She sighed. “You can’t exactly walk into Kavios with us.”
I huffed, and she turned to glance at me. “What?”
“We can’t exactly walk into Kavios, either,” I said.
Her brow furrowed. “Do you think Alysa will help us?”
I shrugged. “She’s never wanted to talk about taking the throne from Rodric. It goes against the philosophy they’ve established. But it’s as good a place as any to stay while we wait for a way through the city gate.”
She bit her lip. “You really think your father is looking for us?”
“Which answer will horrify you less?” I asked.
Her snort was audible before she turned to me again. “The truth, Hart. The answer has always been the truth.”
I took that as the chastisement it was. We still had so much to discuss. I should probably apologize for what I’d said when we searched Scarlett’s hoard. But I couldn’t push the words out. “I’m sure they search for us. My father couldn’t let either of us go unchallenged. We both threaten his rule.”
She was silent for a moment. The wind was downright icy as it blew through my hair. She had to be getting it worse,sitting in front of me. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and keep her warm. I wanted to protect her from this small thing, when I seemed so incapable of protecting her from anything else. “I’m sorry.”
The flare of her nostrils was the only indication she heard me. “You were right.”
I reached for her hip and realized that wouldn’t be welcome. Letting my hand fall, I replied, “I wasn’t. I was mad.”
“Very angry,” she said. “With good reason. I said terrible things to you. I didn’t mean them. At least not about your mother.”
The qualification didn’t surprise me.
“Do you think completing these trials is even possible?” she asked.
My gut reaction was to tell her we would figure it out, but her plea for truth was fresh in my mind. “I don’t know. I went through the list in my head and gave up after the second emotion I tried to plan out. It doesn’t look good.”
A giggle escaped her lips. Then another. Her hand covered her mouth, but she kept laughing. “Now you’ve decided to be unflinchingly honest?”
My mouth opened in surprise. “I thought that’s what you wanted?”
Her lips flattened into a thin line, and she turned to face forward again. It was the most comfortable silence we’d shared since before the throne room. My stupid, battered heart took that as a reason for hope.
Too bad it wasn’t an emotion we needed. When it came to Ember, hope had become all too easy for me to conjure.
Charon wasn’t happy, but he stayed in the mountains and allowed us to hike down to the Storm’s camp. As we approached the large boulders marking the foothills, I was happy to see that the setup remained the same.
Rows of tents hid in the space between the enormous rocks. People milled about, making campfires, washing clothes, and cooking. Everyone in the Storm had chores to tend to if they were able. It was part of what made the settlement work.
Alysa’s pesky bird, Harrow, found us first, landing on a boulder and cawing loudly. I did not doubt that the call was a warning that someone new had entered the camp.
Reid found us moments later. “Thought you were dead.”
I patted his shoulder a little rougher than necessary. “Not yet.”
He glanced behind me at Ember. “Ah, the Cursed Queen has returned as well.”
My nostrils flared, and Reid had the good sense to look apologetic. He shrugged. “What? For years, I suspected your identity. I know everything sucks, but I’m happy to finally be vindicated. We have to find joy in the small things.”
Ember’s gaze met mine momentarily, and I couldn’t quite decipher it. The minty taste of her sadness wasn’t present at the reminder of my moniker. If anything, her furrowed brow made her seem almost intrigued by Reid’s words.
“Alysa will be happy to see you again. Your parents have settled well,” Reid continued.
“Thank you for taking them in,” Ember said.
