There was the sound of a portal opening… footsteps crunching on the snow.
“Thank the gods you’re alive.” Arthur’s voice was a deep comfort to me. There was noise above me as my father and twin embraced. “News of—”
“Let’s not speak of it now,” Lucien replied. “Your sister needs to be hidden.”
Ethan stirred beside me. He hadn’t slept at all, I bet. Lucien stooped down to shake my shoulder. “Emma, we must go.”
Ethan changed into a man, and helped me up. I hung on to him as we walked to the portal together. Arthur took my other arm.
“It’ll be fine, sis,” he said, though I was certain it would never be.
We walked through the portal, and Lucien followed. The atmosphere immediately changed when we stepped out of the portal. I heard the sound of waves crashing against rock, and smelled the ocean. The air was crisp and clear, and the temperature was significantly warmer than what we’d left behind.
And green… everything looked so green, even in wintertime. The sky was overcast, blocking out the sun. We stood on a cliff face overlooking the sea, rolling emerald hills splayed out in front of us like a map. Below us was a massive estate, a historical manor house that was painted white, surrounded by hedges and fenced gardens.
Ireland. Had to be. Arthur squeezed my shoulder and whispered, “Welcome home.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ethan
Iignored the numbness in my chest as we continued our walk down the hill and toward the estate. I kept a firm grip on Emma as we descended, not just for her sake, but for my own.
Arthur said this was home. And it had to be now, because our true home was gone. The palace was destroyed. Dolinska laid in ruin. Everything I loved about Malovia had been destroyed. Droga was free, and Gabby was fit to become his goddess.
Reality sunk in. We had lost the crown, and the war. We were arguably the worst king and queen in Malovian history for allowing this to happen. There had never been a bigger crisis among the fae, and I didn’t think there would ever be again.
Except we weren’t monarchs anymore. We couldn’t be. There was nothing left to rule over, and whatwasleft, Gabby would take for herself. This was surely the end of the world, and if it wasn’t, then we were still cursed.
The estate loomed overhead as we approached. It was a massive building. Had to have over a hundred rooms.
Arthur opened the door for us. Lucien led the way through the halls, which were swathed in colors of emerald and gold. Flags bearing an insignia of a white and red rose entwined in thorns hung on every wall.
“Where are we?” I asked.
“Dumhcha na Rósanna,” Lucien replied. “The Estate of Roses.”
This was the place where Lord Lucien and Arthur had grown up. It was far away from Malovia, which was the only comfort I could find, at the moment.
There were footsteps ahead. Emma’s mother came running down the hallway, sobbing profusely. She flung her arms around Lucien’s neck and squeezed. “You’re alive!”
Lucien hugged her back, but stiffly pulled away from her embrace. “Evonna, please,” he began. “It’s been a long night for all of us.”
Evonna sniffed, and looked at her daughter. “Yes, I… we’ve all heard the news.”
She kissed Arthur’s cheek, then cupped Emma’s face. “We have rooms for you upstairs. Everything’s been prepared.”
Emma didn’t respond, and Lucien said, “Wait for me in the library. We have things to discuss.”
Evonna nodded, then hurried away. Lucien forged onward. As we proceeded down the hall, Lucien said, “I’m sorry about your mother, Ethan.”
Emma squeezed my arm. I cleared my throat and said, “She made her choice. I accepted her end long ago. There was no love left between us.”
“But it is still painful all the same,” Lucien replied. “A loss remains a loss.”
I said nothing. Arthur pushed a grand door, and it opened into a large foyer.
There was a blazing fire in the hearth at the center of the room, surrounded by armchairs. Our friends, mercifully, were inside.
