Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Knox
I found Briar in the kitchen, drying dishes before handing them to Zephyr, who flew up to place them in the cabinets.
The sprites chattered away, but Briar didn’t speak as she stared out the window over the sink and accepted a plate from Twist, a male sprite with yellow and orange butterfly wings and blond hair.
Merribell, the head chef, hummed as she flew around the kitchen, gathering dishes and taking them to the sink. Bertie and others flittered around, cleaning the counters and clearing the dishes.
When Bertie spotted me, she dropped her rag. She flew over to hover before me as she planted her hands on her hips. “It’s good to see that you’ve finally returned.”
“I was never far from the castle.”
Bertie huffed but didn’t say anything more.
She’d been my friend since I was a child, when she’d taken me under her wing, and the wings of the other sprites.
They’d provided me a sanctuary in the woods and, in some ways, become more of a family to me than my own, but Bertie was far from happy with me.
“I had to go,” I told her.
My gaze traveled to Briar; that roaring, violent need to be with her didn’t surge back to the forefront, but the beast rolled like a dog exposing its belly for rubs. It was extremely happy to see her.
Fucking asshole.
The beast purred in response. That purring grew louder when Briar looked over her shoulder and spotted us in the doorway.
Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and the pale blue veins in her hands and eyelids were clearly visible beneath skin far paler than the last time I saw her. She looked like she’d lost weight and hadn’t slept in a few days.
“What the fuck?” I muttered.
When the pot Twist gave her slipped from her hand, Zephyr dove to catch it before it hit the ground. With the pot in hand, he frowned at Briar before discovering her attention on me.
His head turned to me, and he glared for a moment before rising to place the pot on the counter. When he said something to Briar that drew her attention away from me, the beast growled.
“What’s going on?” I demanded.
“The plants aren’t the only things that require nourishment in this kingdom. Some beings shouldn’t be caged,” Bertie murmured.
I shot her an irritated look. “Why does she look so exhausted?”
“She’s been working hard on the potions—”
“Then that will stop.”
Bertie’s eyes widened, but I didn’t wait to hear her argument as to why that was a bad idea. As I strode toward Briar, Bertie floated out of my way; the thud of my boots drew Briar’s attention back to me.
“Come with me,” I told her.
Despite her exhausted appearance, her shoulders went back and fire flashed through her eyes. “I’m helping the sprites right now.”
“Someone else will take your place.”
“Knox—”
“You’re coming with me, Briar.”
“And if I don’t want to?”
The beast wasn’t at all pleased by this response as the turncoat finally stopped purring. Fuck you, I told it.
“Then I’ll carry you out of here,” I told her.
I’d come back with every intention of not fighting with her anymore and trying to figure out how to move on with her in my life. I couldn’t dump her off somewhere, and the kingdom needed her, which meant I had to learn to live with her.
But she made it so damn difficult to get along with her sometimes. We never used to fight; we’d spent years together playing, laughing, running through the tunnels, and locked in each other’s arms and never once fought.
Now, every time we saw each other, it was a constant battle of wills.
She never fought with Seth, and you’re not Seth anymore.
That stark truth was a dagger to the chest. It pierced through my ribs and straight into my heart, even though I was the one who’d repeatedly told her that.
I wasn’t Seth anymore, I never would be again, and we’d never be the same. Of course we’d fight; we didn’t know each other.
When she remained rigid, I softened a little and extended my hand. “I’m going to take you into town. Pierce said you asked to go.”
She stared warily at my hand before glancing toward Zephyr; then she slid her hand into mine. The knot that had encased my heart eased a little; my next breath was much easier to inhale.