Chapter 38
CHAPTER 38
Rosalina
I ’m still catching my breath, soaking wet on the deck of the ship, when a force nearly knocks me over to get to Ezryn.
“Ez!” Dayton cries, wrapping his arms around my mate, who hasn’t even stood up yet.
Ezryn allows himself a laugh and leans into Dayton’s embrace. “Good to see you, Daytonales.”
Dayton pulls back a little and cups Ezryn’s face. He stares at him intently. “I forgot how damned handsome you are. Who needs armor when you have such rugged charm?”
Ezryn rolls his eyes and pushes him off, but I can feel the familial love pulsing through our bond. My own heart blooms to see them together, these two men I love—
A gasp sounds. Wrenley runs over and grabs Dayton’s arm, pulling him up and away from Ez. “Don’t get close to him, Dayton! Get away!”
“What are you doing?” Dayton gets his footing and roughly removes Wrenley’s hand from his arm. “Stop.”
“That monster,” she snarls and points a condemning finger down at Ez, “is the Prince of Blood.”
Ezryn stays perfectly still, just kneeling in the puddle of saltwater that’s accumulated underneath him. Something hard flickers in his gaze.
“He’s a murderer,” Wrenley continues. “He killed everyone in Queen’s Reach. Not just the soldiers, but the acolytes. Women. Children. He’s a demon, Dayton! Cast him overboard and avenge my people!”
“I never—” Ezryn begins to growl, but I stand up and step between them.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Wrenley,” I say calmly, but the accusation sends heat flickering beneath my skin.
Her lip trembles, and she takes a step backward. “You don’t see it. He will hurt you. He has struck down his own people—”
“ Enough ,” Dayton growls. “Watch your words. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
Slowly, I reach for Ezryn, but he steps away from me, shadows falling over his gaze.
“I do know,” Wrenley urges. “I was there! I saw him!”
“She would accuse me of such acts,” Ezryn says, shooting a glare toward her. “She served my brother directly.”
“I told you,” Wrenley whispers to Dayton. “He will come for me next.”
I look between Ezryn and the acolyte. Ezryn has lived in fear of what he’s capable of for so long. To be accused directly of such atrocities, claims I know are false, seems a cruel injustice.
But there is genuine fear on Wrenley’s face. Perhaps, in the chaos, she was confused about what happened. “Wrenley, I was there that day. I was captured by the Nightingale, one of Kairyn’s puppets. Ezryn rescued me, but he never—”
“The Nightingale,” Wrenley says lowly, “is not one of Kairyn’s puppets.”
“But you are, aren’t you?” Ezryn says. “You served him faithfully. Why should we trust you?”
“Ez, she saved mine and Kel’s life from Kairyn. She’s not a puppet.” Dayton sighs deeply and takes her hand. “She’s my mate.”
Ezryn’s muscles stiffen the exact same way mine do at those words. My mate . My fucking mate.
“Enough yakking.” Delphia steps between us. Though she’s so much shorter and younger, she carries the presence of a queen. “This is my ship, and I won’t have any squabbling aboard. Is that clear?” She stares each of us in the eyes.
I look down at my feet and mumble, “Yes, ma’am.”
Adjusting her tricorn hat, she turns to Wrenley. “Ezryn is a member of my crew. I say if he stays or goes, and I say he stays. If that’s a problem, I can show you to the door. Though, around here, it’s called the plank.”
Pure rage crosses Wrenley’s features. Her hands tighten to fists and her lips become one thin line. Beside her, I watch Dayton barely holding back his laughter.
“Fine. If you’ll excuse me.” Wrenley turns on her heel and storms below deck.
A weight lifts from my chest, and I take in a deep breath. Ezryn runs a hand through his dark, wavy hair.
“So, when did Ez become a member of your crew?” Dayton asks Delphia.
“Met him in the market.” She shrugs. “He helped us get this.”
At that moment, Nori walks over with her usual awkward shuffle and holds up a large black feather tinged with red.
“A ratty feather?” Dayton raises a brow. “Wow, great find, Del.”
“This is not just any feather.” Delphia fixes her brother with an adorably frustrated glare. “It’s from a Pegasus and you know what that means.”
“That Hercules was actually a fae?” I chime in, resulting in receiving my own adorably frustrated glare.
Delphia grabs the feather from Nori and holds it up to the sun. “No, it means the Huntresses of Aura do exist and they’re in the Ribs.”
Ezryn and I exchange confused stares. For once, during my time in the Vale, I’m not the only one out of the loop. “I’m not sure what to ask first. Pegasus as in the winged horse? What are the Ribs? Who are the Huntresses of Aura?”
Delphia runs a hand along the feather, an almost dreamlike expression crossing her face. “Pegasus are the greatest steeds to ever traverse the Vale. Their legs are more powerful than any horse, and they can fly higher than a gryphon. They have a fierce sense of justice and loyalty. Hurt one, and the herd will seek vengeance for their fallen.”
Nori says in her deadpan voice, “The myth says they’ve only ever been tamed by a nomadic group of Summer fae known as the Huntresses of Aura.”
“They’re not a myth!” Delphia says. “My mother’s mother was a Huntress. Wasn’t she, Day?”
“So Mom said.”
Delphia grabs my arm and yanks excitedly. “The Huntresses of Aura are fierce warriors, blessed by the Queen with boundless courage. They ride their winged horses across the realm, maintaining tranquility and balance in nature. They nurture all the flora and fauna. Legends say, hundreds of years ago, Summer fae began digging too deep into the Suadela Sands to try and compete with Spring’s mining. It hurt the animals living there, so the Huntresses destroyed the operation and, another time, a dam was built into the River Gami, and none of the fish could make it to the sea. The Huntresses destroyed the dam and flooded the surrounding area, creating huge oases. And—”
“ And they haven’t been seen in hundreds of years,” Nori says blankly.
Dayton takes the feather from Delphia and sniffs it. He rubs off some of the red coloring, painting his own fingers. “Red clay. This came from the Ribs all right. Whether or not the Huntresses are a myth, the dangers of the Ribs are not.”
“What are the Ribs?” I ask, unable to stop my smile at Delphia’s excitement.
Ezryn takes a turn examining the feather. “The most northern part of Summer. It is a desert wasteland of red sand, huge gorges, and craggy cliffs. I’ve never been there myself. Not many fae have and lived to tell the tale.”
“Many years ago, explorers from Summer tried to build outposts up there to allow better access to Autumn,” Dayton explains. “But it’s inhospitable. The sands will steal your breath, the wind will slice you open, and if somehow you survive all that, the creatures living there will pick your bones clean.” He shakes his head. “Your feather is a nice keepsake, Del, but why are we talking about this?”
The wind seems to shift around Delphia, blowing her dark hair up in a halo around her face. “If anyone can help us take Hadria back, it’s them.”
Dayton sighs. “Come on. Say you found them, what then? They’re said to have never treated with the royal house, besides the Queen herself. They have always followed their own agenda.”
“This isn’t just noble houses bickering!” Delphia cries and shoots an arm out to the sea. The crashed airship bobs as an eerie skeleton in the distance. “Look at that! These things are unnatural. They’re hurting the ocean and all the people of Summer. I have the blood of the Huntresses, and I know they do what’s right.” She slaps her chest. “This is right .”
I can’t help but feel in awe of this little girl, barely a teenager, knowing her convictions so strongly. I was never sure of myself, never trusted what I believed in. Not until I came to Castletree, at least. But Delphia is like a tidal wave.
Dayton rubs his eyes. “What are you saying, Delphie?”
She sets her jaw. “I have to go find them.”
Nori steps up beside her. “Then I will accompany you. If these Huntresses are real, I shall be the first person in recent history to record it.”
Dayton lets out an exasperated groan and paces away. “Rosie and I can’t go with you. We must get to Hadria and beat Kairyn at his own game. It’s the only way to get back the Bow of Radiance.” He flashes a look at me. “Rosie’s our only shot of defeating him.”
“Is that a good idea?” Ezryn grabs my wrist. “If Kairyn’s running the games, then you know they’re rigged.”
“Well, we’ll just have to spring the trap,” I say.
“Even if that means running straight into it.” Dayton grins.
Delphia pulls out a rolled-up scroll from her back pocket and unfurls it to reveal a map. “We’re here in the Byzantar Isles. We’ll sail northeast. You can drop Nori and me off here, at the Caelum Outpost. It’s the last spot of civilization before the Ribs. We can make our way on foot from there.” She stares up at her brother determinedly. “Then you can captain my ship and take it to Hadria.”
“Del,” Dayton whispers. “I can’t let you do this. It’s too dangerous.”
She stares up at him, expression hard. “I’ve been leading Summer alone for twenty-five years. I am well-acquainted with danger.”
Even though I know fae age differently than humans, it’s still a wonder to me that Delphia is actually far older than me, even though she looks and seems like a teenager. It’s hard to wrap my head around how slowly the fae mature and how long this child has been left to rule …
Dayton paces away. “You can’t go alone. No way. What if you take this crew with you—”
“They’re sailors, not soldiers. Besides, you’ll need them to man the ship if you want to make it back to Hadria,” Delphia says.
“Then there’s no other choice. I’ll have to go with you,” he says.
Delphia places a hand on her brother’s face. It’s a surprisingly tender action. “You’re the only undefeated gladiator to ever fight within those sands. If the Golden Rose is going to have any chance of winning that helmed rat’s games, you’re the one who’s going to give it to her. Be strong, big brother. We must each travel our own paths to save our home.”
He puts his hand over hers, and tears shimmer in his eyes. His voice cracks as he says, “No, Del, I can’t let you do this by yourself. I can’t lose you, too.”
A beat of silence passes over the deck before Dayton turns and stares at …
Ezryn.
My heart sinks. I know what Dayton is about to ask.
Ezryn is looking out at the horizon. He closes his eyes as he feels Dayton’s heavy gaze on him. “Don’t ask me, Day.”
“Ez—”
Ezryn storms toward Dayton, grabs his arm, and pulls him away from the others but I can still hear his harsh whisper, “Do not ask me to do this thing, brother. You do not know what I have done to be here. To return to her.”
“I know, I know.” Dayton grabs Ezryn’s shoulders, then puts his hands on his face, his hair. “I have no right to ask this of you. How can I? But I will. I’ll ask it.”
Ezryn’s eyes squeeze shut. “Please, don’t—”
“Accompany my sister and see her safely across the desert. Protect her with your life.”
Pain sparks across my mate bond, both mine and Ezryn’s. My knees buckle, but I turn away so Ezryn cannot see the anguish on my face. Because through that pain, we both know there’s only one choice Ezryn can make.
“I have just returned to my mate.” There’s a hitch in Ezryn’s voice. “I swore I would protect her—”
“Give me that vow,” Dayton says. “I will take it, and I will see no harm comes to her. As you will see no harm comes to my sister.”
“It is my blood who you will face,” Ezryn says. “Kairyn awaits in Hadria—”
“Let me take vengeance for you, brother,” Dayton says. “Let no more kin’s blood stain your hands.”
Ezryn paces away and lets out a growl of frustration. He shoots a hand toward Delphie and Nori. “How am I supposed to protect them? They’re half-feral! They spent the three days in Corsa Tuga causing more havoc than a crew of pirates.”
“She will listen.” Dayton gives a pointed look at his sister, and she rolls her eyes.
“How can you trust me with this task?” Ez’s voice lowers so much, I can barely hear it. “Your mate would tell you I’m a childslayer.”
“My m-m—Wrenley has been through a lot. Don’t mind her. It doesn’t matter if she trusts you,” Dayton says. His eyes search Ezryn’s face, pleading. “I trust you with what is most precious to me. Say you will do this thing.”
Ezryn closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath. Then he looks to me.
Tell me what to do , he whispers in my mind.
But more words crash through, words I don’t think he intends for me to hear: I can’t do this. I failed to protect you against Kairyn. How can I protect them?
I look over at Dayton, the pain etched on his face. Their brotherhood is so strong; I can’t imagine him trusting anyone else besides the princes of Castletree with such a task. Then I look to Delphia and Nori. Two brave young women who are risking their lives for the people of Summer.
Finally, I look to Ezryn, the mate I thought may be lost to me forever.
How can I bear to have him leave my side again? We only just found each other. It’s not fair .
Nothing about these last few months has been. Yet, we face it all the same.
Ezryn will protect Delphia and Eleanor. His heart is strong enough. Dayton knows it. I know it. Ezryn needs to know it, too.
Which means I have to let him go.
Even though every part of me is screaming, I hold my mate’s gaze. I swallow back my tears and lift my chin. Through our bond, I say, The people of Summer need you. You must accept this duty.
A look of sorrowful resignation crosses Ezryn’s face. “Fine,” he rasps. “I’ll do it.”
Kel and Papa in the labyrinth. Farron and Caspian in Cryptgarden. Ezryn, Delphie, and Nori out in the Ribs. Dayton and I in the arena.
Do I have enough hope for all of us?