With tender care, she removed each twig, each crystal, with careful reverence, then dusted the table with a silk handkerchief she’d tucked into the front of her chemise. Once clean, she replaced the items one at a time, crossing each stick with precision until it formed something like a star, then arranged the crystals around it. With her protection talisman back in place, she gave the nightstand an approving nod. She stepped away, but not before her eyes fell on the nightstand drawer. That was where she’d previously stashed the talon collar, right next to Morkai’s book of blood weaving blueprints.
A book Cora now knew Teryn had read.
He’d told her all about what he’d done with the blood Darius had left behind before he’d taken Cora to Syrus. Told her how he’d made a bond with Morkai’s warrior wraiths, earning their loyalty for one final battle, before he’d give them eternal rest. All Teryn had to do to summon them was offer his blood.
She’d been chilled to learn of what he’d done, yet she hadn’t felt an ounce of fear. It was more…awe. Relief. They now had a way to bolster their numbers without their enemy being any the wiser.
As for their enemy…
He could act at any time.
Cora sensed Teryn’s approach before his footsteps sounded on the stairs. She glanced over her shoulder to greet him with a tired grin.
He was dressed down to his shirtsleeves and trousers, his silver hair hanging in waves around his face. In a few slow strides, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He nestled his face into the crook of her neck. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“No,” she said. “Besides, I wanted to wait for you.”
He’d been in the study all evening, arranging correspondences with the trusted few who knew about Larylis’ formal abdication. They were keeping it a secret for now, so as not to alert Darius of their intentions, but they still needed to set some things in motion so as not to throw Lela into chaos once all was said and done.
They stayed like that for several long, quiet moments. These were the moments Cora treasured lately. The calm before the storm.
Too soon, Teryn pulled away. She turned to face him, lacing her hands behind his neck. He frowned, then ran a hand down her bare arm. “Aren’t you cold?”
She hadn’t noticed the cold until now, but dressed in only her chemise so late in the evening, and in a room without a fire, she had to admit she was chilly. “A little.”
He smiled down at her and rubbed both of her gooseflesh-covered arms, pausing as one of his hands brushed over her bicep. He stroked the skin with his thumb, eliciting a shiver from her. “Your tattoos have grown again.”
Brow furrowed, she slid her hands from behind his neck, resting one palm on his chest while she inspected the other arm. Sure enough, on the inside of her bicep were more geometric shapes that hadn’t been inked with a needle. “Oh, you’re right.”
She hadn’t noticed before now, as it wasn’t a part of her body she regularly inspected, nor was it an area that drew her attention in the mirror. Yet as surprised as she was to see the new designs, she’d experienced a similar phenomenon last year, when a spiral appeared on her inner elbow. Salinda had explained that Cora wasn’t the only one whoseinsigmorahad taken on a life of their own. The tattoos themselves were a Faeryn tradition, passed down to the Forest People—Faeryn descendants and witches alike. Now that she knew more about Lela’s history, she wondered if it was the influence ofmorathat made the tattoos grow on their own.
Furthermore…what would it be like once fae magic was properly sealed behind the Veil?
Would herinsigmoracease growing without the aid of ink and needle?
Would the Faeryn descendants who lived among the Forest People cease being able to use the Magic of the Soil? Would they never again wield roots and vines like they had during the battle at Centerpointe Rock? Would only witch magic be left in the world?
Her questions left her with a pang of guilt, for she hated to think she might be condemning some of the Forest People to a magicless life. Yet it was impossible to know the answers, and she’d already made her choice. She knew what she had to do. She’d deal with the consequences after themorawas sealed and Lela was safely hers.
Teryn ran his hand over her arm again from bicep to wrist, then lifted the back of her hand to his lips. “We should get to bed.”
She stepped closer to him and heaved a sigh. “Must we?” She’d spoken out of anxiety, for she dreaded sleep these days, fearing all the ways things could go wrong during slumber. But the way his eyes dipped to her mouth made her reconsider her motivations behind the statement.
Teryn lifted his eyes back to hers, holding them with passionate intensity. Her palm was still pressed to his chest, her other hand still resting in his. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers and caressed them with the softest, sweetest kiss. It was a balm on her soul, a blanket for all her frayed nerves. She melted against him, angled her head, and let him deepen the kiss.
Mother Goddess, she loved him so much. Loved how a single kiss could make her forget her fears. Her worries. The risks they’d soon face.
Yet Teryn’s kisses could only do so much.
They couldn’t drown out the clamor of bells that shattered the night.
* * *
Cora’s hearthammered against her ribs as they raced down the stairs and through the main hall. Captain Alden and several members of the royal guard intercepted them.
“What happened?” Cora asked, though she expected she already knew the gist of it.
“Heavily armored soldiers are appearing within the perimeter wall,” Alden said, her blue eyes wide with terror. “Two dozen at a time, surrounding the castle. I’ve sent archers to the wall, but the invading army hasn’t attacked. They’re waiting beneath a shield wall.”
