Page 156 of Duskbound

"What an improvement." Ma let out a sigh of relief before slapping me on the shoulder. "Good job, kiddo."

The laugh that burst from Aether caught me off guard—deep and genuine. He looked irritatingly pleased with himself as he cocked his head to the side. "I tend to agree."

"And a sense of humor." Ma nodded approvingly. "Yes, I like him."

"Okay, well that's just about enough pleasantries, I think." My face felt like it was on fire.

Ma turned back to her cauldron, lifting the lid to peer inside. "I assume you want me to stop making this then?" She asked, stirring the contents.

I glanced up at Aether, taking his hand. "Remember the breathing tonics I told you about?"

His eyes fixed on the cauldron before finding mine again. He nodded once, understanding dawning in his expression.

"Ma is the one who created them," I said, the words tasting bitter. "For me. When she thought I might need them in the West. It was my idea for her to make more for the Guard."

Aether's body went rigid beside me, but he nodded once. "I suppose that makes sense," he managed, though his words were stilted.

"Yeah, those arms are going to come in handy." Ma broke through the slight tension, eyes fixed on the leather stretched across Aether's bicep. "I have a lot of crates in the back."

That dimple finally appeared as Aether grinned. I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head at both of them.

"You can't stop making them." I walked over to where she stood. "There's already a resistance forming in Sídhe. I don'tbelieve the King is aware of it. But there are people who know the truth, who want to help. If you suddenly stop production, it might draw suspicion that we can't afford right now." I paused, considering. "Though if you could make them weaker..."

Ma sighed, running a hand along the rim of her cauldron. "And here I was hoping my shop wouldn't have to smell like fish guts anymore." She shook her head. "But you're right." Then her eyes narrowed, that familiar calculating look crossing her face. "Though that brings me to my next question."

I raised an eyebrow.

"What are we going to do about the King?" She shrugged like she was asking about the weather. "Seems like the simplest answer, doesn't it? Take him out, the draining stops."

"We have to work from the bottom up," I said, catching Aether's slight nod of approval. "Let the truth spread first. If the King dies and people don't understand why..." I trailed off, letting her fill in the blanks.

"That sounds complicated." Ma scrunched her nose.

"It's the best way. Besides, the royal guards are nearly impenetrable. We don't have access. Not yet."

Ma nodded, but something flickered behind her eyes—a thought she wasn't sharing. Finally, she asked, "So are you leaving again? Going back to?—?"

"Umbrathia," Aether supplied.

"Right." Ma's eyes fixed on me, seeing too much as always.

I glanced at Aether, caught between two worlds again. How could I explain that I belonged to both now? That I couldn't simply choose one over the other?

"I have to. At least for now?—"

"For now?" The edge in Aether's voice made my heart sink. We hadn't discussed this—what would happen after. After the truth spread, after the King was dealt with. After everything changed.

Ma looked between us, crossing her arms. The tension in theroom had shifted. "What are you not telling me, Fia?" Her eyes held that knowing look I'd seen a thousand times before. "Keeping secrets has never worked out well for you in the past."

I pressed my lips together. "My father was important there." I tried to sound casual, but my voice wavered. "Someone with power."

Ma tilted her head, and I knew she wasn't buying it. "Important how?" she asked.

"You're going to want to sit down," I said, finding my own chair.

The words poured out then—everything about my father being Prince Andrial Valtýr, about being a Duskbound and what that meant. I told her how I'd essentially joined the Umbra forces, which earned an eye-roll that was so perfectlyMaI nearly cracked a smile. I explained the Void, about shadow wielders, about Tryggar choosing me. With each revelation, Ma's expression shifted between disbelief and that furrowed brow. When I finally finished, the silence felt heavy with everything I'd just dumped on her.

Ma simply looked at me for a long moment, then nodded once. "Well, I know you're royalty and everything." She stood, turning back to her desk and grabbed something. When she faced us again, she held out a pair of garden shears. "But can you go fetch some peakroot from the greenhouse? If we're going to take down this kingdom, we'll need to dull down this potion."

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