I could blame it on the whole being fated mates thing, but since magic was bound, it wasn’t possible. I had to suck up the reality of it. I was drawn to him.
I was even drawn to him while he’d plotted to sacrifice me because of one line of some elusive prophecy. After he decided to fight to keep me alive, I thought it would all get better. But I hadn’t known what he’d promised Sabine so she’d agree to let me live. Then he had to go get mated to someone else—to her of all people. My hand curled. She’d used darkling magic to force a bond between her and Roark—and she succeeded by using my blood. Because he was mine—
Stop.
The sky rumbled, and I took a deep breath, exhaling in a steady stream. I wearily looked up at the whirling sky, hoping I didn’t cause a hurricane.
The last thing I should be focusing on was a man who officially belonged to another. They were the Fae version of married with zero chance of divorce. My heart twisted in my chest. He’d willingly tied himself to her, and his mistake had almost led to my death.
Lightning struck across the sky, making me jump. The bright flash made the surroundings creepy. Rian’s shoulders tensed, and I could tell he wanted to snap at me, but he just shook his head and continued running. I needed to get a hold of myself. I was on autopilot—unable to close my eyes, and curl on the ground like I wanted. Instead, I concentrated on breathing to steady my emotions.
Rian came to an abrupt halt. I stumbled into his outstretched arm before I face-planted into the dirt. “Listen,” he said.
I tilted my head and closed my eyes to concentrate. Over the pouring rain, I could barely make out the chaos of everyday life flooding my ears. People talking, closing doors, and even footsteps.
“We’re here?” I couldn’t hide the nervous tremble in my voice.
He gave me a full-blown smile that made me more nervous. “Yes, they’re preparing to meet the new Queen.” My anxiety keyed up. I opened my mouth and swallowed to try again, but nothing came out. Rian’s expression turned pensive. “You need to show a brave face. They’ll look for weaknesses, and you can’t afford to show any.”
My mouth opened and closed repeatedly. What the hell did that mean? Fear shot through me. They were going to be just like Sabine and Roark. This was too soon. The wounds were too fresh.
“I-I can’t do this, Rian.” I’d faced Sabine. I’d faced my dad. I’d had my fair share of strange and scary encounters, but the nerves that nibbled at my stomach wouldn’t let me concentrate.
“I’ll have to talk to Tyran, but I understand. It can wait. I’ll take you in the back way.”
Relief flooded through me. We took off again, weaving between trees and greenery. I sputtered when a low hanging branch smacked me across the face. My steps stuttered, but I shook it off, not wanting to lose Rian—I was not about to get lost. When another branch came out of nowhere, I managed to duck in time. A smug grin spread across my face. The trees became dense and compacted, making it difficult to get through with ease. I followed Rian’s lead when he pushed through the thick wall of foliage. I untangled my hair from a vine biting back a curse. As I focused, a wall sprawled yards away and seemed to have no end. A large oval alcove smack dab in the middle of the brick. The wall spanned so high there was no way anyone could get over it, even Unnaturals.
“Wait here,” he said and disappeared, which did not help my anxiety.
I looked around and sidestepped behind a tree. Craning my neck, I watched Rian approach the entrance. A tall, lithe form dropped in front of him from out of nowhere. I swallowed hard and ignored the trembling of my hands. They exchanged words, and the conversation was over before I could concentrate on what they were saying.
I scooted back behind the tree. The canopy of leaves offered some solace from the sleet. A strangled noise escaped my throat when I turned and found a young boy staring at me. He wore a long-sleeved cotton shirt and pants that seemed to be made of the soft leather all of the Fae wore. It was plastered to his body.
My mouth opened to scream for Rian, but the boy spoke first.
“Hello,” he said, forcefully trying to be cheerful, but his gaze belied his suspicion. And what strange eyes they were. The auburn color turned deep blue closer to the pupil. He scraped his wet hair back. I could see the strain of his eyes. It looked like he’d been crying. “Who are you?”
I floundered for words. “W-who are you?”
“I asked first,” he sputtered, looking astonished that I would dare question him.
I pursed my lips, trying not to laugh at his indignance. “I’m Rae.” I stuck my hand out, but he only stared at it and didn’t reach out, so I dropped it.
“My mama said not to converse with strangers.” He had the strange old-fashion speech pattern other Fae had.
I couldn’t help laughing. It sounded so strange coming from his youthful face. “You talked to me first.”
He looked unsure. If I were to guess, I’d say he was about fifteen. “You were lurking. I had to question you. That’s what Father would have done. He’s a warrior. One of the best.”
“Well, that sounds awesome.” My gaze drifted to where a little dagger was attached to his side. “Is that what you want to do? Be a warrior like your dad?”
His chest puffed out. “Yes, I’ve been training, and one day I’ll be part of the guard. After the new Queen gets magic back.”
“I’m sure you’ll do great,” I said, trying to sound admiring.
“Indeed,” he replied, and my eyebrows flew up. Oh, dear, and I’d thought
