Morgan smiled and looked down at the darkness snaking around her legs. She liked it, this unlikely companion always at her side. “Whenever you least expect it.”
Avery
“So you spent the week alone in the dark?” Avery asked, still not sure if she believed her sister hadn’t been tormented, or even starved during her time in Rylo’s famed torture tower.
Morgan sliced the thin pieces of meat on her plate, taking a delicate bite. “Yeah, at first I felt a growing panic, but I let it die down and just embraced the darkness.”
Avery shook her head. “What did you do then?”
Morgan shrugged before sipping the wine from her goblet. She’d arrived at their shared room clean, calm, and rather pleased with herself only a few hours earlier. After she’d unexpectedly entered their shared room, Morgan asked if Avery would take a walk with her. Despite the time outside together, Avery hadn’t been able to piece together what had happened to her sister during her stay in the Tower of Teeth.
“You know. What I usually do alone. I did yoga and meditated. Plus I reflected on my life before coming here and my soul, and practiced using my shadows.” Morgan effortlessly let the shadows that had been circling her legs move up her body before sweeping forward to caress Avery’s cheek.
The touch was cool, calming, and so Morgan that Avery wasn’t at all surprised this darkness came from her sister. What Avery couldn’t stop was the pang of jealousy that settled in her heart. Of course Morgan would master her magic with ease. Of course it would happen while she turned a means of torturing her into a week long yoga retreat in the dark.
“And you’re fine with all this? With the way Rylo punished you for trying to leave?”
Morgan looked at her with green eyes, flecks of amber dancing amongst the jade. “I think Rylo wasn’t trying to punish me as much as force me to face what I already knew. I can’t go home. Not yet, not until I learn how. But I can use my strengths and talents to make my time here better.”
Avery’s mouth gaped so far open she could have swallowed a fly. “It just doesn’t make sense that you’re so calm about all this. Helocked you awayfor a week!”
Morgan took another bite of her food, sighing as she said, “I think it was what I needed.” The shadows built around her then glided through the room, lifting objects and setting them in new places. “I feel like I’m gaining control—not only of my magic, but of who I can become here, and even gaining some control over Rylo.”
Now Avery really didn’t understand what her sister meant. “Well, fortunately we’ll be leaving for Orofine soon! Then we won’t have to see him again.”
Morgan bit her lip. For the first time during their conversation, she looked unsure. “I think I need to stay here, Ave. I don’t think my time in Nephel is over yet, but you should go.”
Avery jumped up, closing the distance between herself and Morgan. “Morgan, please. We need to stick together. Once we’re in Orofine we can practice magic together without worrying about Rylo’s motives.”
The scars along Morgan’s cheeks tightened as frown lines appeared on her face. “I don’t think I can go there. Not yet anyway. I finally have access to Rylo’s library, and being around people who look like my attacker… It’s too intense. Plus, I don’t doubt they’ll attack me for killing their king. We have no way of knowing what’s been happening there.”
Avery squeezed her sister’s hand. “Morgan, don’t. I don’t want to lose you again, please! Let’s just stay together through this. We’re better together. I’ll make sure you’re safe there.”
Morgan pulled her hand back before she brought her gaze to the remaining bites of her dinner. Finally, she turned and looked at Avery. “I don’t know, Ave. I have a very bad feeling about this…”
“Please, please just say you’ll stay with me! I can’t lose you again, Morgan, and I can’t stay here. I need to see Savine again, plus Rylo is still the one who kidnapped me and has hurt Savine so much.”
The tightness in Morgan’s expression relaxed a bit as she said, “Yeah, you’re right. We should stick together.”
Chapter 16
Savine
Savine sat on the carved wooden throne. The wood was worn in places where his ancestors had rubbed the grain smooth and the bumps from the inlaid jewels hurt his ass. He was considering commissioning a new throne for himself and Avery, but perhaps that was thinking too far ahead. Avery was too disinterested with the crown, so he wouldn’t push the role on her. Besides, most rulers of Latiah didn’t have their spouse or soulmate rule alongside them. Perhaps it was best that he continued a long tradition of ruling on his own.
The joyous homecoming had lasted less than a day before Savine felt the magnitude of what he was stepping into as King ofLatiah. A little over two weeks had passed since Savine arrived in Orofine and he wanted nothing more than a few quiet moments by himself. But try as he might, he wasn’t getting that time. Perhaps it was for the best to be this busy without Avery by his side. Once she was here, he would demand some time for her alone, away from the incessant pleas and requests from noble families and city folk.
A fae from a migratory band was speaking to him now about their concern over their band’s winter supplies. Under Jasper’s rule, migratory groups were no longer able to travel freely and had struggled to adjust to a stationary lifestyle. It was no surprise that folk accustomed to hunting and gathering would not be able to take up growing crops. Savine felt compassion for the displaced fae. But it was like this every day, hearing the stories of how his father had harmed his own people, weakening his own nation until they were a shell of the once powerful nation.
The only bright side was that Jasper’s greed was helping solve the imbalance in their society now. The former king had stockpiles of supplies—grains, dried meat, fish, fruit, extra furs, weapons, and oddly more sanitary cloth for wiping shit than any nation could ever need.
“We will support your band of fae through the winter. You may take whatever stock from our supplies here in Orofine that you will need to survive the winter, then you are free to return to your way of life. There is no longer a decree against migratory groups roaming Latiah freely.”
The man bowed. His fur cape slid forward as he rose again. “You are a just and kind king.”
Savine gave a small bow and motioned for his cup. Darby was there beside him with a hot cup of tea and he took it eagerly.
“How many more today?” he whispered. After this he had a meeting with his preliminary council, then was expected to oversee the preparations for the Night of Feasts.
