Leda growls and spins toward the voice.
Willow gasps and takes a step forward as she asks, “Humans? In Penyth?”
A wave of nausea rolls through me—I had almost forgotten they were there, hidden behind my friends and shrouded within the cloud of my relief that everyone was alive. I avoid looking in their direction, my anger bubbling up inside of my chest at the mere thought of thekingof Crea.
“The humans—” Leda’s eyes flash with anger, and I force my gaze to stay on her instead of on the man who might cause me to finally snap.
“Are not on our side.” I cut in. Leda looks at me, pride in her eyes as she nods for me to continue. “I wouldn’t consider them a danger, but they should be treated with caution.”
Willow and Aster begin whispering with one of the warriors who stayed behind.
“Do you have a place to lock them up?” Calix asks, his tone even, no hint of a joke to be found.
A familiar, masculine laugh follows his question, and red begins to seep into my vision. Adrian. The man who put his kingdom at risk tosaveme. The man who got into the middle of something he shouldn’t have, and now Graylen is paying the price in the Vale.
I grind my teeth together, forcing myself to look anywhere but athim.
Instead, I look at the village beyond Willow and Aster, the lights still illuminating what seem to be empty cottages. This is their home, their sanctuary. Adrian and the Lyles have already proved they can’t be trusted, and I can’t risk ruining whatever peace stretches thin between these villagers and us.
Locking them up is the only way to ensure that right now. If it were up to me, I’d kick all three of them off this island and let them swim back to Crea.
Aster nods his head in a quick, jerking motion. His eyes slideto Willow, and he angles himselfjustslightly so that he’s between her and the boys. The air between us tenses, a thick silence settling heavily.
“Youallare being treated with caution,” Willow says slowly as her gaze pauses on me. “Though, I will heed your warning, daughters of Evelina.”
I give her a short nod, my back straight and shoulders pinched as anger still pulses through me, knowing Adrian is a few mere paces away.
“Welcome to Kauri,” Aster murmurs.
I squint at the name, remembering Willow indicating the trees.
“We respect the forest,” Willow explains, catching my eye. “It provides us safety, and we existwithit, not through it.”
She turns toward the village. Aster walks over to her side, his knuckles grazing the back of her hand. As if on instinct, her fingers intertwine with his, connecting in a way only lovers do. A weakness skilled warriors wouldn’t show unless they had their guard down.
“Can we have a moment?” I ask, my voice hoarse as my muscles loosen.
Willow glances at me, giving me a soft nod as she and Aster drift away from us—but not so far that they can’t keep an eye on our group.
Leda’s gaze catches mine.
I look at her now—really look at her. Her dry and cracked lips set into a thin line. Her face is caked with mud, and a freshly healed cut lines her jaw. She’s the image of a warrior, more than a figurehead of power over her kingdom—a woman who leads her people by fightingalongsidethem.
She’s so much more than just the princess of Penyth. She’s my sister—half-sister, but still my family. My blood. We may not see eye to eye on…most things, but that doesn’t erase our ties.
She may be the woman who snarled in my face when Iarrived in Penyth. The one who watched me with distrust for weeks and hated having to train me one-on-one. Thesamewoman who knew I was following her to the Shadow Lands and let me. She’s also the person who gave me a mirror, reminding me that if I ever forget who I am, all I need to do is look into it.
In the blink of an eye, Leda closes the gap between us and throws her arms around me. Shock runs through me; her hug is soft and warm. My body tenses, arms dangling awkwardly at my side.
Leda and I have never been affectionate with one another. We’ve hardlyacknowledgedour kinship. She squeezes me tighter, her arms comforting me in a way I hadn’t expected. In a way that feels like home. This time, my arms wrap around her in return.
“I thought I lost you again,” she croaks, her throat raw.
My chest tightens, and all I can do is nod. I thought I lost her, too—lost all of them.
“Is Brielle…” The wordsgoing to make itstay trapped in my throat, unable to voice the fear circling my thoughts.
Leda shakes her head, her arms tightening around me slightly. “No wounds from what I could tell on the flight here, but she used so much magic.Toomuch.”
