I’dfoundher.
And it was about time I did something about that fact.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Looking up from the note Matea had given me, I stared at the estate before me.
It sat on the western outskirts ofCairnyl, a sprawling estate that rested at the top of a small, lush hill. Tall trees speckled the area,and tall hedges along with metal fences covered in vines edged the property, boxing off theAshfords’little sector of the world.
I had flown most of the way there, rushing to make it on time, but now as I walked through the metal gates that I could only assume had been left open for me—Icouldn’thelp but slow my pace.
The walkway up to the front door was made of large flat stones, and every couple ofpacesthe path was framed on both sides by long, raised flower beds. Each small bed consisted of a different type of flower, as though whoever planted—or grew—themweredisplaying them like trophies. Some flowers I even recognized as herbal, not solely decorative.
Yes, I thought,whoever looks after these knows how to love them accordingly.
The house itself was a structure made of mostly wood on the outside, which had beenstaineda pale brown—while the accentswere made up of a pale marble that had a copper hue mixed into it.
As I got a few wingspans from the front door, though, my gait stopped completely. I knew I was in the right place—I’dfollowed the scribbled note Matea had left me exactly; no, Iwasn’tanxious about being in the wrong place. It was much larger than that.
Tonightwould be the first timeI’dspent genuine, one-on-one time with my mother’s parents.They’dlikely havequestions Iwasn’tsure I knew how to answer. For me, tonight was a step toward getting to know them. But what was ittothem?
My hands shook slightly as I stuffed the note back into my dress pocket, right next to my gloves. Though I tried to convince myself that everything would be fine, my hands continued to shake, my mind whirling with everything that could go wrong tonight.
Just as I was beginning to consider turning tail and running, I felt a weight on the earth behind me thathadn’tbeen there before.
I spun around, already reaching for the dagger resting on my hip, when I realized it was just Matea.
“Stars, you nearly scared the life out of me!” I exclaimed, dropping my hand back to my side. Matea snickered lightly in response, obviously proud of herself for having snuck up on me.
“You know you can come inside, right?”sheasked, a hint of sarcasm revealing itself through the tone of her voice.
“I was just about to knock,” I stated, crossing my arms over my chest.
Shecockedan eyebrow at me. “You’ve been standing out here for so long, I thought you’d forgotten how.”
“I was building upthe courage! And really, I wasjust about to!” I said, lying straight through my teeth.
“Right…That’swhy you looked like you were about to turn around, right? Stars, our queen can face down ourenemiesheadon, butdon’task her to visit for dinner!” Matea mocked, placing a hand on her hip.
I gasped at her audacity, my eyes widening. “Watchthis.” Iturnedon my heel and marchedright up to the front door of the house. On instinct, I knocked the way all members of theValwaindo, then took a step back as I waited for somebody to answer.
My heart skipped a beat as the door swung open, expecting to come face to face with either Billie or Geoff—only for my eyes to land on Matea.
“What—” I looked over my shoulder to whereshe’dbeen just a moment before, seeing only empty space there now.
Realizing whatshe’ddone—managing to keep me from running away from what I had found scary—I turned back to face her.
“You are a thorninmy side,” I said quietly, lightly punching her shoulder.
“I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talking about.” She grinned innocently, though her eyes gleamed with mischief. “Come oninside! Dinner isnearly ready.We’vebeen working on it for hours.”
“You all made it yourself?” I asked, surprised but also honored thatthey’dgo through so much effort for me.
“Indeed.We dismissed the estate staff for today. I imagine Nan and Pops wanted some privacy—just the four of us.”
Taking a deep breath, I stepped past Matea into the foyer and listened as she shut the door behind us.
The small heels of my boots clicked against the marble floor—which was the same color and pattern as the marble pillars outside—as I walked further into the foyer. The lighting inside was warm like the sun, and the smell of baked goods overtook my senses in a way that made the entire space feel cozy and welcoming. There was a small chandelier overhead that had the golden lightsprinkling throughout the entryway, and I realized thenthat at least onefaein the house must be a fire wielder, as I doubted they regularly climbed up to light each wick of the chandelier by hand.
