Nori’s body stiffens, then relaxes. “Yeah. Whatever,” she says softly.
I pull away from her, and she scuttles over to Delphia’s side.
“Are we ready to go?” Wrenley stands by the entrance to the alley.
“You’re coming?” I ask.
“Of course I am,” she says.
We head down the alley, slinking into the shadows, and I take a deep, steadying breath. Out of the edge of my sight, I catch Delphie and Nori peering around the corner of the alley, watching intently.
“Hold on to me. I haven’t done this that many times before,” I say to them.
“Are you sure this isn’t dangerous?” Wrenley asks, a knot creasing between her brows.
Very dangerous. You should probably stay here so you’re not accidentally impaled by a thorn,I think before I shake my head and reach out to grab her hand. “It’ll be okay.”
She snatches her hand away the instant I touch her, lips curling back, panic flaring in her blue eyes.
“Rosie will take care of us, Wren. She’s very powerful.” Dayton grips me around the waist and reaches across to grab Wrenley’s shoulder.
She takes a deep breath, then twists her hand in my cloak.
“All right,” I say, golden briars rising around us. “Let’s go home.”
CHAPTER 15
Rosalina
We crash through the briars and land in a heap at Castletree’s entrance hall. My golden briars fall among Caspian’s purple ones. I lie there for a moment breathless, limbs tangled with Dayton and Wrenley. But there’s never been a bigger smile on my face.
I’m home.
Through my blurred vision, I see the familiar door, the mirror, and the fireplace. The Prince of Thorns’ briars tangle all the way to the top of the ceiling.
He’s still holding the castle together.
“You’re not the most graceful, with that form of travel, are you?” Wrenley grumbles.
I don’t care about her whining because my chest is filling with an unmatched warmth, an igniting fire.
“Farron,” I breathe, and push myself up, dropping Nori’s bag.
He’s standing at the top of the stairs, tears already streaming down his freckled cheeks.
I run toward him. I don’t care that I probably smell like seaweed, or my clothes are tattered. Farron, mymate,is here.
“Rosalina!” He leaps to the bottom of the staircase and grips me tight around the waist.
We fall in a tumble, and it’s like the briars reach up to catch us. His lips are on my cheeks, wet with salty tears. “I felt you. I wanted to run to Summer, but then I knew you’d come here if you could and told myself to wait just a few more hours and … here you are.”
He breaks off in a choking sob, and I don’t think my heartcould love him any more. Gently, I take his auburn waves between my fingers. How often did I picture that color during the endless days and nights beneath the sea? Wishing I could see the gold of his eyes again, his smile?
“Farron, you’re here,” I whisper, and bring my lips to his. “You’re here. You’re here.”
“Let them try to take you from me again,” he says, a growl to his words. His kiss is just as powerful, devouring me.
Dayton coughs.
