Chapter Twenty-Two Lor The Woodlands Present Day
King Cedar approaches me in two long strides as I process his words, exchanging nervous glances with Tristan. The king towers over me when he comes to a stop, long brown hair curling over his shoulders and the tips of his leathery brown wings stretching towards the sky.
He knows who we are? I remember him from the Sun Queen Ball. Had he known then?
“Did you think I wouldn’t know when my kin returned home?” Cedar asks Nadir. “The question is, what are they doing with you, and why have you brought them here?”
Nadir rubs the back of his neck. Clearly, he hadn’t anticipated this development. “I didn’t bring them here. Or at least I didn’t bring them to you. We needed to hide.”
I can tell it guts Nadir to admit that, but there really isn’t any other reasonable explanation for our presence. “And as to why they’re with me, that is really none of your business.”
Nadir wraps a hand around my arm and pulls me towards him. “So, if you’d ask your goons to lower their weapons, we’ll be on our way. We have no quarrel with you, Cedar. Don’t start one.”
Cedar raises a hand, and his soldiers press in closer, their weapons still pointed at us. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that.” And then, before Nadir can protest, Cedar adds, “I mean you no harm. None of you. But I can’t let you leave without some explanation and a moment to talk.”
“How do you know who we are?” Tristan asks, attempting to approach only to find a pair of spears drop across his path. He stops short, glaring at the soldiers holding him back until Cedar waves a hand.
“Let him come.”
As Tristan draws closer, Cedar watches him, his eyes scanning my brother from head to toe.
“I have wards set on my borders to trigger when anyone of Woodlands royal blood crosses the perimeter. I felt it the day you were taken, and I felt it a few hours ago.”
Tristan and I exchange another glance, our expressions conveying the same shock at those words. He knew. He knew when we were taken. And he did nothing? I have so many questions that I can’t figure out where to begin.
“Please,” Cedar says. “I’d be happy to explain more, but I’d be remiss in my manners if we had such an important conversation standing out here in the middle of the forest. Come to the Fort and be my guests for a few days. I give you my word that you will be safe.” He peers at Nadir. “And if your need to hide means no one can know of your presence within my borders, then consider your secrets safe with me.”
“What about everyone else?” Nadir asks.
“My people are loyal, and the forest keeps secrets better than anyone.”
I have no idea what that means, but the answer seems to satisfy Nadir, who nods.
“Only if Lor and Tristan agree,” he says, yielding to us.
“Yes, I’d like to,” I say, and Tristan also nods, though the expression on his face suggests he doesn’t trust the Woodlands King at all.
Not only did we fail to learn anything about who’s blabbing our secrets in Heart, we also need to get back to Aphelion, but I also need to hear what our great-uncle has to say. I’ve spent half my life wondering why this forest king sat on his ass when my parents were slaughtered.
“Wonderful,” Cedar says, giving me and Tristan another lingering look. I’m not sure if it’s the light, but I catch the silver of tears lining his eyes. “You both look so much like him.”
There’s a pause of silence, and then he turns on his heel and heads towards his horse before jumping into the saddle. The rest of his soldiers circle our group and herd us into the forest.
As we march along the worn earthen paths, I wonder how far we have to go. After the events of last night, I’m exhausted, and with the adrenaline of confronting the king and his soldiers wearing off, I’m swaying on my feet.
“Are you okay?” Nadir asks. “To walk? I can carry you if you want.”
I look over at him, taking a moment to study his face.
When I awoke in the healer’s cottage, when he was the first thing I saw, something shifted and flipped on its axis. Yet again.
I finally understood the way he’s been growing up around me in a tangle of stems. That he’s just like those roses blooming over the surface of the Heart Castle, despite the impossibility of their existence, filtering into the cracks and feeding on slivers of sunlight.
He sees into my darkness and stares at it with unflinching eyes.
I wasn’t surprised to find him covered in the blood of those two men. This is who he is, and I will stare into his darkest corners, too, seeking his light.
“Thank you for coming to rescue me,” I say, and his brow furrows.
He opens his mouth and then closes it before he says, “Why would you think I wouldn’t?”
Why do I get the sense he had planned to say something else?
My mate.
Of course I knew he’d come.
And I… would have done the same. Without a moment’s hesitation. With a fiery rage in my heart and a smile on my face. I would have made them suffer.
Everything Rhiannon said points towards him in blinking red lights. It couldn’t be more obvious if someone had tattooed it on his forehead.
How could I have ever thought these feelings for him were anything less than extraordinary? And it’s then I realize that this whole time, I’ve been tending a patch of weeds while he’s been growing me a garden.
Magic simmers under my skin, always stretching towards him, becoming stronger and stronger. Could it snap? Was this what she meant when she said it could kill us if we resisted?
I want to acknowledge this, but now is not the time. Not when we’re surrounded by the soldiers of the Woodlands King.
This moment deserves to be honored. Given the space to breathe and flex, not hurried or rushed. His eyes meet mine, and they simmer with a universe of unspoken thoughts.
Do I worry about what he’ll say or how he’ll react? This might be one time in my life I’m absolutely sure of the outcome. He’s made his feelings clear, and I no longer feel the need to crumble under their scorching weight.
“Are you sure you’re all right to walk?” he asks. “You’re a little pale.”
My answering smile feels soft around the edges, like I’m being teased apart, the hardened pieces of me filtering out and then gently pressed back together into something new and whole. He’s done this to me. Filed down the harsh cocoon I’ve worn for so long, giving me the chance to emerge reborn.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” he asks. I stare at him. At the arch of his brows and the line of his jaw. At the swell of muscle revealed by his open collar. He’s so beautiful it makes my chest hurt.
“Like what?” I ask, blinking furiously, suddenly having trouble breathing. I accelerate my pace and focus my gaze ahead. I’m not ready for this conversation yet.
“Do you know how far it is?” I ask as he catches up to me, wanting to change the subject and really wishing we had a horse or something to ride. My head still feels woozy, and I should just let him carry me.
“I’m not exactly sure,” he says, scanning the trees.
“It would seem ‘family’ is as loose a term as it’s always been with the Woodlands King,” I say. “Making your ‘flesh and blood’ walk behind you like a captive.”
Nadir smirks. “Welcome home, I guess.”
“Did I imagine how quickly we got here, though? I swear we were in the settlement, and then suddenly, we were here. Though it’s entirely possible I passed out.”
“No, you didn’t. Etienne got us here.” I give him a quizzical look. “It’s his ability. He can shift people and himself from one place to another in the blink of an eye.”
“Wow, that’s pretty useful.”
Nadir nods.
Etienne marches in the line ahead of him, his shoulders hunched and his eyes on his feet.
“He feels terrible,” Nadir says, catching the direction of my stare. “I might have been a little… abrupt with him when you went missing.”
“It was an accident, right?” I say before I look at him. “I know he’s your friend, and I hate to ask this, but you’re sure he’s one hundred percent trustworthy?”
Nadir places a hand over his heart, his expression serious. “Absolutely. I would never ever have brought you to him otherwise.”
I nod at that. “Okay. Then excuse me for a moment.”
I rush forward, matching my steps to Etienne’s long strides, until he finally looks up at me.
“Hi,” I say. He doesn’t reply, instead looking at his feet again as if trying to avoid tripping on an errant root. Or, more likely, avoiding me.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbles after a moment, his gravelly voice even deeper than usual. “I fucked up royally.”
“Mistakes happen,” I reply. “I won’t pretend that wasn’t terrifying, but I don’t blame you. I’ve been through much worse than that, and I got out alive. Okay?”
His dark gaze slides to me, and I see so much pain written in the depths of it. What is this man’s story? “I don’t deserve that. It was my job to make sure you were safe.”
“And I appreciate that. More than you can possibly imagine. But that doesn’t mean things always go the way we plan.”
Etienne shakes his head and looks ahead as we continue our march through the forest.
“Nadir won’t forgive me.” He sounds so despondent that I almost want to wrap him in a hug. Something tells me he wouldn’t appreciate the gesture.
“Well, you can ignore him,” I say. “I’m the one in charge.” I wink, and his expression softens, though I can tell he’s still beating himself up about this.
“Really,” I say. “I’m not blaming you for anything.”
He grunts at that, and I guess that’s the best I’m getting for now. I slow my pace to give him some space to process whatever he’s going through.
Nadir catches up to me a second later. “Did that work?”
“Not at all,” I say. “He thinks you’re angry with him.”
“Well, I am.”
I give him a skeptical look, and he blows out a breath before running a hand through his hair. “We’ll work it out. It’s not the first time we’ve been pissed off at one another.”
As we wind through the forest, something catches my eye.
“What is that?” I ask Nadir, pointing to a large black spot on the side of a tree, noticing more of them blooming in the branches.
“I suspect it’s the same thing happening across Ouranos.”
We look up, where many of the leaves carry the same taint. Even the air seems different. I take a deep breath, inhaling the clean forest scent of pine and soil, but it’s mingled with a faint, cloying odor of decay. Our surrounding guards study the trees with grim scrutiny. They don’t appear surprised, though, so this isn’t new, only troubling.
“The mine collapse, those quakes we keep feeling, the depleting fish stocks, the other things we keep hearing about. There are too many events at once to be natural. Something similar happened when our magic disappeared, and I’m starting to wonder if it’s all connected,” Nadir says.
“Connected how?” I ask.
“I’m not sure yet. Maybe it’s nothing.”
I watch him for a moment, but it’s clear from the concern on his face that he doesn’t believe those words. I try to hold in my sigh. Not to be selfish, but the last thing we need is another wrench in our plans.
We continue walking, and I’m so tired now that my head spins. Just when I’m about to consider accepting Nadir’s offer to carry me, I catch sight of the edge of the tree line. We emerge from the forest into a wide clearing where the biggest tree I’ve ever seen spreads into the sky. It’s massive, practically a mountain. But then I note the windows and platforms suspended along its trunk and realize this enormous treehouse must be the Woodlands Fort.
I’m almost too tired to be impressed by the sight, and I start imagining a warm bath and a soft bed, hoping Cedar will allow us some time to rest before we “catch up.”
“Welcome,” Cedar says, having just dismounted from his horse. “You must be weary. We’ll get you some rooms, and you can rest.”
These are literally the best words I’ve ever heard in my life.
We enter the Fort through a set of tall gold doors into a grand hall with a curving ceiling braced with golden arches and a shiny green floor so smooth it looks like glass.
A female Fae, wearing brown leathers, approaches from down the hall, and at the sight of us, she breaks into a run. The queen of The Woodlands is as lovely as I remember from the Sun Queen Ball, with her long chestnut hair and bright green eyes along with a pair of those impressive wings. She leaps into Cedar’s arms, and he spins her around as they smother each other in sloppy kisses. How long has he been away? If he came to find us this morning, it couldn’t have been more than a few hours.
Watching them openly express their affection makes me seek out Nadir. When I find him, he’s already looking at me, and our gazes hold for a tense beat before I look away.
“It’s so nice to meet you finally!” says the queen. I remember her name is Elswyth. She takes my hands in hers and clasps them firmly. “I thought we’d never get the chance.”
I frown at her words. They’re all acting like they cared that we disappeared, and didn’t leave us to rot at the hands of the Aurora King for half our lives.
“Okay,” I say, not really sure how to respond, but she isn’t deterred by my less-than-enthusiastic response. She’s now hugging Tristan, her arms cinched around him so tightly that it’s almost a little awkward. He’s obviously as guarded as I am. We look at each other and shrug.
“We have rooms ready for you. And baths,” Elswyth says, her gaze lingering on the blood coating both Tristan and Nadir. “Seems like you’ve been through something on your way here. Come with me.”
She keeps up a string of chatter, describing the architecture of the Fort and explaining about the Winter Ball tomorrow, to which we’re all invited. Great, another party. I think I already got my fill when we were in The Aurora.
Finally, she stops before a door and gestures me inside while the other four are taken to rooms along the same hall. My guest room is paneled with varying shades of polished wood, and the floor is made of planks of honey-colored beams covered with thick green rugs. I sigh out loud at the sight of a large wooden bed layered with emerald-green pillows and sheets.
“There’s a warm bath for you if you’d like,” Elswyth says. “I’ll have some food sent up as well.”
She stands with her hands clasped at her waist, giving me a bright smile. I move to the window that overlooks miles and miles of green forest sprawling in every direction.
“Great. Thank you.”
“It’s a miracle to have you here. I never thought we’d see you again,” she says, repeating her earlier words, then dips her head. “I’ll let you get settled.”
Then she’s gone. I take a turn about the room, checking the drawers and closet, finding a pair of thick green leggings and a tunic made of soft, stretchy fabric. I take them into the bathroom and then strip down to clean myself off. When I’m done, I find a platter of food on a low table near the window.
I nibble on the bread, but my exhaustion outweighs my hunger.
Instead, I climb under the sheets, savoring their cool crispness and sighing again before I drift into a dreamless sleep.