Chapter 45
Elorie
Wilder sticks close to my side. Not physically touching as we walk through the manor, but his magic toys with my palms and grazes my wrists. It tickles the back of my neck and wraps around me.
“And you say my magic is fond of you? You’re one to talk.” I hitch an eyebrow.
He grins, not meeting my gaze as he continues to look ahead, even as I feel the aether hold he has on me tighten. “Every part of me is fond of you, Elorie. Including every last flicker of my magic.”
I bite my lip, barely able to contain my grin as he finally glances down at me. My cheeks burn where my glowing freckles dot the apple of my cheek.
We turn a corner and pass two females who don’t take their eyes off Wilder. He doesn’t look their way, so I think he must not notice until the slightest tug of his magic pulls me to his side.
His arm slips around my waist as he leans in and whispers, “Your freckles are glowing, Starfire.”
He might be pointing out my little flare of jealousy, but when I meet his gaze, all he’s watching is me, and that makes my belly flutter. The females pass, and I press closer to him. Once we’re back at the palace, we won’t be able to walk like this.
I won’t be able to have him at all.
But today…
Just today, I can pretend I won’t have to let him go.
Wilder presses his nose to the top of my hair and takes a deep inhale. The comfort of his touch—his presence—has my lashes fluttering closed. Our fingers lace together, and it’s right in a way that nothing has been before this.
It figures my heart would latch onto what I can never have.
“Where are we going?” I ask, my eyebrows pinching as we turn another corner.
Wilder’s answer is cut off by Lochlan and Cyan stepping out of a room.
Instinctively, I pull away from Wilder. There’s no explicit order that says I need to stay away from other males while King Malachi does as he pleases.
But something about Malachi’s kiss in the courtyard tells me to tread carefully so I don’t make him angry again.
The last thing I want to do is make things worse than they already are.
Wilder’s hold loosens. Only that small graze of his magic remains, brushing the back of my neck as I stand beside him.
Lochlan smirks, his eyes darting between us. His long white hair is down and tucked behind his ears, and he’s wearing a casual wrap that draws out the blue ring around his pale eyes.
Grinning, he bares his sharp teeth, but I no longer feel threatened by him after we fought side by side.
He helped even when the Crown Guard didn’t bother showing up. He might avoid political games, but he protects his people.
“Wilder.” He grins, his eyes moving to me. “Elorie. I was wondering where you two disappeared to after the battle.”
Amusement plays in his tone, but Cyan’s face remains neutral. Either not noticing or not caring what Lochlan is insinuating.
“King Malachi was sorry to hear about the rip in Solace,” Cyan apologizes on his behalf.
Lochan’s smile darkens. “I’m sure he was.”
They hold a cold standoff of stares. Not saying more, even as the tension is thick with whatever Lochlan is thinking. It isn’t just that the king wasn’t there. It’s that his Guard didn’t come to Solace’s defense at all.
Then there’s that glimmer I spotted with Greer when we were deep in the heart of the tear.
A flicker that looked a lot like the king’s magic, calling it here.
It doesn’t make sense when King Malachi is trying to heal the realm.
But this far north seems a strange place for the continent to suddenly crack open to the Well.
“How did Malachi hear of the attack so quickly?” Wilder asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
Cyan’s eyebrows pinch. A small movement that reminds me of Callum. His son has his bone structure, but there’s no kindness in Cyan’s hard gaze.
“His Majesty is made aware of everything that happens in his kingdom as soon as possible. He regrets he heard too late to order assistance, but he offers his sympathies nonetheless.”
Wilder smirks, but I can’t read what he’s thinking when I try to reach for him through the thread. It’s closed, and his attention is fixed on Lochlan.
“I should go find Greer and Callum.” I take a step away, putting a bit more distance between myself and this tension bubbling between the three males.
“They’re in the great hall eating breakfast,” Lochlan offers, waving a hand in the direction I need to go.
“Elorie,” Cyan calls when I start to walk away. “His Majesty is quite pleased to hear that this trip to Solace was fruitful, despite the losses incurred with the unexpected attack from the Well. It seems you’re ready to make your promise to our kingdom after all.”
A knot tightens in my throat, and I nod once. Of course King Malachi already heard about my magic flaring. How could he not?
“That’s good to hear. It would be disappointing if this trip was simply a veiled attempt to avoid your promise.” His gaze slides to Wilder.
“I’m not avoiding anything.” My teeth clench.
The smallest hint of a smirk tics up in the corner of Cyan’s mouth. “We’re leaving before nightfall.”
“I thought we still had three days until the Rite.” My heart starts to race.
“We do. But His Majesty would like to see you in your newly bloomed glory to celebrate.”
A cold shiver crawls my spine at his choice of words. If King Malachi’s celebrations are anything like what he intends for me, I want no part of it.
Do I have a choice?
I’m the one handing myself to him. To his kingdom. I knew this was the price I was going to pay.
My gaze darts to Wilder, who is at the side talking to Lochlan, not paying attention to Cyan. I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s not like he’s made me any promises. I’m the girl who will doom his kingdom. His bedding me doesn’t change that.
By the full moon, I’ll be on the other side of this line he’s drawn. I’ll be his enemy.
His stare meets mine while he continues to listen to what Lochlan says. The golden swirls in his gaze have dimmed.
“Go eat,” Cyan says, urging me along. “The king wants you replenished and ready when you return.”
Bile rises in my throat, and my fingers clench until the soothing brush of Wilder’s magic shimmies my shoulders and caresses my neck.
I force a smile, not daring to meet Wilder’s stare because, as comforting as he is, a rush of guilt streams through me. He shouldn’t feel sympathy for the human girl who is going to be the end of his realm.
Lochlan watches me as I turn down the hallway that leads to where Greer and Callum are. Thankfully, they’re easy to find, sitting in the same room where the party was held two nights ago. This morning, the tables are filled with fresh fruits and bread.
Callum is perched against the wall, talking to a fellow member of the Guard while Greer sits at a nearby table. When he spots me, he pushes off the wall, and we both move to Greer.
“You’re up and about.” Relief floods me as I take in Greer’s warm cheeks. The brightness in her eyes makes them appear like silver-flecked clouds. “Thank the gods.”
Surprisingly, she doesn’t try to scoot away when I slide onto the bench beside her and pull her in for a hug. Her hands clasp my back, and we both sigh.
“I don’t know what you did, Elorie.” We peel apart, but her hands stay on my shoulders. “I shouldn’t be here right now. I felt it—saw the edges of Sarrow. And then I was back, and the wound was gone. Not even a scar.”
I glance up at Callum, whose expression is also pinched in confusion. “Honestly, I don’t know what I did either.”
“You’ve figured out your magic,” Callum says, sliding to my other side on the bench.
His hand squeezes my thigh, but there’s nothing besides friendship behind it.
“Figured it out might be a bit of a stretch. But I’m glad it worked.”
“Well, I’m glad we survived.” Greer smiles, not seeming the least bit intimidated by the fact that I could have gotten us killed.
“Me too.” I squeeze her hand. “Are we okay?”
“Yes.” She glances at the stone arch across the room, where Wilder walks through it with Lochlan at his side. “Wilder saved my life. I thought that creature was going to finish me, but he stopped it.”
“Of course he did. He’s not his mother.”
Her eyebrows pinch, and she peeks at Callum, who has a solemn expression. “Queen Delayna had a reputation for a reason, Elorie, and Wilder was her greatest weapon.”
“I know.” I frown, still not sure how to reconcile that.
“But…” Greer nudges my leg. “He saved my life. That’s something. And he seems to make you smile.”
He does more than that.
My cheeks burn as I glance at Wilder. He’s still lost in his conversation with Lochlan, blocking me out. But his smirk hints that he senses what I was thinking.
“Wonderful.” Greer grunts, and I think she’s annoyed that I’m staring at Wilder until I realize her attention is on Cyan walking into the room. “Your father has returned.”
Callum grips the hilt of his sword, tracking Cyan’s movements. I’m not the only one uncomfortable with his presence, and that’s reassuring.
“He’s here to bring us back.”
Callum’s gaze snaps to me. “I thought we had another three days.”
“We did.” My lips press into a firm line. “But the king found out about me wielding my magic, and he wants to celebrate.”
Both Greer and Callum frown at that, confirming my fears.
Up until now, the king has been distracted by Selia and the other Fae in his court. Now, he’s going to be curious. And like Lady Reah said at the temple, curiosity is dangerous.
Especially when I’m still figuring things out.
My magic stirs, but I don’t know how to properly summon it.
And I don’t understand its limits. I’m still not even sure what it is I wield.
It isn’t life, but it isn’t death. It’s not elemental like fire or air.
I thought it was light when I was battling in Solace last night, but light is warm, and my magic was colder. It was vast.
Two males pass the table, slowing as they eye me and Greer.
One winks at me, taking his time to peruse where my dress dips below my belly button.
He brushes his dark hair back as he walks past, unblocking my view of Wilder, whose golden eyes burn with the heat of a sweltering fire as he stares at the male who just went past me.
“Something bothering you, Wilder?” I tease through the thread now that it’s open again, and his gaze meets mine. “Don’t tell me the great King Riven is jealous of a random male.”
He smirks. “The great King Riven. I think I’d like to hear you scream that while my face is buried between your legs.”
My cheeks are on fire as he chuckles through the thread. My attempt at taunting him failed because now all I can think about is Wilder dragging me back to his room.
He turns back to his conversation, but his magic crawls through the room, caressing my legs. Playing with me. No matter how much distance is between us, I feel him all over. How am I ever going to let him go?
Gods, I’m in trouble.