Chapter 57
—Kienna—
“Last order of business,” Elira said, staring at all the Vikings around the table. Her eyes cut to Kienna. They’d been sitting there for hours, wasting sunlight as they discussed final matters of how to handle River Storm. “I expect Kalyra at my palace tonight. Alone.”
Kienna’s heart exploded in her chest. The only time she had spent with the queen since arriving in Trinity was when she’d taken Kienna to the Ashborn tree to show her the death of her parents.
It wasn’t necessarily unpleasant, but it was clear the queen hated her.
Spending time alone was the last thing she wanted.
However, no one argued, not even Connak.
Kienna swallowed her hesitation and followed it with a nod.
She didn’t think she was about to gain an ally with Elira, but the Vikings forced them together, so she’d certainly try.
The magic thrummed in the air when the council dismissed.
Kienna walked out of the Heart, overcome by scents of fresh water and flowers.
It was like a memory, tucked away for a rainy day.
The Eternal Mother’s magic ran deeply. The island called out to her, a sweet whisper against her skin.
She fought every urge to climb the tree in front of her and disappear into the miracle that brought her back to life.
Tristian approached as she stared through the canopy.
He cleared his throat patiently, head hitching to follow her gaze.
The island remained carefully hidden above them, despite the warmth tangibly rushing through her veins.
Kienna brought her attention back to Tristian’s speckled eyes.
He, too, seemed different from when she last saw him, less battered and torn from the loss of Tislin.
The relentlessness in his soul faded. A hint of healing, she hoped.
“High Commander.” She addressed him with a grin.
“Kienna.” He nodded, his voice firm and sure.
They stood in the hush between the roots and the sky.
Tristian shifted, his hands clasped loosely behind his back, a soldier’s stance that was less rigid than before.
Perhaps she wasn’t a curse anymore. “I’d like to escort you to the queen’s palace if you don’t mind. ” He held his arm out to her.
She wrapped her hand around it and let Tristian pull them into a steady stroll.
Trinity unfolded around them in quiet grandeur.
Trees soared with trunks so wide that entire homes had been carved into the bark, their surfaces smoothed and shaped rather than cut.
Bridges of woven wood and vine spiraled upward, connecting one dwelling to the next, disappearing into canopies far above where faint shadows of floating islands drifted between the leaves.
The Elvish were amongst the trees. Children laughed without a single care in the world.
It was nice to see happiness somewhere in the realm.
They were fortunate, these children. Their city was well-protected.
Hidden. They’d probably never have to see the face of war in their childhood.
Kienna watched them as they continued to walk along the forest ground.
Mothers sat outside, greeting their husbands and watching the nimble kids.
The sight made her heart ache in a way she didn’t think possible.
She never wanted kids before. She shouldn’t have wanted them now.
There was something about feeling loved and loving back that made her find the desire plausible.
She’d want a girl to call her Fierce One.
Maybe two boys to cause trouble. They would be Danek’s. She did not doubt that.
“You stood your ground today,” Tristian said, breaking the silence. “I’m impressed.”
“Now I get to go let Queen Elira yell at me in private.” Kienna laughed as if it didn’t utterly terrify her to see what Queen Elira could do.
Tristian regarded her with a softness she’d never seen before. “I can accompany you if you’d like, but something tells me you have no problem standing up for yourself anymore.”
Kienna lifted her chin. “I don’t plan on standing alone.”
They continued forward through the trees, light barely in existence.
Crystals illuminated the forest floor, shining a dull flicker of orange to mimic firelight.
The bark shimmered with silver etchings.
Kienna wondered what they meant. They weren’t written in any form of language she was familiar with.
It was all beautiful regardless. Tristian motioned up another bridge that led them to the far edge of the hidden woods.
Then Kienna’s jaw hit the ground. Nothing in the forest could compare—not even the Heart of Trinity—to the tree they called The Palace.
She’d never been this far in the forest. There was no need for her to go farther south.
Trinity was still a mystery to her in every way.
A bridge unraveled before them, woven with wood and pale stone.
It curved outward from the forest’s edge, spiraling higher with every step until the land beneath them fell away.
Mist curled through the air, and far below, water shimmered as it spilled from unseen heights.
Kienna slowed without realizing it, her hand tightening around Tristian’s sleeve as the world opened wide.
It would never rival the Eternal Mother, but it was shaped in her image.
The tree rose from a cliff. Its roots wrapped the rock in a careful, possessive embrace, thicker than towers twisting and arching into halls and balconies carved directly into the wood. Light glowed from within its heart, warm gold and soft violet, pulsing gently.
Water fell in silver veils from the branches, lanterns glimmering along the walkways as the canopy spread high above and sheltered them.
“I thought she was simpler than this,” Kienna said.
“It embodies the floating islands,” Tristian confirmed. “There are better places to be.”
Kienna rolled her eyes in agreement. “Why does it feel sacred?”
“The Belok line formed this palace thousands of years ago. Priests and Priestesses blessed it long before their power dwindled.” Tristian turned his back to the palace.
A corner of his mouth twitched. It wasn’t quite a smile but less severe than his usual expression.
He stepped closer, voice pitched for Kienna’s ears only.
“Listen, you’re going to need shields as much as swords.
” His expression sharpened, steady as stone. “You have mine.”
Before Kienna could respond, Tristian turned and retreated down the bridge.
She smiled and shook her head. The hardened High Commander of the Elvish army stood with her now, even after she rejected everything about her Elvish heritage.
Then again…he rejected it, too. When he played a part against Queen Elira by forming alliances in the shadows.
Alliances that weren’t for him. She let out a breath of laughter.
He has to be the most elusive mastermind I have ever met.
“Miss Kalyra,” came a voice from the bridge. Kienna jerked her head to see an older woman—fully human—standing near her. Faint lines etched the corners of her dark eyes, and her hair tumbled in dark waves threaded with silver strands that glimmered.
“It’s Kienna,” she said firmly.
“My name is Santiana. If you will.” She held her arm out to guide Kienna across the bridge toward the tree.
The outside of The Palace was immaculate, but the inside was just so.
Stepping into the hall, the air shifted.
The bark arched high above Kienna’s head.
Light streamed through colored panes in the branches, which scattered jewel-toned patterns across polished roots.
The roots had been coaxed into elegant floors and stairways. A waterfall shimmered at the far wall.
“Fetch us refreshments,” Elira said as she stood on a hand-carved set of stairs. She descended the stairwell, approaching Kienna. “Sit.”
It was a command that Kienna was wary to follow.
She didn’t want to give false hope about the relationship.
Elira would not be commanding her. Still, Kienna was in her home.
She was taught to be strong, but Maren also taught good manners in Kienna’s childhood, so she sat.
A guard stood near another doorway leading into a study of sorts.
He was tall, with dark skin and long, black hair.
His eyes, staring forward without blinking, were a mixture of blue and purple.
“Druag,” Elira said, snapping her fingers before taking a seat of her own on a crimson sofa. “Fetch the Blades Commander. He’ll want to escort our heiress home once we’re done.”
“Yes, My Queen.” The guard released his position and left.
The room was empty, falling cold as ice. The only sound was the rushing waterfall. Kienna cleared her throat awkwardly, hoping to subdue the tension. Queen Elira continued to sit, staring at Kienna with a gaze meant for a powerful woman.
“It’s time we discuss this matter.” She motioned her hand between herself and Kienna, then touched the tip of her branched crown.
It was woven finely, not a single twig out of place, with crystal jewels that sparkled like starlight.
“You are my heiress, unfortunately. We need to talk about what that means for you.”
Santiana returned with a plate of small, decadent cakes with moisture falling from their centers.
They were frosted with chocolate and tipped with strawberries.
Kienna wanted to grab one, her stomach reminding her that she had no food in her belly since arriving at Trinity.
She withheld. Gifts from a royal felt like bribery, and she had no taste for it.
“Set it on the table there,” Elira said to Santiana. Then, softer than Kienna thought possible for the queen, she smiled and said, “Thank you, my dear. Please, have a cake and take some rest.”
Santiana did not falter. She grabbed a pastry and sauntered away, comfortable in her own skin around Elira.