Her smile bloomed, soft and radiant, and for a dangerous moment, I let myself imagine this was normal, husband and wife, gifts and small smiles, quiet domesticity. And then I reminded myself that it wasn’t. Not really.
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into me, unable to help myself. The moment her body collided with mine, the air between us shifted to something soft, charged, dangerous. My lips pressed into hers, and she hummed softly, that small sound sparking through me like fire catching dry leaves.
I pulled back before I lost myself entirely and tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, needing the excuse to touch her once more. Her gaze lingered on mine, uncertain, searching.
“I wish you could go with me,” she whispered. “I hate those gatherings.”
“Why?” I asked.
She hesitated, her shoulders drawing in as if she were bracing herself. “They’re just… boring.” The word felt wrong the moment she said it. “I should go. Thank you for the magic.”
And then she was gone, disappearing without looking back.
The sudden absence of her energy left the room hollow, too quiet. I stood there longer than I should have, staring at the place where she’d been.
After my meeting with Della and Mikel, I would go check on her.
When I got to Mikel’s house in the stars, Remiah was smiling as she held my nephew. I headed toward her and gave her a hug.
“How are you feeling, Remy?”
My eyes dropped to her very pregnant stomach. My brother couldn’t keep his hands to himself. A faint, amused thought, but underneath it, envy. He had something real, something I’d only been pretending at.
“I’m ready to not be pregnant.” She laughed, glowing as she always did. “Della and Mikel are in the office.”
I nodded and headed for the room, but my mind was miles away. Elowyn’s voice replayed in my head—I wish you could go with me.She had looked more disappointed than she wanted me to notice. I did notice. I always did.
“Hey.” Mikel’s voice broke me out of my thoughts. “You’re late… You're never late.”
His gaze swept over me like he was searching for signs of illness. If only it were that simple. I sat down, rubbing my thumb over the faint mark where I burned myself making her damn pastries.
“Sorry.”
“Did you go to Valynth?” Della asked, her tone all business, though her sharp eyes missed nothing.
“Yes, I spoke with Maris Blythe, and she gave me some insight into what is happening, but I don’t think you guys will like what she said.”
Della sat down and stared at me.
I exhaled sharply. “Gilyx is not taking the energy of the realm. Kilryn, the lost realm, is.”
“Kilryn?” Della gasped. “Thelostrealm? It doesn’t exist any longer.”
I nodded as I stared at Della and Mikel.
“It apparently does still exist. It’s why the veylanthi guardians are protecting the three artifacts. The magical barriers are keeping Kilryn contained, mostly, but its magic is starting to seep out. Maris says it’s what is taking the energy from the realm and what is fucking everything up. I'm not sure if the gods in Gilyx are aware of this."
Mikel stared at me like I had lost my fucking mind.
“So how do we stop it?” he asked.
“The heir of the Sword of Wern will. That is what Maris said. The sword is powerful enough to kill an entire realm. She said it will appear when it is needed.”
They both stared at me silently.
“I know that you trusted Maris’ mother, but why didn’t she tell you that there is still a fourth realm? Veylanthi are naturally manipulative and sneaky. Are we sure we can trust them?” Mikel asked.
Della looked from me to Mikel.
