“Anything else?” Maura asked, brows raised.
“Not right now,” Becka replied, elated. She looked back at Quinn and Alain, who both appeared pleased with the conversation. She debated asking Maura about allowing Quinn to stay, but decided she’d bring that up later, if his plan to have Chief Elowen send him back didn’t work out. “But I’ll keep you apprised.”
Maura shook her head. “We should go in then.”
They walked to the door, Becka feeling hopeful again for the first time in a while. Perhaps being the heir of Rowan wouldn’t be too restrictive after all? Maura appeared willing to work with her, which made her future brighter, despite the potential shadow-dwellers waiting in the wings.
“Oh, one last thing,” Maura said. “I would hate for there to be any misunderstandings at this juncture.”
The alarm bells were back. Becka arched a brow.
“As you are likely aware, as with any betrothal of standing, there were contracts signed between Houses Rowan and Hawthorne.”
The sinking sensation continued in her gut, but something was tickling the back of her mind. “How does fae contract law involve me?”
Maura held her gaze. “The contract stipulates an agreement between the heirs of both houses.”
Becka laughed. She sobered up when she realized Maura wasn’t joking. “Who even does that?” She asked her and then looked to Quinn, Alain, and the shifter guards. Only Luce met her eyes as he shook his head with a look of ‘oh my dear’ sympathy.
Alain had pulled himself up to his full height, his back stiff. “Contracts are standard fae practice, and rarely is there an issue,” he said, his voice clipped.
“So, just to clarify. If I walk in there and accept the recognition of being welcomed back into House Rowan I’ll not only be named heir, but also I am immediately betrothed to Alain?” she pointed towards him.
Alain’s contrite expression made it difficult to be angry with him, and yet she was. Quinn’s expression was so stormy Becka was amazed she didn’t hear thunder.
Maura touched her arm. “I thought you should know beforehand. There is, of course, no rush on the nuptials.”
Becka started laughing so hard she hid her face in her hands. “Oh my gods, I knew this was too good to be true!”
Maura startled, her expression incredulous and wide-eyed at her outburst. “What are you going to do?”
Becka collected herself and took a deep breath. Perhaps she should flee now, and not look back? But for all of the troubles in her new status, she needed to understand what being a Null meant. She wanted to find out what she could accomplish within fae society.
What would Tesse want her to do?
Becka shook her head, resolve renewed. She’d deal with Alain’s betrothal at a later date. Surely, she could find a way out of the engagement. The betrothal wasn’t the only aspect of fae life she was determined to renegotiate. Traditions be damned.
She turned to Maura. “Let’s go. I’m not going to be late for my recognition ceremony.”
“As you say,” Maura replied, and they swept into the Great Hall together.
THE END
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Acknowledgments
Thanks to Zippy Wizard Redaction for their editing and proofreading services.
Special thanks to Jen for her support, critiques, and insight.
And to my friends and family who've been a source of unending strength, laughter, and wine over the years: thank you for the inspiration.
And lastly, to my partner, Lee. Thank you for running alongside me in this journey and your enduring support and candor mean the world to me.
About the Author
Candice lives in Denver, Colorado with her son and their cat Newt. A professional hedonist, rabble-rouser, winemaker, and goat-herder, she adores archeology and mythology. Candice focuses on habit hacking to meet minimalist, health, productivity, and positive mojo goals, and sometimes even blogs about it. An unrepentant epicurean, she grows heirloom tomatoes and ferments a variety of sauerkraut, sourdough, kombucha, pickles, and water kefir.
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Also by Candice Bundy
The Depths of Memory Series
The Dream Sifter, Book #1
Buy here
Dreams Manifest, Book #2
Buy here
The Liminals Series
The Daemon Whisperer , Book #1
Buy here
Ripples, A novella
Buy here
For a list of my full catalog of available titles, visit my Amazon Author Central page.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
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Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Candice Bundy
