“It was destroyed, princess,” he says soberly.
Although I expected this—the blackened hallways and charred remains of what little furniture remained were a good indicator—a shudder sweeps through me all the same. The Lower House members were ousted from our society. That was their home. And theysacrificed it for a war they had no responsibility in creating. “Where are we supposed to go?”
“Amaris has offered her court and given us permission to funnel directly there.”
“Who’s Amaris?” Elle asks.
I grimace. “The Fae delegate.”
Elle tenses beside me. “The Fae?”
I nod. “There is so much you don’t know, but yes. They’re on our side and they’ve agreed to help us. I promise I’ll explain everything when there’s time.”
She gives me a terse nod, and we leave the abandoned house. I hope it’s the last time any of us have to see it.
Chapter 48
MAE
Thick slabsof stone and soaring white columns materialize around us. Ivy curls around the columns and the white stone railing that overlooks the sprawling city below. In the distance, a tree nearly as tall as the castle itself sits on an island, its roots crawling over spongy moss and disappearing into the water below. The air is sticky with humidity, but smells of flowers, rain, and earth.
Amaris’s white hair is pulled back into a braid that begins at her roots, and her tattoos glimmer like stars, white and luminous. “Welcome to the Fae Kingdom,” she says warmly.
“It’s gorgeous,” I say.
She smiles proudly. “I’ll have to give you the tour someday.”
“I’m counting on it.”
She leads us to a room with a domed ceiling, a mosaic of gnarled branches and sprawling ivy and pink roses. Beams of light break through, landing on a massive circular, wooden table, where the Herd sits—Holly, Etta, Ivan, Basil, Elle, Cally, and Asmo. My knees threaten to give when I see Cally. Barrett and August also join us, soot in their hair and on their clothes. Holly and Etta sit closer together today, only inches apart.
A Fae male with golden hair sits in between an empty seat and August. The golden threads of his hair complement his violet eyes.
Amaris settles into the empty seat. “Your Highness, please meet the interim king, Aero of the Wind.”
He stands and forms a bow. When he rises, his eyes have softened. “I go by Roe, if you please, Your Majesty.”
I dip my head in acknowledgement. “Pleasure to meet you, Roe. Thank you for agreeing to host us.” If he hadn’t, our only other meeting options would have been the ruins of Squall’s End or the abandoned house in the woods.
He smiles and returns to his seat, whispering something to Amaris. After Cally gives me a hug that threatens to crack my bones, I sit beside my mate and look to my court and my allies. Elle leans against the wall, awkward and looking like she’s been dragged through every inch of hell with her torn dress and her wild hair.
Several of us, me included, are still dressed in the waiters’ uniforms from the ball. Roe is the only one who looks somewhat prepared for an official meeting, dressed in an all-white tunic and pants.
I straighten and push my shoulders back. “I’m so thankful to see everyone here, safe and sound. We got lucky,” I say, and I regret the choice of words as soon as they’re out. Basil bobs his head, but he won’t look at me. His shoulders are slumped, and the slash of his usual smile is gone. He looks defeated. His home is gone. But we were lucky. Incredibly so. He almost lost so much more than his home. His life. His friends’ lives.
I take a deep breath. “It’s time to end this. Cora and Marik are gone, but I have reason to believe they’re not dead. We need to find Marik if we have any chance of truly defeating Cora. But while she’s gone, I think we should attack the castle.”
I turn to Basil, who watches me with an emptiness that adds to the weight on my shoulders. “Basil, if the Lower House members assist us, I would be grateful. However, they have helped us enough and sacrificed too much already. Our deal is met. Any further assistance would be appreciated, but it’s not needed to fulfill the bargain.”
He bows his head in response, and I’m too scared to ask if that’s an agreement to help or a respectful decline.
“We will fight with you,” August says. He stands tall, hands clasped behind his back and chest puffed.
Beside him, Barrett says, “As will Ursidae.”
“You have the Fae beside you,” Roe says from his chair.
“Our help is yours,” Basil says.
