CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
When Kole appeared in my chambers promptly at eight, his lips curved the second I drew near him. My blood heated. Gods, all it took was a look from him, and I felt on fire.
“Morning, mate,” he whispered softly into my ear.
He nuzzled my neck, and a shiver blasted through me. Just as fast, his heartbeat commanded my attention, but I shrugged off the call of his blood.
I embraced him tightly, and our mate bond vibrated strongly inside me. Contentment and love pushed from Kole into me, and I could have wrapped myself up in that feeling all day.
“Did you miss me?” he whispered and nipped at my neck.
“Always. Did you sleep well?”
“Like a rock.”
I giggled because I had a feeling that not losing his memories had alleviated a lot of his worries. “Did you need to use your strange recording device to remind you of anything?” I teased.
He chuckled. “No. Everything on it matches what I remember.”
“Good, because I have an idea, and I need to know what you think of it.”
His head cocked, and I loved that his mask was no longer a thing between us.
“Can we go somewhere private?” I asked. “I want to talk to you about something but not here.” I inclined my head toward where Betsee was in the bathing room, tidying things.
“Say no more.” Kole wrapped me in his arms, and in a swirl of mistphasing magic, we disappeared.
We flew through the realm in mist and shadows, air and wind, and the second we landed back on solid ground, I knew exactly where he’d taken me.
Sand shifted beneath my feet, and the sound of crashing waves filled my ears. I grinned as I took in the Nelive Sea with its curling waves lapping against the shore and the distant Clawfur Mountains rising solemnly at our backs.
“This is fitting.” I squeezed his hand.
He smirked. “I’ve always loved this place, but I love it even more now since it was the first time you showed me a hint of forgiveness after I took the Stone from you.”
I gripped him harder. I vividly remembered that disastrous first meal with my family. My sisters had hated me. My parents had been thrown in the middle of us. And I’d been told that I would have to marry someonesuitableas a princess of Mistvale Kingdom. I’d been on the verge of a panic attack, and Kole had sensed that, so he’d whisked me away and had grounded me by using the sea, the wind, the birds...
All of it had calmed me.
I gazed at the water nostalgically. “Maybe someday we can buy a home here, someday when the realm is righted once more.”
He ran a finger tenderly over my cheek. “I’d like that.”
I cocked my head, my train of thought momentarily waylaid. “Where is your home anyway? I don’t actually know.”
“Technically, I don’t own a residence on the Silten continent. If I need to stay here, I do so in the warrior barracks at the Imperial Council. But if that’s not needed, when I leave here every night, I return to Prinavee Territory on the Solis continent.”
My eyes widened. “Truly? But I thought you left the Solis continent when you joined the Imperial Council.”
“I did, but that was many summers ago.” He shrugged. “Since then, I’ve purchased a home, and since Prinavee Territory is where my parents settled, I decided to buy a home there in order to better stay in touch with them. It also makes it easier for my friends in Solisarium to visit, as it doesn’t require crossing a sea.”
“Are you saying that not all of your friends can mistphase?” I teased.
He snickered. “Nuwin definitely can. I couldn’t get away from the soddy bastard if I tried, but no, most of my friends can’t mistphase.”
“And it doesn’t bother you to live on a continent where the resident fae think you’re a defective fairy?”
He chuckled. “Those that matter never judged me, and they’ve since learned that my coloring and lack of wings are due to my Silten blood. As for the rest, they can go fuck themselves.”
