It’s not hard to tell the tapestry is of his family. There’s his mother in the middle, dark-haired and regal, though she’s depicted softer here than when I met her. His father, smiling and joyful. Two identical young boys in the distance, each riding a stag. Standing beside the large tree in the foreground is an adolescent girl.That must be Eleanor.
And right beside his mother is Farron: younger, but unmistakably him. Somehow, the tapestry manages to capture the curiosity in his gaze. I run my fingers over his shape. “You look really happy here.”
“For so long, it felt like nothing in my life ever changed. Like I was stuck reliving the same day over and over.” Farron’s voice is raspy, unsure. “And now I’ve woken up and realized that it was only me who was stuck. The world’s moved on. I can’t keep up.”
I lace my fingers through his.
“They’re so different,” he whispers, eyes still on the tapestry. “My brothers have become fighters. My mother can barely look at me. She was always so gentle with me. We used to take long carriage rides together, pass books back and forth. Now she’s waging war. And she can’t evenlook at me.”
“Fear changes people. She’s scared, Farron.”
“If she had Autumn’s Blessing, she could have already stopped this. But Autumn’s stuck with me. I can’t even remember the last time someone took back the Blessing.”
“It’s not all up to you.” I squeeze his hand. “We’re here with you. Kel, Ez, Dayton. Me. We’re here with you, Farron.”
“But isn’t that worse?” Tears well in his eyes, and he hastily wipes them away. “We have to break the curse. And they’re herefor me. What about finding their mates? Saving themselves?”
“We have time.” Gently, I touch the side of his face and turn him away from the tapestry. “We’re going to struggle to break this curse if the realms are at war. I know it’s difficult to see, but you matter so much to them. Take strength from their love, Farron.” My breath catches in my throat. “Take strength from me.”
He stares down at me, eyes shining and mouth a half-opened question.
“I’m with you,” I say. “There and back. I’m with you.”
“I’m with you,” he repeats. “The whole way.”
I lace my arms around his neck, pulling him against me as if it could keep him safe. His embrace envelops me as he nuzzles into the curve of my neck.
If only you saw yourself how I see you.
“You have no idea how much I missed you,” he says.
“I can feel your heartbeat,” I whisper. It’s rapid and strong and I never want to tear myself away.I love this heart.
“Rosie?”
“Yes, Fare?”
“I think you’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
I draw back slightly to study him, to map the contours of his face. My heart blooms like the sun from beyond the gray clouds. “Iknowyou’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
He leans his forehead against mine. “I guess we should get back to the others.”
“Yeah.” A window at the end of the hallway filters in red-orange dusk. “It’s almost night.”
Time to see if making a bargain with the devil was worth it.
34
Rosalina
I’veneverseenasunset like this. The sky’s blistering red and orange, rays of light gleaming off the rooftops of Coppershire. Standing on the balcony outside of my private room, the capital city of the Autumn Realm stretches before me, bathed in crimson light.
Growing up in Orca Cove, it seemed like everyone around me was constantly exploring, wandering. Papa had hit one hundred countries before I was fifteen. Lucas’s family took fancy vacations every summer to Mexico or Europe. Even my school friends went to university abroad. The only traveling I ever did was in my stories, but that felt like enough.
Now, staring down at the bustling city, the buildings a mix of brick, lumber, and shimmering gems, I wish I could sprint from the castle and lose myself in the markets and alleyways. For once, the whole world feels ahead of me.
But as much as I want to revel in that thought, my gaze drifts higher, beyond the city and the fields and forests that border Coppershire. Over the orange-baked hills, a glimmer of white-blue shines on the edge of the horizon. The frost.
