Page 55 of Kingdoms of Tides and Twilight

“Selenia.”

The girl looked up, eyes brimming with tears. Renya's heart swelled with protective, almost maternal feelings for this motherless teenager.

“Can we talk about it?” She kept her voice low and supportive, hoping Selenia would confide in her.

“Yes. But not here.” Selenia glanced around as if expecting eavesdroppers. “Let's go to my room.”

Selenia's quarters mirrored Grayden and Renya's. They settled into armchairs by the fire, the castle's drafty chill seeping into the room despite the moderate climate outside.

Renya watched Selenia stare into the flames, waiting for her to break the silence.

“Jurel doesn't want to be with me anymore.” Her confession quivered on her lips as tears spilled down her cheeks, her usual sparkling demeanor crumbling like a shield of brittle armor.

“Oh, sweetie,” Renya murmured, sliding to the floor beside Selenia's chair and patting her knee sympathetically. “What did he say?”

Selenia's shoulders shook as she continued. “He doesn't want marriage or to settle down. He loves me, but not enough to change his lifestyle. He doesn't want a home or children.”

“And you do.”

She sniffled. “With all my heart. It was so lonely after my parents died. I love my brothers, but I want my own family. I don't want to feel like a burden.”

“Selenia, you could never be a burden. Your brothers adore you. I wish I had siblings like them. You might bicker, but you'll always have each other's backs.”

Selenia met Renya's gaze, her eyes red-rimmed. “I thought he'd eventually want marriage.”

Renya hesitated, torn between hope for change and protecting Selenia from false expectations. She took a deep breath. “I know you love Jurel, and he loves you. But sometimes, things just aren't meant to be.”

Selenia scoffed. “Easy for you to say. Your relationship is nothing but meant to be.”

Renya couldn't deny the logic. She stood, moving her chair closer to Selenia's. “I know it's hard to hear, given what your brother and I have. But things weren't always perfect for me. I had my own issues to overcome, and I wasn't looking for any relationships before meeting Grayden. Remember how I mentioned my trust issues?”

Selenia nodded, wiping her tears on her sleeve. Renya turned to the fireplace, watching the dancing flames as she began her confession.

“Before coming through the portal, I lived in a city called Los Angeles. I had a writing job, reporting on a senator's campaign.”

Noting Selenia's confusion, she clarified, “Sorry, that probably makes little sense here. Basically, I was working with a powerful man who promised to help my career, introduce me to contacts, and advise me. I was trusting and naïve.”

Selenia's hand found Renya's knee, sensing the story's direction. The gesture gave Renya strength to continue.

“One day, he asked me to stay late in his office, claiming he wanted me to ghostwrite his autobiography. When I arrived, his true intentions became clear.”

Selenia's grip tightened, offering silent support.

“He attacked me. He tried to force—”

“Oh, Renya,” Selenia sobbed, pulling her into an embrace. “I'm so sorry.”

Renya melted into the hug before continuing. “I got lucky. I grabbed a lamp and struck him, stunning him long enough for me to escape. He chased me, but there were photographers outside from a press conference. My torn shirt led them to assume we'd been intimate.”

She took a steadying breath. Recounting the story was difficult, but her heart no longer raced with panic as it once had. The memory felt distant now, as if she were watching it happen to someone else.

“My point is, even when things seem bleakest, you never know what life has in store. I never imagined having a relationship, yet here I am, engaged and mated to your dumb brother.”

Selenia managed a small smile. “He is dumb. But Renya, asking you to marry him was the smartest thing he's ever done.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Renya stood with her eyes closed, feeling foolish as Kalora and Grayden watched her intently. She searched inward, trying to find the tiny golden spark she had felt surge through her body when Cressida unlocked her powers. Now more attuned to the magic within her, she could only distinguish a slight electric current humming beneath her skin. She recalled the sensation of pulling that small ball of power closer to her in the jungles of the Tidal Kingdom, or the panic she felt when the avalanche hit.

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