“I know two pairings who would argue that it strengthens them.”
“Neither Poet and Briar, nor Jeryn and Flare were the focus of a premonition. I must stay level-headed. Getting too close may be the impetus that places you in jeopardy.”
“Vulnerability,” she interpreted. “I understand that.”
As did I. Though, accepting it was another matter. And if I lost someone I cared for again, I might not survive it.
“For my part, it’s best not to revisit old heartbreaks when I’ve already moved past them,” Aspen summarized, the words pinching me when they truly shouldn’t. “The mission relies on us staying focused, without any complications. So apology accepted and strictly business. We’ll keep our hands off each other. Now as for Nicu—”
Barely recovering from her proposal, I tensed. “He will go home.”
“Correction,” Aspen stated. “We’re leaving that decision up to him.”
“He’s the Royal Son. His family is in a panic, I’ve sworn my fealty to them, and he still requires the ribbons for guidance.”
“Listen, I want nothing more than to reunite Nicu with Poet and Briar. Any one of us would throw ourselves into a tiger’s path to protect him, so it’s not just you under fire.” Aspen lowered her voice to a hush. “But the clan also promised never to underestimate Nicu like the rest of this shallow world.
“And remember the castle blackout? Like I said, danger is everywhere, and he’s shown he’s capable of growth beyond his condition. But for him to reach that full potential, he needs to go farther. It’s his life and his right. If you return Nicu like some helpless juvenile instead of an adult, you’ll belittle our friend and steal an important choice from him.” She raised an eyebrow. “I think he’s had enough freedom taken away, don’t you?”
Quicker than a swipe of her hatchet, Aspen’s appeal cleaved my loyalty in half. The Royal family were an inseparable force of nature, a union of equals in dedication, strength, and love. While Poet and Briar grew into a power couple, Nicu and his father had become an unstoppable tag-team. The jester and princess would never deny their son the chance to evolve. They’d been lobbying for that fate since his childhood.
But they also paced themselves, advising Nicu to do the same. And although Poet and Briar had been preparing for this stage of Nicu’s life, it came earlier than expected, with the young Royal taking destiny into his own hands.
Aspen made an indisputable case. Nicu may not reach his capacity without a leap of faith.
I might not have an offspring of my own, but I once had a brother. I would have given my life for him. I’d have wished for the boy to thrive, as I wished for Nicu.
Unable to refute Aspen’s point, I grumbled, “I have rules. You will agree to them.”
Her mouth twitched, the gesture reminding me of how those lips had trembled around my tongue. “What a coincidence. I have rules too.”
“Such as?”
“Nicu comes first in every decision.”
“Agreed. Next?”
“Aside from the obvious logistics, no impulsive stops along the way unless the decision is unanimous. And no arguing over who gets to protect whom.”
In concession, I folded my arms. “No actions will be taken until the three of us consult one another. That is, unless someone in this group is under duress, has no other choice, and must act quickly.”
The intrepid woman raised her hand. “Define ‘under duress,’ ‘no other choice,’ and ‘must act quickly.’”
“No, no, and no,” I enunciated, because this female was hardly daft. “We operate as a single unit.”
“Works for me. Also, keep your grunts to a minimum.”
“I might oblige, if you keep your crudities to an equal standard.”
Aspen pretended to balk. “How am I supposed to do that when you keep leaving yourself open to them?”
Fuck it all. Whoever had discovered sarcasm, I hope they suffered in the afterlife.
On the way back to the cottage, we debated. As much as we wanted to preserve the fellowship, we couldn’t inform the clan of this plot. Not if we intended to succeed. Working alone and reporting my progress over the years had been one thing. But with two more conspirators adding to this quest, the greater number of outside allies that got involved, the harder it would be to stay inconspicuous.
Nonetheless, the clan knew Nicu left with Aspen, albeit to inconclusive ends. The second our fellowship registered my prolonged absence, they would conclude I had either set out to find our quarry or joined them. Such a discovery would give our friends some measure of relief, even if they couldn’t say where we had gone.
In any event, time was of the essence. The members of our clan were cunning, intelligent, and tactical. Eventually, they would gauge our location, provided we didn’t return before then.
