Tears collected at the corners of my eyes. “Isolde—”
“Where should they meet you?” Isolde asked, forcing my mind to stay sharp.
“The Rainbow Woods. Tell them to meet me in the Rainbow Woods if they agree, by the next new moon.”
Isolde smiled and nodded, wrapping me in a loving embrace.
I forced myself to release her. Isolde leaned back, pulled her cloak tight, and gave me a firm nod before stepping onto the gangplank. Wyndfall strode to close the distance between them, reached for her, and wrapped his hand behind her neck to pull her in for a loving kiss. I found myself turning, wanting to grant them this small moment to say farewell to a love that had withstood the test of time.
As Isolde entered the ship, the sailors glanced at her but asked no questions, while I remained beside Wyndfall with my hood covering my face. She moved with quiet confidence, as if she belonged among them.
When the gangplank was pulled aside, Isolde turned her attention toward me. “Remember who you are,” she called softly. “Not a crown, not a title. But a heart.Youare the heart of your people.”
The crew moved quickly, untying ropes and raising sails. TheBrightwaterglided from the dock, its lanterns dimming as it merged with the night. I stood there long after it vanished, with a cold sensation trickling along my spine as the sails disappeared. I clutched the pendant in my palm and strapped the dagger to my hip, praying my cousin would listen, that she would answer my call and meet me.
Wyndfall’s steps were heavy as he came to stand beside me. For a while, neither of us spoke as the endless dark sea murmured below.
“She made her choice. Now it’s time we make ours,” he said.
I nodded. The grief of Isolde’s absence was sharp, but beneath it, something steadier burned. Something I knew I needed to become to save my people from the tyrannic ruler now sitting on my throne.
“What are your orders?” he asked.
“We’ll gather any allies we can. It’s only two weeks until the new moon. And while we prepare our forces, Minaeve is also gathering hers.”
My oldest friend placed a hand on my shoulder, the gesture strong and comforting. “Then let’s begin.”
As we turned from the water, the first light of dawn broke over the horizon. It touched the waves with gold, reminding me of the color of our banners, of hope, of home.
I breathed it in, squared my shoulders, and walked into the rising sun. For the first time since leaving Zircon City, I felt certain of my path.
Not a princess on the run or an heir denied.
But a ruler fueled with the courage and heart of her people.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Skylar Cathal
Time was drifting too slowly, and yet too fast all at the same time. I stared at the maps sprawled across the desk in the high tower room overlooking Aelius, wondering which step to take next.
Much to my dismay, we’d spent the last week in Aelius. I was anxious to return to Crimson City, where Rhea, Shaw, and Talon were—gods, Talon. He was alive, but for how long? I didn’t dare ask the question aloud.
Aelius was shrouded in a permanent cloud of gloom and doom. During this time of year, if it wasn’t raining, then it was cloudy with a thick fog near the lakeside. It seemed unnatural to live in a place where an overcast day was a stroke of luck.
The High Fae of this region were finally free of Minaeve’s reign, but they mourned for their high prince.
Daxton and I agreed, with Seamus, that his presence be kept a secret. Every time we met at the entrance to the Labyrinth, a deep wound of shame haunted him. His sunken shoulders were weighed down by the dark deeds of his past. And beside him sat a ray of sunshine—Neera.
My cousin never left his side.
Gods above, it took every ounce of self-control not to pry and ask her the million and one questions spinning in my head.
But I kept my distance.
Daxton teased me about this being a large step in my personal growth. So naturally, I stuck my tongue at him from across the table of books, showing him how far I’d come.
During our stay, we studied from the vast stack of archives in Aelius, working with Rhett and Seamus to try to devise a plan to overtake Taran and Minaeve’s army. Yes, shifters had the physical strength, and the High Fae had powerful magic to take them on, but Minaeve had the Heart of Valdor to create the gods only knew what. And from the information gathered by Shaw’s scouting party, she had other unworldly weapons in her arsenal from the wilt.
