Page 173 of A Legacy of the Light

“All ready, Elsie?” Fraser asks and I wrap the cloak he gave me all those months ago around my shoulders.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I reply, plastering on a smile.

“I packed some extra sugar cubes for Mabel in your pack,” he whispers to me as Reyne and Finneus come through the wooden stable doors together a heartbeat later. I slip Granny’s journal into the pack on Mabel’s saddle and thank Fraser before greeting my other friends.

Reyne, dressed in similar riding gear to me, smiles softly and steps around me with a comforting squeeze on my arm to see to her horse, leaving me to say a final goodbye to Finneus.

“I’m afraid the library will not be the same without you, my dear,” he says, his voice low to keep his emotions steady.

“You’ll forget me in no time,” I reply, knowing he doesn’t forget anything.

He takes my hands in his. “I will never, ever forget you, my dear. You have crafted a special place just for yourself in my heart. I wish you the very best, Elsie Aitken.” Finneus gently kisses my cheek and emotion clogs the back of my throat.

“Thank you for everything, Finneus. I hope we’ll see each other again one day.”

We hug, and I take in his scent for the final time: books and a hint of peppermint. Finneus steps back and waits at the doors of the stables, a sorrowful smile pulling on his lips.

I take the reins from Fraser and mount Mabel. Tavish mounts Atlas next to me and Reyne is settling in the saddle of a black and white mare a touch shorter than our horses.

Tavish asks, “Are you ready, Elsie?”

I look at him to find patience and understanding radiating back at me.

“Let’s go,” I say with a sad smile, and we nudge our horses into motion.

Finneus walks alongside me until we reach the golden gates of the palace, standing open for our departure. I pause, and everyone else files through onto the gravel path that descends into the city.

“Travel safe, my dear,” Finneus says and squeezes my hand one last time.

“I will. Take care, Finneus,” I reply and he turns to walk back to the palace. I watch him on his lightning-quick feet and look a final time at the grand building. The carved wooden doors to the ballroom are open and, in their frame, is a lone figure.

The King of Elfayne stands tall, crossing his red-clad arms across his chest. The silver crown sits on top of his head as he purses his lips in a satisfied grin. In his eyes, he has won. I’m no longer something he needs to deal with.

My face creases into a snarl, and the Craobh Beatha warms against my chest as Raghnall lowers his head, shifting from smug to vicious in the blink of an eye.

Only Tavish calling my name stops me from riding Mabel over there and taking the mighty king down a notch.

My lips peel back from my teeth and, in a gesture completely unfamiliar to me, a snarl rips from my throat. The king lifts one brow and tilts his head, waving his fingers in goodbye as I usher Mabel through the gates.

Tavish and Reyne wait for me. I join them and we move to catch up with the rest of the party, metal groans against stone as the gates close behind us.

Reaching the edges of the city takes a while. People wave and bow before Tavish as we pass them. It’s clear he’s beloved as prince. We couldn’t ride through the streets at speed given how many Seelie were going about their day. By the time we reach the forest beyond the city walls—a thick stone structure much like the one that surrounds the palace—the sun’s rays are starting to pierce through the thinning clouds.

Tavish warned me last night it will be a brutal ride, since we need to stop as little as possible if we are to reach Lassodie, and then Claver on time. And we need to be on guard for Dorche and Brollachan at all times.

There are fifteen of us in total, I don’t recognize the guards, but they are friendly enough, and introduced themselves as we rode through the city.

Tavish has me ride in the middle of our group. He and Reyne stay close to me, and the others are split into lines in front and behind. I suspect Tavish would normally ride at the head of the party, but wants to keep me safe as we ride through the forests of Elfayne.

After a few hours being surrounded by only the canopy of the trees and the calling of the birds within, more light filters through on our left and the shores of a lake become visible.

“What lake is that?” I ask, breaking the silence that has settled between me, Tavish, and Reyne since we left the city.

“It’s still Ederline,” Reyne replies.

Confused, I ask Reyne how far we have travelled.

Tavish adds, “The loch is the biggest in Elfayne, it runs for miles. This is the bottom of it.”