Page 30 of The Kingdom of Flames and Ash

The love I felt for her was so powerful that even my magic paled in comparison.

I tucked a piece of hair behind her pointed ear and knew that seeing her like this every day for the rest of eternity wouldn’t be enough. I’d do anything for her, even lose my magic or wings, as long as she remained by my side. Her touch, smell, and taste were the only things I required to be truly happy.

A fluttering sounded outside the open door to the bedchamber, and Nightbane leapt to the floor and growled. I lifted my head to find Queen Sylphia leaning against the doorframe, watching me.

She tilted her head. “You truly care for her.”

“Of course I do.” I straightened and quietly strolled to the queen. “She’s my fated mate… my everything.”

“That’s what she kept insisting, but I didn’t believe it was true.” She exhaled slowly and looked over my shoulder. “Yet, I’veseen the way you two are with one another, and that tenderness I saw on your face just now can’t be faked.”

Her acknowledgment kindled something akin to hope in my chest—a dangerous feeling after living the way we had for the past twelve years. “But you vowed her to an ashbreath when she was intended to be mine from the very start.” As a child, I’d known the two of us would be together, but then she’d vanished from this realm.

“I understand you’re frustrated and upset with us.” She stood straighter, looking every inch a royal. “However, at the time, we weren’t sure what else to do. And the dragons came to us, offering a solution. Our crops were dying; we couldn’t hover idly in the sky and allow it to continue.”

Unfortunately, I understood. That had been one of the main reasons I’d spent the last twelve years hunting through dreams to locate Lira. We’d been starving, and I hadn’t hesitated to consider taking someone’s life if it would help my people survive. In fact, if Lira hadn’t been my fated mate, I would’ve killed her without remorse. “You could’ve tried to have a discussion with my father. Given him a chance to correct his ways.”

“We did, Tavish.” She wrung her hands. “And he laughed at us and returned to Unseelie. That was when we knew we had to act for the good of our people. Our guards attacked a couple of weeks later.”

My father had come back from the Seelie land acting strange, and Mother feared leaving him alone. Unfortunately, some things that hadn’t made sense to me before were becoming clear the more I learned. “He never made me aware of blanketing the entire realm in darkness.” And a selfish part of me was thankful because I wasn’t sure what I would’ve done. I’d like to believe that I would’ve tried to stop my father, but I couldn’t be sure.The Unseelie loved the darkness and thrived in it, and we’d been used to it in Cuil Dorcha.

“Your guards put me into a holding cell and didn’t allow any sort of healing. They left me to sleep on the floor.” That was what Eldrin had told me over the years, and Lira had confirmed that portion of the story.

I wondered what would’ve happened if she hadn’t healed me back then.

“The healer said you’d recover, and we wanted you to remain weak so we wouldn’t have to bind your wings. Our goal was to allow you to live and spend time with us.”

“As your prisoner,” I spat. A foul taste filled my mouth. I wasn’t foolish. I understood they’d needed me alive only to keep the balance of magic in this realm.

She sighed. “We can rehash all of this if you want, but I think at this point, we can agree that we’ve all done things that were unwise. You kidnapped our daughter to kill her.”

I winced, and my wings drooped. She was right, and she didn’t even know the worst part—the gauntlet. All things I wished I could take back and not put Lira through. “What do you propose then?”

“That we move forward and determine a way to get Lira out of that vow with the ashbreath.” She tensed and ran a hand down the front of her dress. “And then I’ll influence my husband to bless the union between the two of you.”

I wrinkled my nose. “We don’t need his blessing. We’re fated mates, and the bond has been consummated.”

“True, but it would be good for it to happen for Lira’s sake. She’s still reacclimating to Ardanos, but I know my daughter’s spirit, and she’ll want us in her life. Besides, she’s our only heir. She’ll take the crown if the time ever comes.”

Both valid reasons, though I didn’t have to be happy about it. But I would do anything to make sure Lira didn’t feel as if shehad to choose between her parents and me. I also understood that Eiric, Hestia, and Brenin were people she’d want to spend time with.

Being with her meant I had to find a way to move past my resentment of the Seelie, but I wasn’t sure how to do that, given the bitterness and hatred I’d harbored for them for the past twelve years. Understanding my father’s role was the first step, but I struggled to understand how he covered all of Ardanos in darkness, let alone why. That didn’t sound anything like the man I’d known my entire fourteen years before that.

“It’d be easier to get past the chasm between us if our people hadn’t been cast out of our magical land, starved, and forced to live on this decimated, dragon-ruined island.” I paused, taking a moment to ensure my voice remained level despite the pounding in my ears. “A lot has been taken from us, many have died, and that’s something that I, along with my people, need to process. The only reason you’re allowed in my land now is Lira and my need to keep her safe. Don’t be fooled that my love for Lira means I’ll accept your presence in the Unseelie kingdom permanently.”

She blanched slightly but nodded.

“And the only reason I allowed my people’s weapons to be confiscated was that I didn’t want any more of them to die. It had nothing to do with us submitting to you.” I needed that to also be clear.

“Understood.” She took a step back and glanced in the direction of the prison cell. “I will say that I worry what will happen if we don’t get your cousin to speak. Hestia, Brenin, and Lira won’t wait much longer before they leave to retrieve Eiric.”

In this instance, we had the same worry. Lira draining her magic hadn’t been just for Finnian’s and Lorne’s sake. She would’ve pushed herself, but maybe not to the point she had today if Eiric weren’t at risk. “My cousin is vain and needs tofeel important. In chess, Eldrin gloated that he beat me most of the time because I couldn’t see the big picture. He’s counting on us being desperate for his knowledge because he knows Lira is our weakness. We can’t allow him to believe that’s the case, which means we must ignore him.” Saying those words hurt, but I needed her to understand that having us going to him and demanding answers was exactly what he desired.

“This is a dangerous game with more than Eiric’s life at stake.” Queen Sylphia crossed her arms, her sparkly blue wings unfurling behind her. “However, you know Eldrin better than I, and he’s Unseelie.”

I bit the side of my mouth, trying to keep myself from speaking. Six months ago, I’d have agreed that I knew him best, but now I knew better. Eldrin had revealed to me only the parts of himself he’d wanted me to see. In fact, I hadn’t known him well at all until the past few days, and now I hated him more than the Seelie. “If we want to free Lira from the betrothal,” I growled, “then we need to make him suffer. We still have a little time before Lira loses her patience and demands we save Eiric. We need him to believe that we might not want the information he’s trying to bargain with.”

Wings flapped toward us, and the queen took a step back.

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