During the days leading up to their departure, Isla’s mind often wandered to the history they’d unveiled about her lineage. She was still reeling from the revelation that her father’s family, the Vasileia line, was from Iona. That they had been theroyal family. She couldn’t even begin to wrap her mind around it. It seemed too coincidental thatshewas the one who’d gotten mixed up in this mess with the elementals and was now being led back to the lost island where her ancestors had come from. The Primeval gods must have a twisted sense of humor.
One thing that helped her process it all, though, was having her best friend with her.
She’d spent the rest of that first day catching Bri up on the events of the past weeks. They’d sat for hours on her pile of blankets, talking and eating leftover chocolate from Aidan’s stash as they marveled at the insanity that was now Isla’s life. Bri had always been a perfect audience for wild stories. She gasped and squeaked when Isla told her of the pack of men kidnapping her, cheered when Isla fought back, and actuallyswoonedwhen Rynn saved her. She had as many questions as Isla had when learning about the history of the elementals and how their powers worked. And when Isla recounted the day Hamil burst into the tavern and how jealous Rynn had been, Bri’s mouth had dropped to the floor.
“I swear, I’m going to write a book about this.”
Of course, when Rynn was absent from the cave, Bri took advantage of their moments alone to interrogate Isla about the handsome, brooding elemental. It was evident that Bri hadn’t initially trusted any of the immortal beings, and the little fight she’d witnessed between Rynn and Isla after they got back from Lockhurt made her even more skeptical.
Truth be told, Isla was still frustrated with him after he’d suggested Kai should have forcefully stopped her from meeting with Sebastian. She wished they’d had time to work things out, but Bri’s presence had thwarted most chances for them to be alone—not that she wasn’t grateful to have her friend there. She knew Rynn was simply concerned for her safety, and instead of holding on to any residual resentment, Isla chose to regale Bri with the reasons he put a smile on her face and warmth in her heart. The electricity and heat between them, how much he cared about protecting her, their first kiss, the nights spent held in his arms. By the end, Isla was in a considerably more forgiving mood, and Bri apparently had a change of heart. She’d started skipping across the room singing about Isla and Rynn’s “wind babies.”
The morning before they were supposed to leave for Iona, Isla woke to the sound of voices. She refrained from opening her eyes when she heard Rynn and Bri talking on the other side of the cave.Were they eating breakfast together?Her curiosity was piqued.
She could make out the crackle of a fire and something hard clinking against stone. “So, how old are you, exactly?” Bri asked.
“Very old.”
A short pause, then, “Did you really stop an avalanche here a long time ago? During one of the wars?”
“Yes, I did.”
“We have a statue for you in Lockhurt, you know. Quite a big one.”
“I’ve seen. How kind of them.”
Bri snorted. “I think the statue has more of a personality than you.”
“Had many conversations with it, have you?”
“I think I might pass out. Did you just make ajoke?”
A long sigh. “It’s been known to happen.”
A laugh and another pause, filled with sounds of utensils clattering against wooden plates.
“Thank you for helping Isla,” Bri said quietly. “I’m sorry I was rude to everyone the other day. You’ve got to see how all of this looks to an outsider. I still don’t like this whole situation, but she says you’ve done a lot to keep her safe.”
“I would do anything for her.”
Isla’s heart forgot to beat, then hammered wildly.
“The gods only know I’m not one to judge, but I know my best friend. And things are happening rather quickly between you two.” An overwhelming sense of love bloomed in Isla’s chest at the protectiveness in Bri’s words, and tears threatened to slip from beneath her closed lids.
“Yes, I suppose so,” Rynn answered after a moment. “She was…unexpected.” A cough. “Is this where you threaten me if I hurt her? Is that not the duty of a best friend?”
“Oh yes, I’ll cut your favorite parts right off if you hurt her, immortal or not. That’s not what I was going to say, though.” A pause. “Where do you think this is going after you get done fighting the big bad king? She’s got a life outside of this, you know. You can’t seriously expect to take her away from that. Isla would never leave her home. Besides, you’ll liveforever. She’s human.”
An uncomfortable heat invaded Isla’s body. The blankets she was burrowed beneath were stifling. She didn’t want to listen anymore. Feigning a yawn, Isla stretched and threw the covers off, looking over to see Bri and Rynn eating casually as if nothing had happened.
A pit formed in Isla’s stomach. It was far too early in whatever was happening between her and Rynn for that line of thinking, especially when there were more important things to worry about. And she didn’t think she could handle the idea of what came next. A life without him or a life destined to live in the shadows of his past and future? To be an onlooker passing through while he stayed immovable, immortal, unchanging? What kind of a choice was that?
Isla went through the rest of the day in a somber mood, unable to shake the conversation she’d overheard. She brushed aside the concern Bri and Rynn showed as nothing more than a bad night’s sleep.
After dinner that evening—their last night in Aataran—their little group gathered in her and Rynn’s cave. Bri lay sprawled atop the blankets like she owned the place, with Jade leaning against the wall to her side. Aidan occupied the only chair they had, a rickety old thing they’d acquired off the side of the road in Krill one day. His legs were spread wide so Kai could fit her body between them, and Isla smiled as Aidan massaged Kai’s shoulders, his fingers often pausing to wrap around a strand of her blonde hair.
Rynn and Isla sat opposite Bri, Isla’s knees tucked to her chest and her head on Rynn’s shoulder. She hadn’t forgotten their last argument, but her melancholy from the day made her miss having someone to comfort her. It was so easy to fall back into his presence.
While the group talked, Isla noticed Bri was deeply engrossed in the ancient Vasileia record book, her brow furrowed in concentration. Bri had taken it upon herself to become the official “bearer of the book.” It was a historical ledger and diary, of sorts. The book lover in Bri had brightened at the challenge of combing through the ancient text. After her first night reading it, she’d told them it contained passages written by various members of the Vasileia bloodline throughout the centuries, with stories of the ruling family, copies of royal decrees, and myths and legends about the kingdom.
