“Thank you, Willow.”
Grinning wide, she turned to inspect the dresses again, pulling out the one she apparently considered worthy of my proposal. “Yes, this is the perfect one.”
Dark fabric covered it fully, so I couldn’t really see what it was. “I’m sure it is stunning, like everything you make.”
“You already have my blessing, Brax, I assure you. You don’t need to grovel.”
Yep. That was the Willow we all loved.
“I have one favor to ask.” I stepped closer to her, pulling out the tiny leather pouch from my back pocket. “I haven’t seen Evie wear any jewelry other than the bracelets you give her for each dress, but I wanted to ask you, do you think she might like this?”
I turned the bag upside down, dropping the little golden wing onto her palm.
The breath lodged in her throat the instant she saw it. “How?” Her head shook as though it wasn’t possible for her to be holding that necklace. “Where did you get this?”
“The Truth Teller gave it to me. I found it in my jacket after I met her. Is something wrong?”
Her eyes glistened when she turned the pendant, glancing at the inscription. “No, not wrong. Just impossible.”
“What do you mean?”
A tear escaped her as she looked up at me, yet a contradicting, wonder-filled smile grazed her lips. “This shouldn’t be here, Braxton. Evanna thought she’d never see this again.” Taking my hand into hers, Willow placed the wing on my palm with extreme care. “This is the necklace her father gave to her mother when he asked her to be his, after they were free.” She pointed to the letters on its back. “E & S.Ezra and Sienna.”
Holy shit. “That’s insane…” I whispered, appreciating the necklace in a whole new way.
“That is not the reason why this is impossible.” She shook her head again, her expression filling with disbelief. “This was so special to Queen Sienna that she never took it off. Never. Do you know what that means?”
Realization coiled like sinister snakes around my being, until I could barely breathe. “She was wearing it when she died.”
“And their bodies were forever lost to us.”
Damn.
Swallowing, I brushed a thumb gently over the golden wing, feeling Willow’s hand grip mine, squeezing it.
“Youhaveto give this to Evanna when you ask her to be yours for life, Braxton.Thisis your grand gesture.”
17
EVANNA
The weathered parchment trembled in my grasp as my eyes swept through the lines written in my father’s penmanship. It had been a few days since I last tried to read the letter left for me behind my parents portrait, finding his words harder to hear than I anticipated. Truth be told, I wasn’t even certain I should read it now, but I needed to know.
All I’d wished for since they passed on was to see them one last time. One last smile. One last hug. One last moment to actually say goodbye… And now here it was. This letter was my chance for closure, but it was also the one thing that could finally make me fall apart. It had almost broken me as Braxton began to read it last time, and I could not let emotion ruin me. Not now. Not ever.
Whatever happened, I had to remain strong for our people.
Closing my eyes, I steeled myself. Controlled breaths made their way in and out of my lungs, and I envisioned my walls strengthening around me. Steel replaced the rock that once formed them, not only giving me a way to withstand what was to come but the strength that everyone else expected me, the soon-to-be-queen, to possess.
With my emotions firmly locked, I opened my eyes again, unfolding the parchment.
“By the time you find this letter, we will be gone, and for that, I am truly sorry. Nevertheless, this means Braxton is already back in Caelisium, helping you fight, and you have found the accord behind Khayden’s portrait, which prompted you to search the back of ours.
Sunshine, please believe that your mother and I wish things could have been different. We fought with everything we had in us to stay by your side. To see you grow into the amazing woman, and the kind, selfless ruler we know you will be.
Being a parent changes you forever. We love you more than we could have ever imagined possible, so we need you to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that even though we are gone, we did not leave you willingly. But we willingly gave our lives for yours.”
Just like the last time, I was forced to stop as the emotions fought to rise to the surface. I wasn’t a mother yet, but I understood what he meant. I loved Braxton more than anything, and if we had kids,whenwe had kids, I knew I would give my life to save theirs without hesitation. As would he.
