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.”
Cora’s stomach turned. Darius was here. He wasn’t going to wait for the border meeting after all. She breathed past her fear, reminding herself that they were prepared for this scenario. Even her guards were ready, as demonstrated by the clothing, weapons, and armor they carried. One guard passed Cora a pair of trousers, a leather gambeson, and a breastplate while another handed similar items to Teryn. With no time for modesty, Cora and Teryn dressed in the proffered raiment with haste, then donned their weapons—Teryn’s sword and Cora’s dagger.
After they were fully dressed, the party proceeded to the nearest battlement. Once at the parapet, Cora glanced down at the castle grounds. Just like Captain Alden had explained, soldiers gathered in clusters of two dozen all around the castle.
“Seven devils,” Teryn cursed from beside her, his hands gripping the edge of the crenellated wall so hard his knuckles turned white.
“There’s at least one hundred soldiers,” Captain Alden said under her breath. Then, “No, one hundred and fifty. And more keep appearing.”
Cora swallowed hard. Their garrison boasted three hundred, but that wasn’t enough when the enemy was already inside the gates. Darius had memorized locations inside the keep itself; soldiers could already be surging through the halls…
Despite the fear tightening her chest, she anchored her soles to the floor, flooded her nostrils with cold night air, and connected to the elements. Earth beneath her feet. Breath in her lungs. The mist in the air. The light of the moon. The fire of her rage. Then, lowering her shields, she sought a specific strain of energy.
It sparked in her periphery, on the distant ground, then was gone the next moment. She whirled toward where she’d sensed him and saw a group of soldiers where there had been none a moment ago.
Then his energy returned, closer this time.
Then closer again.
She and Teryn turned away from the parapet just in time to see Darius appear on the battlement.
“There you are,” Darius said with a smirk. He was dressed in his same dark military-style ensemble as before, his gray hair swept back from his severe brow, but with a cuirass and gauntlets.
Captain Alden raised her sword, as did the rest of the royal guard, but Darius disappeared in the next breath. His absence did nothing to relieve Cora’s fear, and in another heartbeat, Darius was back, a dozen soldiers behind him. His arms were linked with two of his soldiers, and theirs were linked to their comrades, forming a clustered chain of sorts. Cora’s eyes widened at the sight. He could travel with that many companions simply by linking a group together and only making physical contact with two of them.
Darius’ soldiers dropped each other’s arms and withdrew their swords, taking up defensive stances.
“Majesty,” Alden said, her eyes narrowed on Darius. “Orders?”
“Hold positions,” Cora said, infusing her voice with as much calm as she could muster. Her fingers begged to unsheathe her dagger, yearned to flinch toward the bow and quiver that weren’t there. Yet she kept her arms at her sides as she and Teryn stepped forward, flanked by Alden and another guard. Darius’ men held their positions while their king mirrored the step toward the other party. He stood tall, his sword fully sheathed at his hip, hands clasped behind his back as if he had no reason to fear the blades pointed at him.
Why should he fear when he could worldwalk out of harm’s way in the blink of an eye?
“What is the meaning of this?” Teryn asked. Cora could feel the fear rippling off her husband, but he too was putting on a good show of keeping his composure. “You agreed to give us three weeks to make our decision?—”
