Page 84 of The Witch Queen

“Right now, we’re just strolling through town. Enjoy the moment, witchling.”

“Fine,” I say with a huff, and he laughs.

“You truly never give up even an inch of control, do you?” The words are chastising, but he’s smiling like he likes it.

“No, because I’m the Queen of a mysterious kingdom and most people are terrified of me, even when they know I’m not what the stories whisper of me. Really gives me the upper hand,” I say, baring my teeth in a mock hiss.

“Your Witch Queen act won’t work on me. I’ve seen you giggle while reading romance books. Or, to use your term,saucybooks,” he quips, then pulls me closer into his side. He stops us, turning me into him. He pushes a piece of my hair behind my ear, and the touch makes me shiver. He leans in, whispering with a throaty growl. “I can assure you that whenIhave you like those romance books you read, giggling will be the furthest thing from your mind.” My skin tingles and my thighs clench together with need. An image of his face between my thighs, hot breath tingling across my skin, crosses my mind unbidden. My toes curl and my mouth goes dry. I lean into him, desperate for more of his touch, for a kiss, but he turns us back to the path with a smug look of satisfaction. “What’s your favorite place in Arberly?” he asks, changing the subject, though I can tell it’s his own kind of challenge. He wants to see if he can rattle me. I won’t let him win, won’t let him see he got to me with his deep voice and insinuating remarks, so I swallow down my lust and answer the question.

“Easy, all the bakeries.”

Thorne barks out a laugh. “You and your chocolate cake addiction,” he murmurs. “Anywhere else?” I consider his words, wondering what to tell him. The honest truth is that I don’t have a favorite place in the city, and it spills from my lips like it always has with him.

“I don’t spend a lot of time in Arberly, to be honest. I keep my distance. I don’t want to scare my people, and it’s better that way.”

“I disagree,” he says immediately and resolutely, and I’m shocked by his bluntness. “Your people have more than just respect for you, Laurel. Theyadmireyou. Just look at the way the children reacted to you when we visited the school. They weren’t afraid—they were curious.” I lower my eyes, unsure what to make of his statements, but he stops us and again raises my chin to meet his eyes. When I shy away from the truth, he forces me to see, insists I keep looking. Not even Nemesia had the sheer force of will to do that. He continues his speech, eyes locked on mine. “I’ve been in the taverns and shops. Have heard the people speak of you, heard their praises for the programs you’ve implemented in Thayaria. I think they would welcome your presence more often. Just look at how successful the Solstice dinner was.” My throat tightens with emotion for an instant, but I push it away.

“I’ll consider it,” is all I say, but he simply nods and continues our walk.

“Do you have a favorite place in Thayaria that isn’t the palace or Arberly?” He is insistent with his questions tonight, but I like it. This time, the answer comes easily.

“The valley on the other side of the mountains that circle Arberly—Moormyr, it’s called. It’s still the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen,” I say with a small smile, thinking of the rolling fields of thayar flowers that always fill me with so much awe and wonder. Thorne smiles, like he can sense the way they bring me happiness.

“What makes them so special?” He rubs circles on my knuckle, the touch automatic from him, like he can’t help but find new ways to touch me, to comfort and soothe.

“The lush green fields dotted with the deep crimson of the thayar flower, circled by white mountain peaks. When the thayar is in full bloom, you won’t see anything but red for miles and miles. It’s extraordinary.”

Thorne smiles down at me. “That sounds special. I hope I can see it sometime.”

“There’s a festival held there on the Spring Equinox. I haven’t gone in a long time, but I used to go every year with my parents. Maybe… maybe we could go this year.” I say the last sentence like it’s a question, soft and tentative, worried about what he might think of me trying to make plans for us so many months in advance. He only squeezes my hand where it rests in his.

“I’d really love that, Laurel,” he says, eyes shining and intense. It’s too much for me, too close to being what I’m so afraid of, so I ask him a question to give me time to think and process.

“What about you? What’s your favorite place in Velmara?”

“Eastern Velmara, where my mother comes from. It’s almost as green as Thayaria, but more tropical.” His eyes look off into the distance, like he’s picturing it even now. “Waterfalls everywhere. I haven’t spent a lot of time there, but every time I do, it makes me feel closer to her.”

“What was she like, your mother?” I ask. He pauses, and I’m afraid I’ve stepped too far. “I’m sorry, that was really personal. I—”

“It’s okay. I love talking about her—no one asks about her anymore, and I wish they would, if only to give me an excuse to remember her. I was just thinking of what to tell you,” he says gently. “She was so kind, and fiercely intelligent. I think that’s what you would have most appreciated about her. I thought she could read my mind, because she always seemed to know what trouble I was about to get into before I did it. But then she would tell me to go do it anyway, just to be careful.” I chuckle, and he looks down at me with his own smile. “She always encouraged me to read and do extra research in the archives. So naturally, I did the exact opposite.”

I laugh brightly. “She sounds wonderful.”

“She really was,” he says, eyes bright. “She would have loved you.” I scoff, but he squeezes my hand. “I really mean it. She would have been shocked by the mating bond, of course, but she would have been so happy I found someone like you. Someone who sees through my antics and doesn’t put up with my bullshit.” My cheeks flush, even as I smile. “That necklace was actually hers, you know.” He nods to the lightning bolt necklace resting on my collarbone. The necklace that I haven’t taken off since the day he gave it to me. “Her father gave it to her when she married my father. She used to tell me she wore it to remind her of me and my lightning power. I found it among her things when I finally searched through them, hidden away with the diary that revealed the truth of her death. It was only then that I learned more about the symbol and what it meant that she wore this necklace every day.” I gently touch the jewelry, feeling unworthy to wear such an important piece of Thorne. He must sense what’s going through my head, because he covers my hand with his where it rests against my neck. “I wouldn’t want that necklace to be anywhere else but right there. And neither would she. It belongs on you, on my mate.” His words are gentle and soothing, and they crack something open inside me I’d been trying to keep at bay.

“I’m still having trouble believing it’s all real,” I admit, the emotions flooding me, making it hard to say anything else.

“I know.” He smiles. “And it’s okay that you need time to process this. Maybe it’s just the impulsive streak Silene always says will get me in trouble, but I’m not struggling at all. Just last night I remembered the way the mist reacted to me when I entered Thayaria. It caressed my face, I swear. Fionn and Silene teased me so much about it when I told them. I thought it had done the same to them. I was sorely mistaken.” His smile and corresponding dimple take my breath away.

“I forgot about that! I felt a weird zap of energy when you entered that I’d never felt before. I just thought it was because my enemy entered.” I give him a wink, and he lets out a deep and full laugh. We continue down the path in silence, brightly colored buildings now on either side of us as we enter the city proper. When we reach the bustling streets, he takes my hand and has us walk single file so we can weave through the crowds of people making their way home for the day. But even as we weave and bob, he never releases my hand. Eventually, we stop in front of a red storefront in the merchant district. It’s been restored already, though many buildings around it are still under construction. Thorne leads me through the front door and into an empty cafe.

“This is Mara’s family bakery,” he explains, and my eyes widen in delight. “Silene and Fionn have been helping them rebuild their store. When we asked if we could use it for a private dinner with the Queen, they practically jumped through the ceiling. And since Mara was still in town, I asked her to whip up an entire cake just for you.” Thorne’s eyes sparkle.

“How did you know who Mara even was?”

“When Sarah brought the cake that day we trained, you mentioned Mara and her family’s bakery. I remembered. It was easy enough to seek Sarah out and ask her how to find the baker who makes your favorite chocolate cake. Then I connected the dots between the family Silene and Fionn were helping and your Mara.” He shrugs, like it’s the easiest thing in the world. “We have more food than just cake,” he says with a grin, gesturing to a small table in the room’s corner laid with dishes of food and candles.

He pulls my chair out for me, his hands lingering on my shoulders even as he moves away to his own seat. Sitting across from me, he pours a cup of tea, adding the perfect amount of cream, and hands it to me. My heart squeezes at the small gesture. When we each have a plate full of aromatic food, he starts his questioning again, and I realize that this reallyisa date. I don’t know what I thought it would be, or why I’m surprised, but the normalcy of spending time with Thorne in this way is striking. We could be two regular fae, learning more about one another, just like he said he wished we could be yesterday in the caves.

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