Page 49 of The Stolen Kingdom

“This should motivate you to keep going. Who knows? Maybe one day you might pin me down.”

“I might,” Maris said, dusting the sand from her pants.

“I wouldn’t mind…” Eyphah said, a slight playful tone in her voice.

Before Maris could respond, Eyphah’s smile faltered, her playful expression replaced with surprise as her gaze shifted past Maris.

“Isen!”Melvian suddenly called out.

Behind Maris, Melvian’s happy squeal was followed by the sound of running hooves. Maris turned just in time to see Isen leaping from his horse, closing the distance between him and Melvian. His arms wrapped around her in a crushing embrace, spinning her off the ground as she laughed.

Eyphah shoved the trident to Maris’s side and ran to meet her twin brother.

And Maris held her breath.

Maris stared at the road Isen had taken to enter the settlement, her gaze lingering as if willing a miracle to appear—a familiar figure riding her horse right behind him.

But no one came.

Her chest sank with a sadness she hadn’t anticipated. Part of her wanted to see Valda, craved her presence.By Tartarus…The crack in her heart deepened at the realization that Valda wasn’t with Isen.

Watching Isen release his mate to wrap his arms around Eyphah made Maris realize that just as Melvian missed her mate, Eyphah missed her brother, the only family she had left.

Eyphah cupped Isen’s bearded cheeks, tilting his head down to inspect him as if searching for unseen wounds. When she seemed satisfied, her hands trembled as she pulled him closer, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

And then she cried.

Maris knew Eyphah regretted every harsh word she had ever spoken about her brother. With the Skylian army hunting him for treason, seeing him alive and whole must have been a relief.

Isen held his sister in a strong, overpowering hug, and they didn’t let go. Not until Melvian made her presence known by touching Isen’s flank. Then his attention shifted back to his mate, and Maris watched as Melvian’s tears flowed freely.

She felt as if she shouldn’t intrude on the intimacy of the moment. And yet, she couldn’t look away.

A rush of jealousy flowed through her as she watched Isen kiss Melvian with the desperation of a man denied water, she couldn’t help but feel envious of their bond—the completeness they shared.

Maris’s feet carried her forward without thought. As she approached, she heard Isen marveling at Melvian’s growing stomach, his hand resting tenderly on her belly.

They weren’t supposed to be apart.

As Maris stood before Isen, the man’s jaw quivered. Still clutching Melvian’s hand, he bowed on one knee and greeted Maris.

“No, Isen. Please,” Maris scolded him, pulling Isen and gasping at the sudden overbearing hug. Isen shook in the embrace and only pulled away when Melvian called to him. The man was crying, like a child who’ve been lost and found safety again.

“Let’s go inside and get you something to eat. You look like you’ve come from far away.”

Isen nodded, rubbing his nose against his arm before scoffing. “I am starving…”

Maris gave him a rueful smile before heading to House Arago. Melvian ushered her mate, holding his forearm while walking in.

Out of the corner of her eye, Maris caught a dark shadow darting between two cabins. Her steps faltered, her gaze snapping toward the movement. Isen, Melvian, and Eyphah disappeared through the doorway, their voices muffled as they entered.

Maris frowned, her eyes trailing over the broken roads and the alleyways connecting the houses in the settlement. A distinctive tug pulled at her. Excitement, then sadness.

Her hand rose instinctively, pressing against her sternum as if to soothe the ache.Valda.

Maris stood frozen for a moment, her grip tightening on the trident. The feeling was unmistakable, like a whisper at the edge of her senses.

Swallowing hard, Maris descended a step, her ears straining against the quiet hum of the settlement. The sounds of children’s laughter and Sealians going about their day filled the air. Nothing out of the ordinary.

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