“Here, have a drink,” she insisted, pouring one of the lavender wines for me and handing it over.
I grabbed it with a smile, taking a sip. After my conversation with Titan earlier, I could certainly use it. “I’m glad you’re here. I feel like I haven’t had time to see anyone but Calix in weeks!”
She laughed, pushing my shoulder lightly, “Don’t even pretend you’re not happy to be spending time with him.”
“Oh, I am,” I admitted with a sly smile. “You would be, too, if you were me.”
She shook her head, but proceeded to grill me on everything that had happened. I gave her all the new gossip, including about the two phoenix princes who’d joined us.
“I bet they’ll be fucking before the war is over,” I told her with a smirk.
She doubled over in laughter, but a knock on the door sounded, and Delia showed herself in. “Happy to have you back, Asteria.”
She smiled warmly, but I could see she was here for a reason, with the way she was twirling her rings around her fingers. A tell she had whenever she had to shift into professional lady’s maid mode.
“Happy to be back.” I smiled widely. “What’s going on?”
She sighed, tilting her head at me, clearly exasperated that I could see right through her: “Calix and Eryx just arrived back with Nithe. They want your input on a plan.”
I turned to Priscilla dramatically, “My work is never done.”
She laughed, rolling her eyes at me as I bounced off the bed.
“Oh, before I forget. Ilta mentioned needing you for a dress fitting,” Priscilla said, before giving me a kiss on the cheek and bounding out the door.
“A dress fitting?” I raised a brow at Delia, hoping she’d know, but she shook her head, shrugging.
She helped me dress, putting on a shorter purple and iridescent silver dress that crossed over my front and draped fabric down each side. It was gorgeous and dramatic, and I realized I really loved getting to try all these different dresses. As much as I loved my armor, getting to wear pretty dresses was just as great when it wasmychoice.
Having this control over my life was amazing. Now, I just needed to gain control over the rest of it. My fighting and magic were coming along nicely, but my emotions were still a mess most of the time. Dragon or not, I couldn’t let that happen when chaos was what threatened this world.
I couldn’t be just as chaotic and still bring balance. Everyone was counting on me, and the thought of failing was… I shuddered. Itcouldn’thappen.
I made my way to the war room and walked right to Calix’s side. His arm automatically opened and brought me into him. It was so hard to be around him andnottouch him in some way. I wondered if that would ever lessen or if it would always be that way.
“Asteria, you remember Nithe.” Calix indicated the man across the table, and I narrowed my eyes for a second, looking him over. But as I saw the pink eyes, I suddenly put it together, my own eyes going wide and a slight blush taking over my cheeks to my mortification.
Nithe smirked slightly, but he forced it down quickly, clearing his throat, and I was sure Calix was glaring him into submission above my head.
“Right. Hi,” I greeted him lamely. Eryx pressed his lips together to hide his smile, so I glared at him from where he was standing around the table.
“Nithe just returned from Dusk,” Calix explained, and launched into an explanation of what Nithe had seen. My face grew stormier the longer I listened, and I tried to fight down my rage as best I could. I could still feel smoke in my throat, and starlight bounced around my fingertips. They joined the shadows on Calix’s, so I supposed I wasn’t alone in that.
“I plan to send Nithe back into Dusk, to help the humans rising against Cyrus,” Calix said, and I perked up. “This is why I wanted you here to help plan this out. If we can help them rise up, we can hopefully help some escape, which will also help to begin dismantling Cyrus’s reign and operations.”
I nodded eagerly, but bit my lip in thought. “Can we afford to send some people into the other kingdoms, too?”
“For what purpose?” Calix asked, brows furrowing as he looked down at me.
“Because all of the humans need to be in on this,” I explained, beginning to move pieces on the map. “If the humans of only one kingdom rebel, then only one kingdom will be affected. We need all of Celesterra to rise up.Allof the humans.”
I turned to face Calix, my eyes wide and pleading. I knew—knew deep inside my heart and soul—that this was the right move.
“We can’t do it for them, Calix. They need to grasp freedom for themselves. We send people to stir up rebellion in the kingdoms who are against us, then make sure the humans in the kingdoms allied with us know change is coming, and they should fight with us. We can change everything! Humans need to fight to free themselves, though. Even if the Fae lead the charge, they need to be involved. Otherwise, it’s just more of the same—the Fae telling them how it’s going to be and controlling their lives.”
Silence followed in the wake of my impromptu speech. But I felt passionately about this, and as Calix examined me, I let him feel every bit of it. He slowly nodded, and I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
“We can make that happen,” Calix agreed, smiling softly. I smiled brightly back at him, leaning in to kiss him, showing him how grateful I truly was.
