“We should probably be out of sight when he wakes up,” I tell the veterinarian. “He’s not going to be happy about being a three-legged wolf.”
She blanches and rises to her feet.
“Thank you,” I say to her. “For helping him, me, and all my kind.”
“You’re one of them,” she says. “Your ears are rounded, but…you’re fae.”
I lift my chin with pride. “I am.”
“You’re the one we’ve heard about, then. The human-fae queen. The one who bargained for our protection.”
I’m taken aback as I contemplate her words. Is this what Mayor Coleman has told the people of Eisleigh? Or has rumor spread on its own?
When I don’t reply, she speaks, voice trembling. “What happens now? You…your kind…rule us. What does that mean for humans on the isle? For our cities and towns? Our way of life?”
Her words echo questions of my own, questions I have no answers to. So I give her honesty. “I don’t know what the future of the isle looks like. Yes, it belongs to the fae now, but it is still your home. We won’t hurt you.”
She studies me, shoulders rigid. “Do the others feel the same as you do?”
The truth will frighten her, but it’s all that I have to offer. “No, but I promise that I will fight on your behalf.” I can feel the promise ringing through my bones, and I know it’s one I can keep. I will fight for the humans, and I will fight for the fae. I will fight for a fair way of life for all people. Seelie. Unseelie. Human. I may not know what that balance looks like yet, but I will work to build it. And I know Aspen will too.
I extend an open palm to the human. After a moment’s hesitation, she takes it in hers and gives it a squeeze. “Fae promises are binding, right?” she asks.
I give her a solemn nod. “They are. I will not break this one.”
With a small smile, she dips into a curtsey, then turns away in search of more work to be done.
I too scan the street, looking for who I can help tend to next, but the sight of someone at the corner of my periphery has my heart leaping in my chest—Lorelei. She grins wide when I meet her gaze, and we both run to each other. As soon as she’s in reach, I fling my arms around her, squeezing her petite frame close. Tears stream down my cheeks, and from the way her shoulders heave, I can tell she’s crying too. When our sobs turn to laughter, we pull away, although our arms remain linked.
“The wall works,” she says, eyes bright as she bounces on the balls of her feet. “Nyxia tested it on the soldiers.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
Her words come out faster than I’ve ever heard her speak, as if she can hardly contain them. “Nyxia glamoured one of the soldiers to attempt to pass between the stones near the dock. He couldn’t. No human can, neither on nor off the isle, not unless accompanied by a fae. It’s like a tangible barrier exists, one only the fae can cross. No weapon can pierce it either. Now Nyxia is escorting the surrendered soldiers onto fishing boats so we can ship them back to the mainland. They’re never coming back. Ever.”
This sends a rush of excitement to my head. My relief is so overwhelming, I have to squeeze Lorelei’s arms to keep from swaying where I stand. Even though I already knew the enchantment had been completed, hearing that it’s been tested and proven successful is a much-needed comfort amidst the grim aftermath of battle.
Lorelei’s eyes sparkle as she bounces on her feet again. “She did it, Evelyn. Estel’s enchantment works.”
My face falls at the mention of the Star Queen, fresh tears pricking my eyes. “Yes, it does.”
Lorelei’s smile melts off her lips. “Where is she, anyway?”
My chin quivers as I summon the words from my heart. “Estel has returned to the stars.”
Lorelei’s shoulders droop, her hold on me growing slack. Her eyes are keen, telling me she knows there’s much more to this story.
But it isn’t one I want to tell right now. Not when there is still much work to do. Hearts to soothe. Wounds to tend. Dead to burn or bury.
When we’re done, I’ll tell them. I’ll tell everyone.
Not a single soul, neither human nor fae, will go without knowing that Estel, Queen of the Star Court, saved the Fair Isle.
* * *
The daysthat follow are solemn ones.
We remain at the port while our wounded are tended to by myself and my fellow healers. When we run out of supplies, we go to town and get more. When we grow tired, we rest, only to wake up a few short hours later and return to our duties.
