Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
Rosalina
W e crash through the briars and land in a heap at Castletree’s entrance hall. My golden briars fall among Caspian’s purple ones. I lie there for a moment breathless, limbs tangled with Dayton and Wrenley. But there’s never been a bigger smile on my face.
I’m home.
Through my blurred vision, I see the familiar door, the mirror, and the fireplace. The Prince of Thorns’ briars tangle all the way to the top of the ceiling.
He’s still holding the castle together.
“You’re not the most graceful, with that form of travel, are you?” Wrenley grumbles.
I don’t care about her whining because my chest is filling with an unmatched warmth, an igniting fire.
“Farron,” I breathe, and push myself up, dropping Nori’s bag.
He’s standing at the top of the stairs, tears already streaming down his freckled cheeks.
I run toward him. I don’t care that I probably smell like seaweed, or my clothes are tattered. Farron, my mate , is here.
“Rosalina!” He leaps to the bottom of the staircase and grips me tight around the waist.
We fall in a tumble, and it’s like the briars reach up to catch us. His lips are on my cheeks, wet with salty tears. “I felt you. I wanted to run to Summer, but then I knew you’d come here if you could and told myself to wait just a few more hours and … here you are.”
He breaks off in a choking sob, and I don’t think my heart could love him any more. Gently, I take his auburn waves between my fingers. How often did I picture that color during the endless days and nights beneath the sea? Wishing I could see the gold of his eyes again, his smile?
“Farron, you’re here,” I whisper, and bring my lips to his. “You’re here. You’re here.”
“Let them try to take you from me again,” he says, a growl to his words. His kiss is just as powerful, devouring me.
Dayton coughs.
Farron pulls away, and we both look up to see Dayton smirking down at us. I slide myself off Farron, knowing he probably wants to see Dayton too.
But all Farron does is tilt his head. “Hi, Day.”
“Hey, Fare,” Dayton replies.
“Wrenley,” Farron says.
“Farron,” Wrenley says.
I look between them, the tension taut, but a high-pitched scream breaks the silence. “ROSALINA!!”
Astrid bounds down the steps, quickly followed by Marigold and Eldy. My own incoherent babbles spill out, and I stumble over the thorn-covered steps to fall into a giant group hug.
“You made it back okay!” I sob. “I’m so glad!”
The last time I’d seen them, I’d changed the three of them into birds so they could escape the Spring Realm.
“Are you kidding? That was fun.” Astrid winks. “Though, I still prefer hopping!”
“I’m grateful for our little winged adventure,” Eldy says, throwing an arm over Marigold. “I’ve still been able to change into a bird, so I’ve been turning every night at the same time Marigold does. It helps me to understand my beloved’s affliction a little more.”
I wipe my tears with the heel of my palm. “How have you all been?”
“Without any of the princes at Castletree, we’ve been keeping ourselves busy,” Marigold says.
“Lots of places have crumbled and need repairing,” Astrid says.
“Lots?”
“It’s not so bad, dearie.” Marigold pats my head.
But from the worried look that passes between them, I can tell it’s not good. Moreso, now that I’ve gotten a moment to breathe, I can feel Castletree’s wounds as if they were my own. It’s worse than when I returned from Orca Cove and found all of Castletree covered in ice. There’s an almost sweet smell tinging the air, like rot.
“The important thing is that you’re home,” Marigold says. “And now, so are two of the High Princes.”
My chest tightens. Keldarion and Ezryn aren’t here. I make my way down the stairs to stand in a semi-circle where Dayton is filling Farron in about my escape with Delphia and Nori.
Farron pulls me against him, kissing my ear and whispering, “Marigold’s right. Nothing else matters. We’re together now even if it’s not the way you envisioned. I’m sorry about Day, Rosie.”
Ice floods my veins and I step away from him, every nerve suddenly on edge. “What about Dayton?”
Farron’s eyes flash with something feral, and he whirls to Dayton. “You didn’t tell her?”
Dayton opens his mouth then closes it.
“Tell me what?” I snarl.
There’s a fracturing in Dayton’s face as he looks at me. “Rosalina …”
Rosalina. Rosalina? He never calls me Rosalina.
“Tell me what?” I choke out.
It’s Wrenley who crosses to Dayton and puts her hand on his chest. “That Dayton and I are mates.”