Dear Father,
I’m currently in Kuroden. I’m well, and I’ll be home in three weeks. Don’t worry about me. I’ll explain everything when I’m back. I’m safe.
Love,
Audryn
It was as much of the truth as it was a lie. I wasn’t sure I’d be home in three weeks, not to my proper home at least. I considered writing to Benton and Orion, but decided against it. My friends would likely hear the news from my father anyhow.
By the time I returned outside, a small crowd had formed around the king. His eyes lifted to me, and a dimple popped as he threw a smile in my direction. A moment later, he was excusing himself from the group and moving to meet my side.
Dark stone buildings lined both sides of the street, their signs created with colorful hues. Paintings, stained glass art, and other items sat on the shelves in the windows. Bookshops with candles and tiny tables were bustling with people, old and young alike.
“If you give them food, do they even need to work?” I bent down to inspect a plant on the front porch of an unpainted home. Bare tomato vines sat sadly in a purple-painted container. Its soil was damp and thriving with the familiar life I was so used to.
It was odd to see the pots accessible to anyone who passed; thieves could easily take what they wanted. I poured magic into the soil, sending tomatoes blooming down the thin vine.
“Everyone works, whether at the seeps, at home raising children, selling goods, or helping within the community.” Grave watched as I moved to a miniature lemon tree on a nearby patio. “We work together for everything we have. Those unable to work, because of illness or otherwise, are supported by those around them.”
For several blocks, I stopped and bloomed each plant and vine I came across, allowing the glittering magic to pour into the soil-filled containers. Some were proper clay pots, while other vessels were made of household dishes and jars. Nobody could claim the fae of Kuroden weren’t resourceful with what they had.
“How’s Dysis been?” Grave asked.
He’d offered Zalzre to me at the beginning of the week for our daily trips, but I refused and took Dysis instead. I quickly learned he’d been right, and it was like riding a horse, though the danger of falling off was more worrisome. But the castle was a straight shot, and other than takeoff and landing, the ride was pretty calm, plus Amalee stayed right beside me.
“She’s really amazing.” It was the truth. The beast was cautious when my nerves had gotten the best of me and seemed to push my limits as my confidence grew.
“And your time here?” he asked. “I know I’ve been gone quite a bit and haven’t been able to help you settle in. How are you adjusting?”
He bit his lower lip, and I stared intently at the fullness and blanched skin. “Things have been fine, considering,” I said.
I had fallen into an easy rhythm in my temporary life. Amalee and Sky ate breakfast with me at the table just after sunrise, and during the day I attempted to repair the land. In the evenings, I found myself downstairs in the common room alone while the two women went off on their own.
The crackling fire of the hearth had kept me company each night as I read the tiny book of children’s stories. Fisher hadthankfully packed several books from my room in Rivale, including the one Roark had passed off to me from King Grave. The stories were sweet and somehow lulled me to sleep before I could make it to the end. Each morning I woke up on the sofa with a blanket covering me and the rising sun shining through the window.
Truthfully, I felt at peace, though my goals of killing the king and finding the name of the executioner aimlessly lingered in the back of my mind. There was nothing I could do to complete my tasks being so far away. Ryder was the only person who knew the name of Kamden’s executioner, and King Sutton might die before I even had the opportunity to kill him. All I was left with was to focus on the needs of Grave’s Kingdom. Plus, seeing the people up close and how little they had, made me even more determined to heal the land.
8
AUDRYN
Just as I had started getting used to the cooler temperatures of Kuroden, the morning air dropped even lower. I’d read that the conditions north were harsher, but with it being the end of summer, I hadn’t expected it to change so drastically.
“To the castle?” I threw my borrowed flying jacket around me and zipped it up.
“Sky is taking you for a flight first. There's a meeting, and it would be better if you weren’t there.” Amalee’s voice was flat, giving away nothing.
“She’s not going with your girlfriend alone,” Fisher interjected.
“My brother made it perfectly clear that Audryn doesn’t belong to youoryour prince while you’re here.” Amalee scowled. “If she would like to go with Sky, that is what she will do.”
The two were locked in a staring match that I was pretty certain Amalee would win.
“It’s fine.” I threw out a hand. “If he wants to come with me, he can.”
“Fine.” She conceded just as Sky walked through the door.
Sky hesitated before leaning over and kissing Amalee’s still-angry face. “Uh oh, what did I just walk in on?”
