After the light became a part of him, Avery sat beside him, letting her head rest on his shoulders as the warm steam settled against their slick skin. “I never want to leave this place,” Avery whispered.
Savine wrapped his arms around her. “Mm. Neither do I, Ave. Let’s stay a while longer.”
“That sounds perfect.” She leaned into his warmth and closed her eyes. The bond between them seemed to open new senses between them. She could feel his emotions more sharply, including his sated contentment.
Avery gasped as a sudden searing pain shot through her head. She gripped her head as another wave of agony pierced through her skull. Savine pulled her away, inspecting her for injury.
“What’s the matter, Avery?” She couldn’t respond as her skull began ripping apart, shredding her from the inside out. She covered her eyes as tears began streaming down her face.
“Goddess above,” Savine whispered.
She reached up to her head once more and felt a sharp gilded crown resting on her head. She looked at Savine, his face was just as shocked as she felt. Trickles of blood streamed down her face as the unrelenting pain continued.
Savine sucked in a breath as his crown emerged from his head, and it wasn’t just the boughs and antlers, but tiny flowers threaded through the gilded crown.
“What in the hell just happened?” Avery asked, nausea twisting through the pain.
Savine beamed at her with pride.“You have your own crown of boughs, antlers and small flowers.”
Avery scowled. “Is this normal for the mate of a king?”
He pulled her close into a hug and pressed a kiss on her head where the crown met her scalp. She winced from the raw pain lancing through her skull. “No, this is not normal. But it’s alright. We’ll navigate this together.”
“What do you think it means?” she asked, leaning into his strength. Her head was pounding and she felt dizzy.
“It means you’re the Queen of Latiah.”
Avery’s heart sank. She’d wanted to be Savine’s soulmate. She’d never felt so sure about anything in her life as she did about accepting the bond between them. But, she wanted it on her terms, and somehow those terms had just been very physically taken from her.
Chapter 24
Avery
Avery’s head was still pounding as she and Savine made their way toward a side door of the treehouses. She couldn’t help but feel like the moment she and Savine had chosen to bond their souls together was forever overshadowed by the heavy crown on her head. This physical sign that she’d have to step up to the role of queen, whether she was willing or not.
Avery went to open the door, but Savine placed his hand on hers. She turned back and looked at him, a softness on his hard face. Her stomach sunk as she saw the pure love in his eyes. “Ave, let me go in first. I’ll distract anyone who might see us so you can make your way up to our rooms.”
There was nothing she wanted more than to escape to their rooms. But, the crown already weighed heavy on her brow. Everyone would know by the Night of Feasts that she was the True Queen of Latiah.
“No, Savine. I need to face this by your side.” Her mouth was dry and her heart hammered in her chest. “We’re a team now.”
“Together then.” He opened the heavy, carved door and held it open for Avery.
The room she entered was quiet, an open window letting in the crisp autumn breeze. But she could hear movement just outside the door. Folk were running along one of the many open halls connecting this tiny segment of the treehouse to the rest.
Avery turned back to see Savine silently latch the door behind them. He held out his arms, ready to embrace her. Before he could speak, she let her face sink into his hard chest, his arms wrapping around her and holding her tight.
“It feels like a lifetime ago that I was flinching from your touch,” Savine said, stroking Avery’s hair. “I was so lost in my own hurt that I physically couldn’t accept a hug. And somehow, you worked your way into my heart and soul to the point where I crave your touch. It brings me life. Ave, you helped me find myself again, and I’m not going to let you lose yourself now.”
He touched the cool metal of the crown jutting from her head. Just that brief contact made Avery wince. “This changes nothing about what I promised you. If you don’t want to be queen in practice, then I support that. If you change your mind, I’ll be ready to share the nation with you.”
Tears welled in Avery’s eyes. She wasn’t ready for this, and hearing Savine give her the choice to not be thrust into her role as queen was the only thing keeping her from splintering.
“Are you sure?”
Savine stroked her cheek, brushing his thumb across her lips. “It’s your decision. You just gave me the most precious gift youcould give me, and I’m not about to pressure you into something you don’t want.”
Avery sucked in a breath, “Thank you, Savine.” Slowly, she pulled away from his strong, comforting embrace. “Alright. Let’s do this!”
