stones obvious by my new mode of transportation.A royal gift.
"You did it!" my mother said, hurrying forward to throw her arms around me. My father was right behind her, and for the first time, they hugged me together.
And I didn't pull away. That darkness, it had stopped me from ever truly trusting a male, but as the stones expunged it from my soul, I was free to trust again.
I was free.
My mother wasn't the only one with shiny eyes when we finally separated.
"I feel different," I admitted, my voice barely able to be heard over the cheering and shouts around us. "I can sense the burning heart of the gems across our land. Their energy is filling me with heat.”
Jepati took my face in his hands, cradling it gently. "If you search, you can find us in that bond as well. We’re all connected to the same source of power."
He was right. Digging deeper, there was a shiny path connecting me to my parents; the warmth increased.
Today had been so much, and it wasn’t even over yet.
"Come, your fey are waiting to congratulate you," Deloria said, a sob escaping.
My fey.
That was about the last freaking thing I ever thought I’d hear. For most of my life I’d been lucky to have my own clothing, let alonefey. But hey, here we were, and while this was nothing like the life I thought I'd have, it was everything I didn’t know I needed.
As we got closer, the fey screamed even louder, until my ears were ringing with the fanfare.
"Fuck," I muttered.
Katerina, who had moved closer, laughed loudly. "You're well on your way to being my favorite cousin."
Simi just glared at her before shrugging. "I mean, we've all had a few little ventures across to Earth now, and I have to say, I love the way they speak. It's just ... real."
"I curse too much," I replied, trying to keep my smile in place. "But I grew up pretty rough. The fact that I have any manners at all is due to one person.” One incredibly important person that was nestled in my heart. The memory of our recent hug was both painful and a new moment to treasure.
"You think you have manners?"
I’d felt him a second before he spoke. Spinning so fast my hair flew out around me, I got a little dizzy trying to take in every inch of Jacob Compass.
He was here. He was wearing a suit.
Just stab me in the chest and leave me to die. Holy shit, I legit could not handle him looking like that and finally being here and…
"How? I mean … what—what are you doing here?" I stuttered out, wondering if he’d even be able to hear me over the roar of the crowd.
Especially since he was a good fifteen feet away.
His lips quirked up, that full pink bottom lip, the one that tantalized me with its plumpness, capturing my gaze. "I stayed away as long as I could," he said, walking toward me, striding in this slow sinful way that did things to me … things one should not be thinking of around their parents and family.
