“I’ll take things from here.” Out of the darkness materialized a now-familiar form. “You’ve done enough.”
Silas. I had only known the man for a short time, so even as I felt him arrive, a part of me questioned how a shadow could look so familiar. But as the light hit Silas’s face, something clicked in my gut—a deep sense of safety and security, something edging toward more. It felt too soon, too abrupt to be having these sorts of feelings for a near-stranger, but also, I wasn’t exactly familiar with fated mates.
My life in New York had revolved around practical marriages where things like finances and location and social status all mattered in a union between a husband and wife. Here, on this wild and chaotic magical island, those were not rules that applied.
It was a mix of relief and terror to experience this new world, with such unfamiliar rules. I marveled that I could feel so strongly about this man who fit beside me so well, while feeling like I didn’t know much about him at all. Even when it didn’tmake sense for us to be together, it did make sense—on some level I couldn’t consciously reach. Like the atoms of my body needed to be near the atoms of his.
Atlas stood and gave a huge stretch. “Of course, Silas. You always take over at the fun part.”
Atlas downed the rest of his espresso shot and gave me a playful wink. A few seconds later, his body shimmered—just for a moment—and then he was gone.
I looked over at Silas. “He Phased?”
Silas nodded.
“How did you get him to return to The Isle? When he disappeared, I thought he was done with this place.”
There was a quirk of Silas’s lips. “I had Millie ask him for me. She has a way of getting him to do things he might otherwise not. Atlas has always had a soft spot for Millie.”
I sat back in my chair. Silas studied me for a long moment. It wasn’t a judgmental stare, nor was it intrusive. He sized me up like he was checking me for injuries. Except it felt like he was examining both the outside and the inside.
I watched his face as he did so, sensing that Silas, too, was reveling in the newness of our bond. We were both realizing that there was some cosmic element to our relationship that couldn’t be explained otherwise.
I grappled with this idea, not sure if I should feel reassured or constrained. I’d always relished the idea of having free will, especially after being so constrained by my parents for all of my life. But really, had I ever had any choices back in New York? I felt freer being here on this enchanted island with its magical laws and rules than I’d ever felt under the thumb of New York’s elite society.
“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Silas said at length. “I’m happy to answer all of them. But we don’t need to do that tonight. Not unless you want to.”
Hearing this was a breath of relief. It told me that Silas wasn’t shying away from hard conversations, he was just giving me the time and space I needed to process them. Silas looked around the garden, taking in the glow while letting me process. When Silas looked back at me, there was amusement in his eyes. A real twinkle.
“Is this stuff”—I hesitated, gesturing toward the glowing garden—“dangerous?”
“This?” Silas raised a thick arm and gestured at the beauty around us. “This is magnificent.”
“You know what I mean. If I can’t control my magic, how can I be sure it won’t leak out of me and do something dangerous?”
The twinkle in Silas’s eye dimmed slightly, and he gave a nod. “You’ll have to work on honing your powers, but don’t worry. I have a plan for that.”
“In the meantime?”
“So much of magic has to do with intention,” Silas said softly. “You don’t have an evil bone in your body, so I wouldn’t worry too much about your magic wreaking havoc without your knowledge.”
“When can I start my magical training?”
“Soon.” Silas cocked his head to one side. “There are still dangers facing this island, I admit. The Furies were not the end of this war. However, the new wards that are in place as a result of you becoming the Fae Queen will buy us some time. We’ll start training as soon as you’re physically ready.”
“How’s everyone else? The rest of the islanders? I imagine this is just as much a shock to them as it is to me.”
At this, Silas’s face turned a bit stonier. Just for a second—a wall he put up before letting it crumble. “Some are shocked. Some are thrilled. Some will take a little time to come around.”
“What about the castle? Even if I am genetically the Fae Queen, I don’t feel like I’ve earned the title or the throne. Not in a meaningful way.”
Silas merely raised a shoulder in acknowledgment before sitting across from me. “We’ll deal with that as the time comes.”
I got the impression Silas was hiding something. Not lying outright, but maybe not giving me all the information I needed. As I studied his beautiful, darkened face, I realized that maybe he needed some time to process the recent events too. Maybe it wasn’t just me who needed space to digest this new island order.
So, I nodded, and I reached across the table to give his hand a squeeze. At my touch, Silas looked up, his eyes flicking toward me, our connection as taut as a tightly pulled rope. He held that pose for a long moment before he stood, leaned across the table, and took my face in one hand.
His thumb grazed my chin as he drew me in for a kiss, a long, lingering kiss, like it was something he’d been aching to do for days. Maybe he had. I’d been unconscious for the last few days, and he’d been forced to watch me sleep, wondering how I’d feel when I woke.
