11. Aldrin
Chapter 11
Aldrin
I try not to choke on my bitterness as we arrive at Riversdale Watch. All Keira and I needed was a dozen more minutes and we could have cleared the betrayal and hurt between us.
The agony on her face told me almost everything I needed to know, but I must hear it from her lips.
The small fortress sits on a hill overlooking a wide river that is a major trade route from the South into the North. It is a strategic location to hold for war.
The sandstone castle is of pure military design, with only high slit windows and no embellishments. It has generous ramparts that face the water, filled with catapults and archers’ stations. Its foundations reach the river, where soldiers can stream out of their barracks and straight into the harbor of warships that wait at the ready. This defensive position ensures no invaders can travel far by water.
The minor lord meets us outside the entrance to his keep, flanked on either side by soldiers. He is a short, pudgy man, with ruddy cheeks and thinning black hair.
By the time we reach them, I am itching to get off this damned horse. My entire body aches. Pain shoots up my lower back. My legs feel bowed, and my ass is numb. I miss the feel of Keira pressed up against me in the saddle, my arms wrapped around her soft, curvy body and her ass writhing against me each time she moved.
Edmund dismounts gracefully and approaches the minor lord, speaking a few words, then pulling the man into an embrace. He will be laying the charm on thick during these visits. I’ll have to make sure I don’t vomit.
As the lords talk, Keira and Caitlin join them. Servants lead Edmund’s guards to the barracks and stewards take their horses.All avoid making eye contact with us fae, only collecting our mounts after we have stepped a distance away from them.
Edmund leads the lord of the river pass toward Silvan and myself.
“You want to work with the fae, Edmund? I don’t know about this,” the minor lord says as he approaches, looking at me as though I am some animal too stupid to understand him.
“Aldrin, Silvan, meet Lord Tomas, protector of the river pass.” Edmund’s eyes drag from us to the little lord. “Both men here are from the fae Spring Court. Keira made their acquaintance during her pilgrimage. I am told they protected her on multiple occasions. They are our allies and will be treated with as much respect.” Edmund gives Tomas a hard stare, but I’m too busy trying not to choke over his hypocrisy.
I give a simple nod to the lord, and his eyes widen before darting to Edmund. “Fae mercenaries? I’m not sure about this.”
“Wait until you see what they can do, Tomas.” Edmund sighs and puts a hand on Lord Tomas’ shoulder, leading him toward the river. He glances at me. “A demonstration, if you will, Aldrin.”
I stand there, glaring at the two lords as they turn their backs on me and walk away, contemplating telling Edmund where to go instead.
Keira slips in between Silvan and myself. When she tentatively places a cold hand on my exposed arm, I wrap my own on top of it. The simple touch seems to bolster her.
“Apparently, you’re my big fae protectors. Excuse Lord Tomas’ bad manners. He is a scared little mouse of a man and likes to step on other people to make himself feel big.”She gives us a vicious smile that makes my stomach tumble. “Let’s give him a terrifying demonstration, shall we?”
She takes each of us by the elbow and leads us toward the river. Caitlin falls in on Silvan’s other side and they discuss the military benefits of this fortress.
I lean down and murmur in Keira’s ear, “The moment I get you alone, we are going to talk.” She stiffens, but I don’t let up. “Are you still angry with me? Still having trust issues?”
Keira lets out a long breath. “I’m working on it.” She peers up at me with a look that should melt my heart. “You?”
“I can’t work on it until we have a proper damned conversation.”
Keira flinches at my words and her eyes become clouded. On cue, Edmund turns on the path ahead of us and gives me a glowering stare for exchanging a few words with his daughter. Lord Tomas sees the discord between us, and a sly smile grows on his lips.
Dry grass and twigs crunch under my boots as we reach the river’s edge. The bank is cleared of vegetation, but immense trees as tall as the fortress flank the space much further back.
Edmund turns to me and Silvan. “Show Lord Tomas how your magic would help during a battle.” I give him a dark, simmering look. He huffs out a breath and looks to the sky as though asking for divine intervention. “Please,” he grinds out.
I glance at the minor lord. “You would like to see my magic, would you?”
With a lazy flick of my wrist, I find the roots of those immense trees behind us and feed them into the river. I thrust my earth magic into the vegetation until they are as thick as a man’s torso, strong and woody, with points as sharp as thorns. Then I tear the roots up through the water’s surface with such force they could pierce through the bowels of a boat.Great waves of displaced water crash away from them.
Lord Tomas jumps in the most satisfying way as more huge spikes erupt from the calm water until an entire woody blockade spans the river.
The lord’s face has gone entirely pale. “What else can you do?”
I give him a predatory grin as I feed air into the water, forming vicious whirlpools. Their centers reach down to the river’s muddy floor. Silvan shoots shards of ice out of the water’s surface, as thick and deadly as a spray of daggers. The icicles pepper the far shore. His mother was born in the Winter Court before taking refuge in mine during the wars. The Winter King Erik could freeze this entire river for miles.
We drop our weaves simultaneously and the water’s surface calms. The lord’s mouth works, but no sound comes out as his gaze darts from me to Silvan to Edmund.
“Keira, Caitlin, can you show Lord Tomas what you can do with those wooden spikes?” Edmund asks.
Keira grins and Caitlin’s eyes sparkle. They clutch each other’s arms, using the physical touch to combine their magic. One thick tree root shatters into hundreds of arm-length spikes. Their air wields thrust the missiles through the air with impressive speed to strike the shoreline, embedding erect stakes at least a few inches into the soil. Had there been an invading army on that bank, many would be dead under that onslaught.
Keira pants, her hands on her knees. Our powers could be unstoppable if they were combined.
Lord Tomas whips around and stares at the sisters. “You?” He almost screeches the word.
“Us,” Keira replies. “Aldrin has been teaching me to use my magic. There is so much we either don’t know or that we block from fear of our own power.”
“He and his fae have been an asset to us,” Caitlin chimes in.
As we trudge back up the slope to the keep, Edmund puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his side. The act is so warm and intimate I almost die of shock. Until he growls in my ear, “Do not do anything during the festivities that could feed the rumors that fae have kidnapped or laid claim to Keira.” Edmund smiles and nods at the humans we pass, then his tone turns acid again. “Do not touch her, dance with her or speak to her too much. Understand me, Aldrin—if you even look at her the wrong way, it will inflame the lords, and we need them.”
I shrug Edmund off me. “Anything else? Shall I dance for the entertainment of the lords? Perhaps kiss their feet? Because offering my sword and neck is clearly not enough for you.”
I stalk off, and he is forced to jog to catch up with me.
“I apologize in advance, Aldrin. Nothing here is more important than my daughter’s safety. Nothing . Not even your bruised ego.” Edmund gives me a hard look. “And if it is not smarting already, then it will be, because many of the lords and countesses we need to recruit will only look upon you with fear and prejudice.”
“So, the usual treatment, then?” I snap. I am so sick of these people already.
“Social change is slow. I’m apparently one of you, and still, I can’t stand to look at you,” Edmund says. “Though that is for personal reasons. I don’t mind this guy.” He tips his head at Silvan.
“Fuck off,” Silvan growls at the Lord Protector.
“See? Friends already.” Edmund slaps him on the shoulder and walks off.
“Can I kill him yet?” Silvan grumbles beside me.
“Maybe after the war,” I concede, but I can’t stop staring at Edmund’s retreating form. Under all the malice, he is a father terrified for his daughter. A vicious beast snapping at any and every perceived threat to her.
I get it. I would destroy any man I thought was trying to harm her. It doesn’t mean I have to hate him any less.
Gods, I can’t even offer Keira a life of safety in my realm to escape this war. The Assassins of Belladonna will greet me the moment I step through a portal. They will not stop trying to kill me, not unless I put a conflicting commission against the High Chancellor and they kill her first. But I have other plans for the assassins on my return. Ones that will have them working for me.
Thoughts of Titania’s reign of terror keep me up at night. Conditions were so much worse in my court when we briefly visited. All the fake heroics she promoted during the election—how only she could save our people from my failures and give them a better way of life—have fallen by the wayside, and the true brutality of her nature has been exposed.
Under her neglect of the lands, the corruption that is killing my realm is only growing and festering.
We wash the dust of the road from ourselves and change quickly. Silvan accompanies me silently as we explore the fortress grounds. I attempt to talk with the soldiers in the guardhouse, but their reactions vary from fearful silence to outright hostility.
The fact that we are followed by both Edmund’s and Tomas’ people is not lost on me.Neither trust us. If I thought I could win these people over with the sheer weight of my personality, I would have received a rude shock.
By the time I enter the banquet with Silvan in tow, I am in a foul mood and cannot help the brooding darkness of my expression. A servant leads us into a hall with rough flagstone floors and walls of uneven masonry, as though this is some backwater inn and not a lord’s dwelling.
I glance up at the ceiling adorned with broad beams of wood and rows of wrought iron chandeliers and sneer at the lack of fire orbs. How do these people not get burned by dripping wax from all those candles hanging overhead?
Many lit sconces lining the walls give a warm light to the space, but also lend a smoky, gritty quality to the air. I taste the bitterness of it on my tongue. The entire hall is crude and primitive, with no care for beauty.
Simple wooden tables and benches fill the room, packed with guests and soldiers. They all fall silent as the atmosphere shifts and their attention focuses on us standing in the entrance. Then they break out into hushed whispers, many pointing in our direction. I grind my teeth.
I have never felt more alien or unwelcome in my life.
Movement at the dais where the lords sit draws my eye. Keira rises from her seat, her eyes wide as she stares at me. She takes a single step in my direction, as though she can’t handle the glares being cast my way and plans to march right over here and save me from them. Edmund grabs her arm and tugs her back down, whispering furiously in her ear.
The servant’s hands shake as he leads us through the hall to the same table on the dais. He stumbles twice, and almost falls flat on his face the third time. I grab the neck of his tunic and put him back on his feet before his face collides with the ground. From the dark looks I receive from both Edmund and Tomas, one would think I just assaulted the man.
Lord Tomas turns to Edmund. “You will excuse my wife and youngest daughter—both are feeling unwell, and my two sons are out on multi-day hunts. But I would like these fae mercenaries of yours to sit beside me instead. I find them rather…interesting.”
Edmund shrugs. “If you wish.”
Keira sits next to her father, and all I want is to take the seat beside her and block out the rest of the world. It is a struggle to drag my eyes away from her beauty.
Half her vibrant red curls are coiled on top of her head, and the rest tumble down her back. A white gown clings to her generous curves and the neckline, trimmed in gold, dips low enough to reveal her breasts. I want to press my face into them again and never leave.
I get a look down her cleavage as I pass behind her chair to take the seat beside Lord Tomas. The scent of rose oil drifts up from her, and I want to groan at the sharp pang of longing that blooms within me. Not just for sex. I crave the easy affection we once shared before everything became so incredibly messy.
The moment my gaze locks on Lord Tomas, my simmering fury rears up again.
I know he is planning something. His smirk only slips a little as he gazes over his shoulder at the guards lining the wall behind us, as though they could keep him safe from me.
Lord Tomas stands and claps his hands, and immediately a band plays music and servants carry out tray after tray of meat. One platter is placed directly in front of me, and I inspect the cuts of thinly sliced meat in varying shades. There are multiple types of animals here.
“What is this?” I ask Tomas.
His smirk widens. “I thought it would be a great honor to serve our fae friends here meat from their homeland.” His eyes roll over to Edmund. “We have cracks in the barriers between worlds too, even if we don’t have portals. We hunt our own game.” Tomas turns back to me. “You see, we have a law in this realm that if a fae trespasses, they are executed immediately. It is the only way we humans remain safe. Perhaps you have forgotten this law, Edmund?”
Edmund’s face remains stony. “I have not forgotten.”
“What kind of meat is this? From which kind of fae?” I grind out, unable to help the way my jaw clicks.
“Oh, you know, a bit of this and that. You fae are all the same to us.” Tomas’ eyes glitter from his power play. I could crush him in an instant should I choose to. I wouldn’t even need to call on my magic.
Edmund looks from the lord to me, his narrowed eyes furious but calculating. Finally, he shakes his head at me. This is not the time for this battle. Bitterness rises in my throat that I am expected to sit here and take this weak man’s mocking. But I would give my life to protect Keira. What is my pride worth?
“Lord Tomas, this is highly offensive to the fae,” Keira cries, leaning over the table to twist around the bulky form of her father. The little lord shrugs unapologetically.
“Just eat it, Aldrin,” Silvan growls beside me, loud enough for them to hear. “These people couldn’t take down a high fae or nymph. It’s probably Cú Sídhe.”
Lord Tomas’ face reddens at those words.
“I’m not eating it if they are serving me goblin,” I spit back.
Edmund picks up a bowl of root vegetables and dumps it in front of me. “Here, Aldrin, eat some carrots.” He shoots Tomas a dark look.
Silvan laughs. “If they are serving goblin, the humans will be dead before you get a stomach-ache.” He bends around me. “Keira, don’t eat the meat. Edmund, you should have a second serve.”
I can’t help the dark laugh that rolls out of me at their varying expressions of shock.
“Why don’t you go first?” I say to Lord Tomas, gesturing toward the platter, menace dripping from my tone. “You can tell us if the meat is any good.”
He doesn’t take his eyes off me as he warily shovels roasted slices onto his plate. Edmund grumbles under his breath about dramatics as he eats. The little lord skewers a generous portion and puts it in his mouth, chewing slowly as I lean in to watch him closely, a slow smirk growing on my face.
As Lord Tomas swallows, I strike, catching his throat in a constricting air wield and not allowing the meat to go down. He makes a small choking sound, then tries unsuccessfully to swallow again. The meat lodges, probably cutting off his air as well. His eyes flare wide at me.
I take my goblet and sip the wine. “What’s wrong, Tomas? Does fae flesh not agree with you?”
He scratches at his throat, a broken-off cough escaping him as his face purples. Fear erupts in his eyes and his meaty jowls flap as he gags. His pupils blow out as he stares at me again, unsure if this is my doing or not.
I smile at him, tipping my head to the side. “Do you need a little help? You know, some pixies have barbs in them, and it can make it very hard for the meat to go down.”
He wheezes and nods vigorously, the useless guards at his back ignorant to the fact he is choking half to death. I slap him a little too hard on the back, releasing my air wield, and the meat goes flying onto the table.
“You!” Lord Tomas rasps with indignation.
I smile at him. “I…just saved your life?”
His eyes narrow, but he has no way of determining if I am telling the truth or not.
“Really, Tomas?” Edmund growls at his side, pushing his plate away from himself. “I’m not going to eat this if it’s going to choke us all to death.”
The little lord apologizes profusely and calls a servant, and they bring our table the same succulent platters of chicken the lower-ranking guests are already enjoying. Edmund’s intense gaze bores into mine, and he taps his temple beside his eye, telling me he saw and knows what I did. I place two hands behind my head and lean back in my seat.
“You’re too clever for your own damned good, Aldrin,” Silvan grumbles in my ear. “You know that, don’t you?”
I eat in silence while the humans discuss farming, fishing and other local issues, all skirting around the war that brought us here.
Edmund finally broaches the topic when the desserts arrive. “Lord Tomas, let us speak of the matter at hand. The new boy king Finan has roused his army and is marching north, to our lands. He intends to take what is not his by force. To remove a Mother of Magic from her temple. I’m gathering the armies of the North for a show of arms to greet him when he arrives. King Finan must learn that he cannot simply take whatever he wants. I have it on good authority that he will balk and turn back at any sign of opposition.”
Lord Tomas places his fingers on either side of his chin as he considers. “You want to raise the Northern lords to fight the new king.”
“If it comes to that, yes,” Edmund admits.
My heart hammers rapidly as I scrutinize the little lord. Keira’s future is depending on petty men like him.
Tomas turns to Keira, holding her eye. “Maybe your daughter should do her duty and follow through with her engagement. Why should my sons die for your daughter’s whims?”
Keira rears back as though slapped. Caitlin pulls her close and whispers urgently in her ear as her eyes become glassy.
A flash of black anger rises within me, and it takes everything in me to stop myself from striking the man. From choking the life out of him. My muscles lock up. The wood of the table splinters under my fingers.
I lean in and snarl into his face. “Is this how you treat your women in this realm? As objects and pawns?”
“It is no woman’s duty to be forced into a marriage!” Caitlin snaps.
Edmund stabs a finger into the table. “It sets a bad precedent, that a king can take any woman by force. That he can bring an army to your doorstep and take whatever he wants. Finan has a wandering eye and many mistresses in the capital. Yes, it is my daughter he desires this time, but maybe he will notice your daughter next and snatch her too, as a mistress. He might start taking a lord’s land and title to give to someone who pleases him, just because he can. It starts here, and we must stop it while we can.”
The color drains from Tomas’ face as the thoughts enter his tiny mind for the first time.
“You might see me as a willful woman, Lord Tomas .” Keira spits his name like an insult. “But I am also a Mother of Magic. Do not underestimate what will befall these lands if our order is desecrated. You discuss the sacrilege of a Mother of Magic being kidnapped like it is nothing. If we cannot roam this kingdom with our safety ensured, there will be no Mothers available to offer our services of healing, of repairing crops or imbuing the land with magic. There will be no one to assist in childbirth, in teaching magic to any who have the spark, and there will definitely be no more pilgrimages.”
The lord almost shakes at the thought. Satisfaction grows within me at the fierce triumph on Keira’s face. I could throw her down on this table right here and kiss her passionately.
“And what of these fae?” Tomas seethes. “Why involve them? How do we know they won’t turn on us at the first opportunity?”
I exhale sharply, so bloody sick of this already. “We have a bargain to guarantee our loyalty. That is all you need to know.”
A long silence stretches out as Tomas and Edmund stare each other down.
Tomas shakes his head. “Edmund, I will support your daughter in her fight for her freedom—I would be insane not to back the Mothers of Magic. I will provide soldiers and supplies. But the fae? I cannot align with these intruders. You allow some into our realm and others will follow. Before we know it, we will be enslaved by them again.”
Edmund slams his hands on the table and leans over the other lord, getting right in his face. Tomas’ guards take a step forward, but he waves them off.
“Damn it, Tomas! Insult Aldrin and Silvan right in front of their faces one more time and I am going to lose my temper. We both know what happens when I do. There are so many open flames in this room already.” Edmund’s words are a low growl, and Tomas swallows visibly.
I stare at Edmund, cold shock pumping through my veins.
“We need all the resources we can muster. Aldrin and his ten fae aren’t going to take over the realm,” the Lord Protector finishes.
Tomas puts a hand on Edmund’s chest and forces him back into his seat, then holds up his hands in mock surrender to calm the moment. “Tell me, then—why are fae mercenaries agreeing to fight a war that doesn’t concern them?”
I cross my arms over my chest. Let these humans fight over my supposed merits and traits. Anything I say will further inflame the situation.
Edmund turns to Keira, a hard expression on his face, then he finally nods at her.
Keira’s eyes dance with thrill, and I have no idea what she is going to tell this lord. Surely not that we are— were lovers. That she holds my fucking heart in her fist and I would follow her off the edge of a cliff to make sure she fell safely. That I want her as my queen. That I would do anything, anything , she asked of me. That she knows I could never hurt her people, because I couldn’t willingly hurt her.
Keira doesn’t register the turmoil rolling within me. The waves of sick anticipation that crash over me. Her eyes flick to mine, then she says, “These fae are not mercenaries. They are agents of the Spring Court’s king and want to establish a trade agreement with the humans of the Northern protectorate.”
Something cracks within my chest at those words, and by the Shadow Court and all its demons, it hurts. It is like my entire essence is falling, falling, falling, into a darkness I can’t seem to climb out of. I am a fool to think she would even hint at feelings for me, or acknowledge those I have for her. It doesn’t make strategic sense, but the gods know, I need something from her.
“Think on the wealth and magic that will flood into our protectorate.” Caitlin reaches around her sister. “Do not miss out on such an opportunity because you are afraid of the monsters of the Otherworld. I have been there, and they are not so scary. Many of the other lords will snap it up, and how will you compete?”
“Ah! There is the truth of it.” Tomas claps his meaty hands and grins. “They help us win this war, and then we are in their debt and must agree to whatever conditions they demand!”
“Don’t try to be clever with me, Tomas.” Edmund leans back in his seat. “Their involvement in this war is merely an act of goodwill between nations, to open the way for trade discussion. We will owe them nothing. Isn’t that right, Aldrin?”
They all turn to me. I try to school my features, but simmering rage is my constant companion these days.
“Easy, Aldrin,” Silvan murmurs, just loud enough for me to hear. “Remember why we are here.”
I unclench my teeth. “You owe me some common fucking courtesy, but that is about it. I can give you a magical oath if you like, or make a bargain.”
“Oh, no, that is fine. Every human knows not to make a bargain with a fae—except Edmund, it would appear.” Tomas glances at the Lord Protector, who grunts but doesn’t say a thing. I realize the little lord is enjoying this, holding the balance of power over his liege lord. Sowing discord between us. “Tell me—Aldrin, was it? What sort of trade would you offer?”
I run a hand through my hair. “Have you ever tried fae spices? Grown in our realm, they are imbued with magic.” Tomas’ beady eyes train on me. I can see the thoughts ticking in his mind, so I go on. “We can offer seeds for herbs and flowers that generate their own magic and can be used in potions.”
I continue, having an actual conversation with the little lord as he momentarily forgets that I am fae and sees me as a merchant instead.As we talk, tables are removed from the center of the banquet hall and people pair up to dance. The mood changes immediately as the couples swing each other by looped arms and trade partners, all in time with the music.
When the beat becomes even faster-paced, and a woman uses an air wield to amplify her singing, Caitlin abruptly stands and pulls up her sister. Keira shakes her head, but there is a huge smile on her face as Caitlin urges her to the dance floor, almost pushing her in that direction.
They immediately grasp hands and swing to the tune of the music, their feet following the same steps as the others around them.I would never have expected the severe-faced Caitlin to enjoy dancing.
Keira’s expression is one of utter abandon, lips curled in a huge smile and eyes glittering. She looks so young and beautiful, without a care in the world. In this moment, nothing can reach her but the music, not even an advancing army.
I can’t drag my eyes away. I can’t stop imagining what it would be like to swirl her across the ballroom in my palace and teach her the dances of my court. To wrap my arm around her waist and press her against my chest.
When I finally drag my attention away from the dance floor, I find Edmund staring daggers at me, his emerald eyes savage. Our gazes lock, and I refuse to back down and be made to feel like I cannot even look at Keira. A muscle ticks in Edmund’s jaw and the tendons in his neck stick out. My hands ball into clenched fists.
A messenger, still covered in the dust of the road, approaches Edmund, forcing him to drag his eyes away first. They speak a few words, then the messenger hands over a scroll. Edmund breaks the seal and his eyes roam over the message once, then twice. The color drains from his face and his lips twist.
I shoot Silvan a worried glance, but his narrowed eyes remain on Edmund, analyzing every inch of his body language.
“Is it bad news, Edmund?” Lord Tomas probes in a gentle voice.
“Only what we expected.” Edmund’s face and neck flush red and his nostrils flare. “Finan has marched his army out of Sunbright City and across the Golden Plains. They will be here in under a month.”
A cold shiver runs through me.
“We may have longer than that,” Lord Tomas insists, placing a hand on Edmund’s arm. “It would take a highly organized army to march here that quickly. Finan is inexperienced in the ways of warfare.”
Edmund unclenches his jaw. “He has appointed Lord Desmond as his general.”
Lord Tomas’ mouth works, but no sound comes out. His eyes dart around the room as though he is looking to flee. “Lord Desmond?” he practically squeaks.
“Can someone tell me who the fuck Lord Desmond is?” I want to shake both of them to get my answers faster.
Edmund’s eyes flick to mine. “When Fernsworth City went into full revolt a decade ago, Lord Desmond was sent to deal with the rebellion. The rebels locked everyone inside the city walls, so Lord Desmond set his catapults on them, including our own civilians. When his forces finally breached the fortifications, his soldiers killed, raped and pillaged under the king’s name. The slaughtered and burned alive rebels, civilians and children alike. He never bothered to sort them. By the time he was done, the entire city’s population was dead and the buildings were reduced to rubble. He is a man who sees death and destruction as a path to his own advancement.”
“And the North is a plump pig for the taking, for a warlord like that.” Tomas practically shivers in his seat.
Anger flares hot and hard through me. I don’t notice the fork that becomes bent and mangled in my fist until Tomas’ eyes dip down to it. I will kill them all if I have to. This king. That warlord. Any and every foot soldier that comes between Keira and her safety.
Lord Tomas breaks the heavy silence. “You have my support and my soldiers. If Lord Desmond wages war in the North, it will be a bloodbath.”
I fold my arms across my chest. “We fae are a wildcard you can use to your advantage, Edmund. You’ve seen what two of us did to that river. Imagine my entire band working together. Think if we trained all your soldiers as well. Lord Desmond will be ignorant of their magical capabilities and cannot plan for them.”
Edmund gives me a curt nod. Our eyes slide to Keira. She laughs and swings around and around with Caitlin in the center of the dance floor. The sight cracks my heart.
I wonder how rare those smiles are about to become.