Her affinity for the sky made complete sense now. She was a Celestial Fae. I had my suspicions about which kingdom she came from, but her magic didn’t match. It was the most curious thing. I had never seen magic like hers before. Pure starlight had erupted from her body.
But no Fae had the power of starlight. Asteria, her namesake and the goddess of stars, wasn’t one of the gods with dominion over a kingdom. Not directly, anyway. Though, she did oversee both Night and Day Kingdoms, and was worshipped in both as a secondary goddess.
Something was amiss. Or, if not amiss, then something was certainly stirring. First, Liviana’s visions. The gods had directed us to Asteria. They made sure Liviana knew she was of vital importance. And if what I suspected was true… then she certainly was. Only in more ways than I’d anticipated.
And she was my mate on top of all that.
I wouldnotlet her go. I didn’t care what the future may hold. She wasmine. We would find a way through whatever came.Together.
I just had to get her to open back up to me. This wall between us felt like Tartarus. Since we’d met, she’d been all I could think of. Even dealing with a looming war, the threat of chaos, and the challenge of freeing human slaves, my mind would not leave her.
I refused to let distance grow between us now. I tightened my hold on her, and whether she realized it or not, she snuggled deeper into me in response. It settled something in my chest that had rioted from the moment she blocked me off. Soothing my soul when it wanted nothing more than to connect with hers.
But her whole world had been turned on its head. A good mate should think of their mate’s needs first. And she needed time and space to come to terms with this. She had spent years hating the Fae, only to find out she was one of us all along. That she’d been enslaved as a result of what was done to her… it enraged me beyond belief.
She deserved the world. And instead, someone had buried her brilliance and let her suffer under the yoke of slavery.
It could not stand. I would find out who did this to her. And most importantly,why.
* * *
I landed gently,not wanting to jostle Asteria. She quickly jumped out of my arms, and before I could pull her back, a blonde hurricane barreled into her. Asteria’s laugh was like music to my ears, and a smile came to my face just watching one grace hers.
Ilta and Priscilla had both launched themselves at her, and Asteria laughingly struggled to wrap her arms around them in return. I desperately wanted to keep her to myself, the mate bond driving me, but I shut down my impulse to hoard her like the treasure she is. She deserved this.
The two blondes held Asteria tightly, swaying back and forth. Eryx, Baach, Titan, and Harpina would be back with the army soon enough, and I knew they would equally want time with her. And, of course, Delia and Lilith would also demand some of Asteria’s attention. I would need to readjust to sharing her with everyone else now that the bond was screaming at me.
My head tipped to the side as Ndrita slinked up to me, my eyes still focused on Asteria. Making sure she didn’t somehow disappear, but giving my sister enough attention to know I was listening.
“You found her.” Her relieved sigh was loud, and my eyes found hers momentarily before skirting back to Asteria.
“I did.” I nodded back in confirmation. I could feel her eyes drilling into the side of my head, but I couldn’t bear to tear mine off Asteria. My feet slowly followed as the girls herded her through the giant black double doors of the glittering palace.
But as Asteria walked through those doors, the silver runes that lined the edges in the ancient language of the gods, that had supposedly been inscribed into the doors when the palace was first created, began to glow. The silver glow lasted only as long as she was in their presence, and I paused, taking in the phenomenon with awe.
“Did you see that?” I questioned, looking to Ndrita as my brow furrowed. Only to find my sister’s jaw slack in shock. She nodded slowly, dragging her blue eyes away from the runes along the door, and back to me. She swallowed hard.
“She’s not the same. I was going to ask about that, but this…” She trailed off, looking at me. The look in her eyes was one I was familiar with. I raised a hand before the doors, letting my fingers connect to the silver runes. My fingertips trailed over them, the silver smooth and yet… strangelywarm.
I looked at Ndrita, who still had that look in her blue eyes. The same one she gave me when she was growing up, after our parents had both died, when it was just Liviana and us.
She believed I had the answers to everything. Still looking to her big brother to set everything right in the world. I closed my eyes, my forehead hitting the doors. I breathed deeply, trying to get my spiraling thoughts under control.
My mind was going in a million directions at once.
“Calix, those runes, they’ve never lit up like that—” I cut Ndrita off before she could continue.
“I know, sister.” My voice was weary as I lifted my head and turned to her. “She’s Fae.” I breathed out.
Her eyes grew wider than I’d ever seen. “What? But—” She cut herself off this time, seemingly at a loss for words.
I noticed the crowd we were beginning to draw.Of course.Their king returned from battle, having rescued our only hope, and now he was leaning wearily against the door. I could only imagine my guards’ thoughts as they stood a few feet away, lined up and ready to move the moment I did.
“Come, sister.” I sighed heavily. “I’ll explain on the way.” I ushered her into the palace. I’d lost sight of my mate, but I knew I would find her shortly. She was home, and that was what mattered.
She was home.
The shining walls of the rotunda greeted me upon our entrance. The elegant decor was meant to make those entering awed and yet comfortable. My mother had redesigned this room for explicitly that purpose. She’d been an amazing queen, dedicated to her people and her kingdom. They’d deserved to have her for far longer than they had.
