“No, they’re all okay,” Eve answered. “Eldred has taken them to a village nearby. They’ll be given shelter and aid there.”

  “We’ll follow them?” Valerian rolled his shoulders, ready for whatever would come next. “Or do we fight?”

  It was Callan who answered this time. “We go home, brother,” he said, voice thick with emotion.

  Valerian stared at him in shocked silence as Leysa took his hand in her own, intertwining their fingers. “Home, Val,” she whispered, awestruck.

  “Home,” Callan echoed.

  By the time the group had finished discussing the plan, Mason had fallen into what Eve could only describe as total shock. The fae had paid him little attention while they planned, save for Eve, sparing him a few glances on occasion. How strange and likely frightening this all had to be for him. He had known of her magic, and of Callan’s, but to hear that the stories they had been told as children of the fearsome fae and their supposedly long-lost cities were real and still existed… It had to be quite a lot to take in.

  While Callan worried that any use of their magic could possibly be traced and had argued against pacing at all, Leysa disagreed, saying if that were the case, they would have been discovered when she shifted.

  The compromise they reached was simple. They would walk a bit farther, Callan and Leysa agreed, then she would scout from the air to ensure they weren’t being followed.

  The small walk Callan agreed to felt more like a small eternity. Leysa and Valerian led the way, murmuring quietly between themselves, smiles being exchanged as Leysa occasionally leaned into Valerian’s side, the love between the pair as tangible as it always was.

  What would it be like, Eve wondered, to live a life so fully with someone who was not only your love but your best friend? She felt such a tremendous love for Callan that it was beginning to feel too deep, too encompassing. It frightened her at times, as much as it comforted her. They had fallen into one another so quickly and amid so much upheaval and fear, she couldn’t help but wonder if they would know how to be at peace with each other and simply live.

  “They’re mates,” Callan said suddenly, drawing Eve out of her thoughts. “True mates. It’s not very common amongst our kind, but it does happen. They would love each other without it, but it adds another layer of…” He paused, searching for the right word, dragging a hand through his night-dark hair as he did. “Utter devotion. They would literally die for one another, easily kill for one another. And have–” Valerian cast a sharp look over his shoulder at Callan. “Not my story to tell,” he said in answer to the question written all over Eve’s face.

  Mate. The word rattled around inside her, jarring at first, before settling comfortably into some deep spot within her soul she hadn’t even known existed. They were mates, he’d said. She had planned to ask him about it when she’d mustered the courage. Eve had been a coward last night. Had planned to continue being one today, in fact. At least until the meeting she’d planned to have with the council had been dealt with.

  She’d intended to tell them she was fae, to offer to step down from the throne she’d fought so hard, had given so much, for. Under one condition. The right to choose her successor. A woman. Someone strong and capable. Someone who would ensure that the next monarch would be chosen not for their sex, but for their merits.

  But all of that had been swept away in a moment’s notice. Now she remained queen of a broken kingdom, a fae queen ruling a broken human kingdom. Walking toward a fae kingdom thought lost to the world, alongside its long-lost king. The thought nearly made her laugh at the ridiculousness of it all.

  Fae queen. She chewed on the words, flexing her fingers and marveling at the sensation. There was little difference, really, but something had changed. Her senses were heightened, of course, touch included, though not as keenly as her sight or hearing. A strength she hadn’t known as a human lay there now, just beneath the skin alongside the magic gifted to her by the goddess Keithia.

  Coward on two counts then, she thought. She was afraid of it now, far more than she’d been as a human. The wild magic that flowed through her had been difficult for her to control then. Now, she worried it might just consume her entirely.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” a feminine voice said suddenly, halting the group.

  Ahead, clad in little more than gauzy emerald silk draped over her lush form, Keithia stood on the path. Despite it being fully autumn with few flowers in the region blooming this time of year, a multitude of flowers in full bloom carpeted the ground at Keithia’s bare feet. The underbrush, brown and damp, was at once verdant. Life sprang forth around her, from her.

  At once, the other fae dropped to a reverent knee, leaving only Eve and Mason standing. Mason’s head swiveled, attention darting from the fae warriors to the goddess.

  “How are you here?” Eve asked cautiously.

  Keithia only smiled softly. “Your magic is as much a part of you as the blood that flows through your veins, my darling. If you let go of your fear, you will find that you can do wondrous things with it.” Forest green eyes slid to Callan, on one knee in the damp earth with his head bowed. “My sister sends her love, her most favored Raven; and bids you to continue your journey. You are doing what is right, but you must not delay your journey further.”

  Callan raised his head only slightly. “Yes, my lady, at once.”

  To Eve, she added. “Trust in yourself, my child.” As suddenly as she appeared, she was gone. No flash of light, or any other sign of magic. Simply gone, as if she had never existed in the first place, leaving only the quickly fading flowers as evidence of her short visit.

  “Was that…was she…another fae?” Mason asked after a beat, stumbling over the words.

  Together, the three kneeling fae rose. “No,” Valerian answered, brushing dead leaves from his pants. “That was the goddess of life herself.”

  Eve turned to Callan, worry settling over her. “Do you think something is wrong? If Macaria sent you this message…”

  Callan nodded. “I think something must be very wrong. She prefers to allow things to happen in their own way and in their own time.”

  “I’m sorry, but what the fuck?” Mason demanded suddenly. “That was the goddess of life. Goddess. You’re all fae, apparently,” he all but shouted, waving his hand vaguely. “And who is she telling us to hurry along like good children? Another goddess I assume?”

  “Of death and destiny,” Leysa replied helpfully, earning a snort from Valerian.

  “Great. That’s just great,” Mason continued. “So, the fae are still around, the gods have not, in fact, abandoned us all, and we’re heading toward the supposedly long-lost fae kingdom, which is apparently in some sort of peril that we must keep moving toward. While our own kingdom is being razed by some unknown enemy.”

  The late autumn wind swept through the clearing ferociously, sending Eve’s unbound hair swirling in its chilly grasp. For a moment, they all simply stared at Mason, reactions ranging from strained impatience on Callan’s part to quiet laughter on Leysa’s.

  “Yes,” Eve began, calmly. “It is absolutely…baffling, the situation we’re in.”

  Mason sighed, folding his arms across his chest, but listened nonetheless. So Eve pressed on. “There is so much you do not know, and I know it is overwhelming. If you will just give me until we reach Falias, I will answer any question I am able to. You are owed that much, at least, after what we have been through this morning.”

  Callan stepped closer to Eve’s side, taking her hand in his. “I know you don’t trust us, but trust this.” Cold blue eyes fixed on Mason unflinchingly. “If we don’t go now, we will be in danger. She will be in danger, and I will not allow that to happen. If you can’t get it together long enough to get to Falias, I will leave you here. Do you understand?”

  Mason only offered a single sharp nod in response.

  Taking that as answer enough, Callan turned his attention to Eve, expression softening significantly. “We need to pace now. Macaria wouldn’t be telling us to go if it weren’t dire.”

  “I can take two,” Valerian offered, glancing between Mason and Callan.

  “What does that mean?” Mason asked finally, loosening his arms. Perhaps to flee, Eve noted with only a little amusement.

  “It’s like…jumping between two places,” Leysa offered. “Only the other place can be very far away, and you have to use magic to do it.” She waved her hand vaguely. “It’s complicated.” Turning to Valerian she frowned. “And no, you can’t carry two. I can fly, you can carry him.”

  “Fuck that, then Callan can take you,” Valerian said immediately. “If you’re seen-”

  “All they’ll see is a bird, my love. I won’t even use my hawk form, I’ll go for something smaller, less conspicuous. We all know that neither of you can take the strain of two people.”

  Valerian muttered a colorful curse under his breath but nodded.

  “Stay low, under the canopy if you can. Be careful.” It was Callan that spoke this time, voice laced with worry for his friend.

  “Aren’t I always?” Leysa replied cheerfully, offering Callan a wink and Valerian a swift kiss before shifting. True to her word, she chose the form of a common sparrow. An unremarkable and utterly commonplace sight in the forests of Darkegrove.

  “Let’s go then,” Callan said, taking Eve’s hand in his. Valerian followed suit with Mason, in a far less tender way.

  “Be safe,” Eve said to Leysa, earning a chirp in response before the shifter took to the sky, flittering away westward.

  “Hold on tight, dove,” Callan said, squeezing Eve’s hand once before darkness overtook them. Pacing for the second time was every bit as frightening as the first time had been. Eve inhaled sharply as sheer nothingness surrounded them. A strange, preternatural wind whipped around them, and in the next breath, they were in an entirely different part of the dark forest.

  For a moment, she thought they hadn’t moved at all. The same types of trees grew here, and the same birds cried overhead, startled by their sudden appearance. But something in the air felt different. It was as if those very trees hummed with some power that called to her own. Indeed, she could feel her power dancing beneath her skin, practically begging for her to use it.

  “You can feel it, can’t you?” Callan’s voice drew her attention, something akin to wonder lighting his face. “We’re close to Falias now,” he explained. “The magic here runs deep. Most humans can’t even tell.”

  “Well, I’m not human anymore, am I?” she asked, wincing at the bitterness in her tone.

  You chose this, she reminded herself. For the good of your kingdom, for your people.

  A muscle in Callan’s jaw feathered. “I know, Eve. But I am damned grateful you’re fae and not dead.” His tone was harsh, but the emotion behind it eased the sting.

  “Leysa won’t make it for a while,” Valerian sighed from where he’d paced, a few yards away. His eyes remained on the eastern skies, barely visible through the thick canopy.

  “Do you want to wait?” Callan asked, casting an uneasy glance to the west. They’d been warned not to delay, but Valerian would want to wait for Leysa. The way they’d spoken of returning home would’ve told her that if their love for one another hadn’t already.

  “I could use a minute,” Mason groaned, plopping unceremoniously to the ground. His tan skin had taken on a greenish hue, giving him an altogether sickly pallor.

  “You two should go ahead,” Valerian replied, eyeing Mason now. “I’m going to wait for Leysa. He can stay with me and recover,” he continued, smirking at the ill-looking councilman.

  At Callan’s hesitation, Valerian shook his head. “She said not to delay. We’ll be fine, go ahead.”

  Callan nodded once and turned his attention back to Eve. “Are you ready to see my home?”

  “Show me,” she said with a smile. As they took their first step toward Falias, her magic began to sing within her veins.

  Home, it seemed to say, home.

  Chapter 41

  True to Callan’s word, the walk to Falias was brief. After a few moments, they broke through the treeline and the city came into view for the first time a massive walled city surrounding a castle. The similarity between the two began and ended there.

  While Forest Haven was large, Falias doubled her size. In contrast to Forest Haven’s near black stone walls, the pale grey walls guarding Falias gleamed, topped by sentry towers and patrolled by far more guards than the humans could muster. Unlike Stoneweald, in the center of the capital city the fae castle rose high above the canopy of trees. Apparently, there had never been a need to hide her from view.

  Eve’s heart gave a squeeze at the sight of such security. Would her own people have been spared if they could have matched the craftsmanship and wealth it would require to build such defenses? Perhaps, but without knowing how Gorias had gotten past what defenses they did have, she couldn’t be sure.

  From this distance, she could only make out the tops of the tallest buildings in the city proper, forming a spiral around the centerpiece of the grand kingdom. The castle was unlike any she’d seen before. Stoneweald was impressive, sprawling, and well-appointed. Sunholde, home to the Vallyse family, was made of so much glass and gold that it was nearly blinding to look at on sunny days, but this…this was something else entirely.

  Made from the same pale stone as the walls, the castle soared upward, a trio of towers reaching for the sky as if to pierce the heavens themselves, deep blue flags embroidered with a trio of silver stars dancing atop them. Perhaps the builders had been seeking some connection with their gods, or perhaps they had simply used their skill to elicit the very reaction Eve herself was having now. Awe, pure and simple, flooded her alongside another emotion she couldn’t name.

  “What’s it called, the castle?” she asked, dragging her gaze from the castle to Callan.

  Where her gaze had been filled with wonder and surprise, his was full of longing, and to her surprise, grief. Turning to look at her, he chuckled softly, “You know, it doesn’t actually have a name.”

  “I dreamt of it,” she said, voice thick with emotion as she turned back to the castle. “Last night, before you woke me, I was dreaming about this place.”

  “Maybe the gods were telling you something.”

  Home, the magic within her hummed again.

  Shouts erupted from the watchtowers as they came into view. Even with her fae hearing, they were still far enough away that she couldn’t make out what was being said. As they neared, the great iron gates began to rise, creaking and moaning from disuse. Riders on horseback, a handful at most, raced toward them as soon as the gate rose high enough.

  Eve and Callan came to a stop, waiting for the riders from Falias to reach them. Callan stepped in front of Eve protectively, shadows wreathing around his hand, outstretched at his side. Her heart raced, as hard and fast as the approaching riders. Would they attack? Did they not recognize him?

  As they neared, Callan’s shoulders instantly dropped, shadows vanishing like dust on the wind. At the head of the column was a raven-haired girl, hair flying freely behind her, atop a dapple grey mare and riding hard, straight for Callan.

  “Cora,” he sighed, stepping forward to meet her as her horse skidded to a stop. She was dismounted in an instant, throwing herself into Callan’s waiting arms, joy written onto every inch of her lovely face.

  The sharp blade of jealousy pierced Eve’s heart, and the pebbles beneath their feet gave a quiver in response to the surge of emotion.

  “Callan,” Cora exclaimed breathlessly, pulling away to look him over before giving him a not-so-gentle smack on the chest. “Valerian and Leysa, are they?” At Callan’s nod, she continued. “You have so much explaining to do.” Cora paused, glancing past him to Eve finally, brow raising. “Starting with who that is.”

  The pebbles danced again, drawing frowns from Cora and guards who had finally reached them as well, now sitting atop their own mounts just behind her.

  “No need to cause an earthquake, my love,” Callan laughed, turning to Eve. “This is my sister, Cora Thorne, Steward of Falias.” Heat flooded Eve’s cheeks in embarrassment, as Callan continued. “Cora, this is Queen Evelyn Darrow of Darkegrove.” Callan turned to Cora with a beaming smile, one of the few Eve had seen. “My mate.”

  That place in her soul that belonged so fully to him sang. Cora’s responding gasp had Eve following her gaze downward. At her feet, flowers had sprung to full bloom, right in the middle of the barren, dusty track where they stood. Returning her attention to Cora, Eve offered a nervous smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Cora.”

  “Same to you,” Cora returned with a shaky laugh. “So much explaining to do,” she muttered as she turned to her horse. “You can take Starmane the rest of the way. I could use a run anyway.”

  Eve frowned in confusion. The pale pink gown Cora wore had been ill-suited for riding, let alone running. “A run?” she asked, glancing at Callan, only to find him grinning at his sister.

  “You’ll see,” he said with a laugh as he took Starmane’s reigns. “She’s a showoff.”

  Settling herself onto the saddle comfortably, Eve took in the now dirty tunic and leggings she’d been wearing since the night before and grimaced. She could only hope there would be time for at least a change of clothes before she had to meet any more of Callan’s family.

  A flash of white to her right caught her attention. Where Cora had been before, now stood a large white wolf with the same haunting blue eyes that Callan and Cora shared.

  “She’s a shifter like Leysa?” Eve asked, earning a huff from Cora.

  Callan laughed. “There’s a bit of competition between them on that front. Don’t worry, sister, they’ll be along shortly, and you can do whatever it is the two of you do.”

  That earned another huff from Cora before she was off, racing toward the city with impressive speed. Taking his seat behind Eve, Callan huffed a laugh at his sister. “Don’t let the little competition between them fool you,” he explained. “They’re best friends. I know she’s dying for them to come home too.”