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I nodded in agreement, my throat too knotted to speak. I’d already suffered one terrible tragedy, losing my mom, and I knew that for years, every time I thought of Raina, I’d tear up, even if I was immersed in good memories. It would take a long time to sink in that I’d never talk or laugh or bake cookies with the woman again.

And that knot in my throat grew ten sizes bigger when I realized it was time to say goodbye to Mom. It was such a cruel, odious thing to have to leave her so soon, but the most important thing was that she remained safe.

I was sobbing buckets by the time I walked out the door. Mom closed the door quickly because her tears were flowing as well. I couldn’t even find the will to climb up onto the box of the wagon. Big hands circled my waist, and Revel lifted me. There were two donkeys strapped in, and they both fidgeted as he climbed on himself. The wagon creaked and seemed to protest about the size of the driver. I glanced back at the small cottage as we rolled forward.

Mom was standing in the window; her shoulders hunched in anguish. I wrapped the blanket she’d given me around me tighter and breathed in her familiar scent. Once we were out of sight of the cabin, Revel lifted his heavy arm and dropped it around me. I scooted into his protective warmth and continued my tears.

“I only just got her back in my life,” I mumbled through sobs.

“I know, Whisper. Troikana can be a harsh place to live, and you and Sassa always seem to be on the roughest side of it.”

I finally settled into a soft whimper and then the tears stopped altogether, mostly because there were none left. I’d been in a state of poison-induced delirium for the trip to the cottage, so the surroundings looked unfamiliar … and uninviting. I shuddered thinking how Mom had to live in such a dark, desolate place all on her own.

“Is she all right out here by herself?” I asked. “It’s such a desolate place.”

“Sassa Willow knows how to survive. She’s had it tough since her parents were killed, and she came out on top every time. She saved her newborn from certain death.” He pulled lightly on the reins to stop the donkeys.

Without warning, he pulled me into his lap. “Fucking hell, Whisper, I thought I was going to lose you.” He held me close.

I rested my head against his chest and luxuriated in his warmth and manly scent. He grew quiet. “I can’t let them take you from me. Like you said that evening, standing on the balcony in Granier’s castle. You belong with me.”

I smiled weakly up at him. “So Lyric was right. You can read lips.”

“Only yours, Whisper. Only yours.” He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me. “That night, I went mad with jealousy, anger, you name it. I was ‘fecking unbearable’ according to Austri.”

A smile popped up on my face. It was nice to feel it. The last few days had been harrowing and explosive, and my emotions were wound tight. “I sure wish I knew what to do to get out of this predicament. I have to stand in front of the sorcerers in a few days. I’m going to bring up the poisoning, hoping it will help my case, but I have no idea where it happened. I ate and drank at both castles. Mom says it’s a slow-acting poison, so there’s no telling when it happened. Either way, I have a one in two chance of picking the fated mate who tried to kill me. Although, I wouldn’t have put it past Prince Granier’s wicked mother to hatch an assassination plot. She made it clear she didn’t want me to be part of the royal family.”

Some of the trees moved, making the donkeys anxious. I looked up at Revel. “Boneweavers?”

“Not out here. Just a boar or bird, I’m sure, but we should get going.”

I reluctantly scooted off his lap. “Much warmer over there,” I noted.

He put his arm around my shoulder, and I nestled closer. The motion of the wagon and his protective warmth made my lids heavy. Not long after, I fell asleep.

I opened my eyes and immediately felt that sense of security one felt when they returned home from a long trip. Mine hadn’t been that long, but it felt like an eternity.

“Lyric has been taking care of Enzo,” Revel said.

“My gosh, how selfish I’ve been. I hadn’t even thought about poor Enzo. He’ll be lost without Raina.”

“You were poisoned. Not selfish. And you’ll be there for him now. Want me to go in with you?” Revel asked.

I gazed at Raina’s sweet little house. It was early evening, and while the other homes glowed with hearth fires and candles, Raina’s was dark, empty. Very empty. The only bright spot was the mass of flowers piled in a heap along the fence.

“Thank you, my oversized protector, but actually, I’d kind of like to go in there alone. Besides, there will probably be another round of tears, and I’m sure you’re tired of seeing them.”

“Only because I don’t like to see you hurt or sad, Whisper. Although, my shirt is a little wet.” He lifted it from his skin.

I laughed and shucked him on the arm. It was like rapping my knuckles on a cinder block wall. “Ouch.”

Revel took gentle hold of my wrist and lightly kissed my knuckles. I felt it all the way through my body. “I’ll wait till you get inside,” he said.

“Thank you for bringing me home … again.” I climbed down off the wagon and trudged up to the front stoop. I could still remember the incredible excitement I felt after finding Raina again and how we walked up to her door together after I arrived in Norvale. The door was unlocked, as always. Raina had laughed when I asked her about locking it. She said who would want my old junk? Valians didn’t lock their doors, because the community was more about sharing and working together than about hurting one another. It was a nice place to live. Only I was expected to leave it soon. I shoved away those grim thoughts. They could wait until my big judgment day. Tonight was for me to pull myself together and have a quiet solo memorial for Raina, the one who took such good care of me and Mom.

The house still smelled of rosemary and the pungent herbs she used for soup and stew. Flowers from her garden, wilted and sad now, stood in a pewter vase in the middle of the tiny table where we sat so often. How would I move on and grow as a person without my sweet Raina to guide me? We never even got a chance to talk about my fate and what I would do once I got to the Triumvirate.

“Enzo?” I called into the emptiness.