Page 117 of The Shadow Path
The humans of Briton have forgotten their duties to honor the fae.
They mix with foreign magic and welcome Valachian monsters to their skies. They have forgotten who they are and from where their children come.
“We’ve got some gross fae nationalism happening with this one, huh?” Carys muttered.
Because the humans of Anglia forget their past, their fields will be cursed and their animals will lose the protection of fae blessing.
Honor the true fae king of Briton.
Bow to Cian, high fae king.
“Carys.”
She turned on her way out of the library to see Lachlan waiting in the hall.
Duncan still had her hand in his, and he squeezed it.
Carys turned to him and looked up. “Hey. Give us a minute, okay?”
Duncan glanced at his Shadowkin, then back at Carys. He nodded. “I’ll wait for you in your room,” he said loudly.
“Thank you,” she said, “for informing the entire first floor about that.”
Duncan shrugged before he dropped her hand and walked toward the entry hall.
Lachlan watched him walk away, his arms crossed over his chest. “Walk in the garden?”
“Sure.” She was exhausted, but she’d rather have this conversation sooner than later.
He followed her toward the kitchen and then out the door to the vegetable garden. Her room overlooked the back garden. If Duncan wanted to watch them talk, she wasn’t hiding anything.
“You and Duncan are together now,” Lachlan said.
Carys walked past the beds of rosemary and turned to him, her arms crossed over her chest. “We are.”
Lachlan nodded, and his eyes were sad. “I can’t blame you. He’s a good man.”
“He is.”
“Does that mean…” Lachlan cleared his throat. “I mean, will you be moving to Scotland?”
“I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about it.”
Lachlan stared at the fountain burbling in the distance. “I’m going to step back,” he said. “Rory wants to be king; I do not.”
Carys blinked. “But at the coronation?—”
“I’m man enough to know when I’m not suited for a role,” Lachlan said. “I love my people, and I’ll be honored to serve in my brother’s court. But during all this, the people have rallied around my father and Rory.”
“Because you’re here.”
Lachlan shrugged. “He took advantage of the timing to consolidate his influence there. It’s not something I would have thought to do. But it’s something a king would do.”
“Ah.” Carys nodded. “So you think he’ll be a better king because of that?”
“I hope so.” Lachlan sat on a stone bench and looked up at her, his vivid green eyes glowing in the torchlight. “Either way, I don’twantthe crown. Far better if it goes to him.”
“Okay.” Carys walked over and sat beside him. “You know that’s not why I decided?—”
