“Especially with this concept you told me about on the way here,” Vax said.
“One you’re gonna be a part of.”
“Yes. One I will most certainly be delighted to become a part of.”
She told us, “I met with Octana today alongside River as well to discuss it and bring them on board. A private accord between future sovereigns—the heirs to kingdoms, covens, political powerhouses, and the like throughout the supernatural world. We share a unique complication—one that my idea can finally turn into opportunity. Our lives are political weapons before we even inherit power. I call the conceptExalt. We’ll mine the opportunities, leverage, and heavy-hitting moves as heirs without actual thrones. And we’ll affect public opinion when itcomes to certain things, especially traditionalist notions that are still entrenched in some places—the Dracoryn Realm and the Light Fae Realm being two obvious examples.”
“Holy shit,” I exclaimed. “This is an awesome idea! Perfect for you.”
“Inspired,” Vax said.
And Win stared out at her, eyes gleaming. “I see now. I finally see that you stepping down was far from being all bad. Because of who you are as a person. You’re turning it around.” He smiled. “Because you’reyou,Evira.”
“Thank you, lovely.” She reached out and stroked his arm. “So you can stop carrying that guilt and blame now, yes?”
“Cross my heart.”
“And what a beautiful heart it is.”
Vax and I started chuckling when a cute little puppy dog expression came over Winter at her words.
He blinked and shook it off. “Get a grip,” he told us.
“Aww, don’t shut it down, I love your little puppy side, Win.”
“As do I,” Vax said. “It’s wonderfully endearing.”
Evira pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Then she turned to me and held out her hand. “Do you feel ready to say goodbye to this place now, or you need more time?”
I looked between them and the door that led into the rest of the house.
Sucking in a breath, I said, “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”
Goodbye to the painful past and on to better things.
12
~Winter~
My boots crunched on the iced-over rocks as I shifted my weight and fired another stream of my magic across the twenty-foot distance, watching it shoot across the snowy mountaintop ofMordrek Mountains.
Dad stood there, his leather hooded coat flapping in the wind, his own boots entrenched in the snow holding firm as he had both palms held at the ready, his crimson power flaming vibrantly.
But as my magic hit, he snuffed his out.
What the—
He just stood there. My amber power hit him—washed over him—doing nothing.
Nothing at all?
How was—
It didn’t even cause him to step back one little bit.
Not even a flinch.
