"She waited until King Runerth left the city. Then she wrote a letter to the king and queen, left presents for the prince and princess, and disappeared into the night." He pauses. "The rest, you know from the legend."
"What did she leave them?" My voice is barely there.
He cups my face. His smile is soft. Sad.
"A divine sword for the prince. And a divine dagger for the princess."
My breath catches. "You were just a baby."
He chuckles softly. "I was. But Pia Vida must have known what I would become and that one day that sword would come in handy."
My eyes fill as I fully process what he's saying. "Your sword." My voice breaks. "Vida. That's why..."
I can't finish. The sob that escapes is raw, wrenched from somewhere deep.
His smile is sad as he gathers me into his arms. Holds me against his chest while I cry for a mother I never knew, who loved me before I was born, who left pieces of herself behind for a family that wasn't hers to claim.
But claimed her anyway.
Chapter Thirty-Three
My heart is heavy as I move through the rooms I've called home for the past three years. I always knew I'd leave eventually. But not like this. I don't know what happens after we get the scepter.
But I know I'll never live here again. I may never come back at all. Mal comes up behind me. His arm bands around my chest. I inhale his scent and grip his forearms, sagging against him.
"We can stay here tonight, Menace." His voice is low against my ear.
"It's safer if we stay at one of Tilda's cottages. Pretend we're visitors." I press back against his chest, wishing I could disappear into him. His answering growl vibrates through me.
"It feels impossible to want someone this much." He slides my hair aside, exposing my neck. His teeth graze the sensitive spot beneath my ear. Then his tongue.
"Kage will be here any second," I whisper, even as I tilt my head to give him better access.
He groans against my skin. Keeps exploring anyway. It does feel impossible to want someone this badly. Maybe the uncertainty is what makes the wanting sharper. More urgent. His arm loosens as I turn to face him. My stomach pitches at theneed blazing in his eyes. He grips the back of my hair, tilts my face up, and?—
Keys rattle at the door.
I jump back. Whirl toward the bookshelf. My heart races, though I'm not sure why. We're adults. We're not doing anything wrong.
"I got Tilda to upgrade us to a three-bedroom cottage. Free of charge." Kage holds up two keys triumphantly.
"Only because you mentioned Ada's name," Naima adds.
He hands me a folded piece of paper. "We need to move. Legion guards are going door to door."
My blood chills. "What?"
"They're asking about the children the Sages raised," Naima says. Her voice shakes.
"Has anyone talked?" I'm already moving toward the door.
My hands tremble as I lock the door behind us. I unfold the paper as we descend the stairwell.
I'm sorry we haven't been able to catch up. It's been busier than usual. I'll try to come by tonight. -Tilda
I stumble on the last step. The little x's dotting her i's. Tilda was part of the renegades. I shove the note in my pocket. The renegades are the least of our concerns right now. If the legion guards are in Veritas, we're running out of time.
"Did you and Margot pack?" I ask Naima as we walk.
