Page 55 of A Touch of Royalty

“What does that mean?” Cas looked down at the feather. It really did look like it was made of stars. “And why was she trying to tear the wing out?”

“To answer that question, we must look at the magic of the world.”

“I might go to bed then,” Cas said, shaking his head. “It has been a very long day, Asan, and I don’t know if I have the brainpower to dissect the continent’s magic.”

“That is fair,” Asan said with a smile. “It would be best if Emryn were here as well before we drill down into it.”

And as if he’d summoned her, Emryn appeared in the doorway. Starlight feathers mantled around her shoulders, looking around desperately with fear bright in her eyes.

“Emryn,” Cas got up and went to her. “Emryn, you were resting, what happened?”

She looked up at him, but there was no awareness in her eyes and Cas breathed out. She was sleepwalking, but afraid and he needed to get her back to bed.

“Danger.” She said, sounding choked. “My Phoenix is in danger.”

“Who?” He looked back over his shoulder at Asan who looked just as puzzled as he felt.

“You-” she said, collapsing to the floor as though she’d had all her bones removed.

He lunged to catch her, only barely making sure that she didn’t hit her head on the table next to the door. Standing with her in his arms and taking her straight back to bed.

He’d stay this time.

In the morning,the wings were still there. He saw them as Emryn fled their bed for the bathroom. Cas sat up, dread pooling in his gut. She’d said nothing, and from what he’d seen last night, he was worried she would try to pull the wings out again.

He got up, walking to the still open door of the bathroom only to find her standing in front of the large mirror with those wings outstretched as far as they would go.

“Emryn?”

She turned, and it was only then that he noticed she wasn’t wearing anything. “Cas.” She tried to cover herself with her hands.

“Sorry,” he sputtered, turning and walking out of the bathroom quickly. His wife was lovely, and she hadn’t been trying to tear herself apart, so he would wait for her to emerge.

“Was there something that you needed?” She walked out with her shift hanging off her. It was half destroyed by the emergence of the wings, but it covered what needed covered so he could have a brain in his head.

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said, walking to her and wrapping her in his arms, careful not to touch the wings. “I know yesterday was hard.”

“Understatement,” she said dryly. “My memories- they’re fuzzy, but whatever had them blocked is gone, and now I have to figure out what they mean.”

“They change nothing about how I feel for you, Emryn.” He wanted to address that straight off. “Neither do the wings. They’re lovely and Asan says that between the three of us we can figure out how to make them invisible so you don’t have to walk around with them out.”

“They’re very heavy.” She fluffed them so they hung better at her back and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his shoulder. “I feel so strange, Cas. Isn’t it strange that through everything that’s happened, I could still be hungry?”

“I have to imagine you are.” Cas smiled, kissing the top of her head. “And we have to figure out how you are to wear clothes with them.”

“I hadn’t even thought of that.” She rubbed her face on his shirt. “None of my gowns can handle them. Lady Holbrook is going to have to do a complete redesign on my wardrobe if we can’t figure out how to conceal them.”

“I think we can.” Cas nodded. “Let’s get some breakfast and then we can figure the rest out.”

37

CONCEAL

She remembered, she hadn’t wanted to, but she did. Remembered every time that the wings had manifested in her past, remembered ripping them free and watching as they vanished into flecks of light. Remembered bleeding, remembered the pain, remembered watching her father walk away and trying as hard as she could to fight the ties that held her to the railing at the base of the temple steps.

There were still questions, still parts where the memories refused to focus, like a window into a shifting, storm-tossed sea. But by and large, her past was clear, even though she didn’t want to see it.

She’d wanted her memories, but now they just hurt to look at. Her family had given her up. Her mother had thought her an abomination, which she sort of was.

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