Page 70 of Bound Paths
“You’ll be the best leader this continent has ever seen.”
She wondered at that. Luc’s people respected him, but as she’d seen during their time in Loch, they still feared him. He was a leader who would do anything for his people, but he couldn’t force them to move past what they thought they knew.While she wasn’t sure she agreed with Luc’s plan—the errand he sent his brother on—she supported him nevertheless.
A few more swings had Rose wiping her brow with the back of her hand. This was perfect. She felt a connection to her family. A connection to the life they had given her and the life she wanted to give to those on the continent under her care. Most of all, she felt an impossibly deeper connection to Luc, sharing this space with him. He’d never replace her family, but a spot in her heart was his all the same.
Her swings grew in intensity as she accepted the thoughts. This property was hers. She would fear no corner of it. Thoughts of the family she’d lost wouldn’t keep her from enjoying the places she loved being with them.
Her arm came to a rest at her side. The hammer was heavy in her hand. It felt right. Her gaze roamed the forge. She wouldn’t let it remain unused for so long again.
Walter greetedher when she returned to the house. “I wondered if we could speak for a moment,” he said formally.
Something was on his mind yesterday that he hadn’t quite been comfortable enough to share. Rose hoped he was ready now. “Of course. Will you join me for dinner?” She gestured toward the dining room.
His hesitation was all Rose needed to reframe the offer. “Or we could grab something from the kitchen and sit in the library?”
“That would be preferable,” he said. The formal dining room was imposing even to Rose.
Annabeth was happy to oblige, sending them off with slices of roast meat and fresh vegetables. The table in the library wasfilled with books, but Carter had neatly stacked them at least. Rose shifted a few aside, clearing space for her and Walter. His fingers skimmed the chair as if considering whether to sit. Rose did, hoping it would comfort him.
“I didn’t mean to overhear, but the elders…well,ex-elders were gossiping about you in the village.” He coughed then looked up at her, finally making eye contact. “Is it true you have both wind and water magic?”
Rose smiled softly. She wasn’t surprised the elders had shared the information, nor did she care. “It is.” She waited for him to continue.
“And you were—you are—Norden Point with both elements?” He didn’t sound like he doubted her. Instead, his voice was filled with what she could only place as hope.
“I am,” she said. “Not even the elders could deny me—though they would have liked to.”
Walter smiled at that. “It was right that you dismissed them, especially after what they let Aiden do. They needed to be held accountable for their actions.”
“Thank you,” Rose said, appreciating his acknowledgment.
“I have a daughter,” he said.
Rose nodded at this. She hadn’t seen the female, but it wasn’t uncommon for fae to have children. Walter had the ageless perfection of the fae, but she knew he’d been in this position for many years. He was likely the same age as her parents would have been.
“Her mother is Vesten.” Worry lines creased Walter’s face, and now she knew why. The same weight had marked her mother’s features, though Rose had been too young to realize it then.
“I’m sure you never thought you’d say those words to a Compass Point,” Rose said, acknowledging what they both were thinking.
He chuckled, but his mood started to lighten. “I did not imagine it, no.”
Rose waited to catch his eye again, ensuring she had his full attention for what she said next. “She has nothing to fear—from myself or any of the Compass Points,” Rose said firmly. “Juliette, Carter, and Luc all know about my magic. They accept me for it and agree the practices of our predecessors were more than detrimental.”
Walter let out a shaky breath.
Rose couldn’t imagine how Walter lived in the center of fae society. Rose’s wind magic seemed to come from somewhere in past generations. Her mother and father had both been Norden. But Walter… His current partner, or at least the mother of his child, was of another court. How often did they see each other or gather as a family unit? “You don’t need to fear being seen together. I don’t know your situation, nor do I need to, but I assure you, Luc and I will pave the way for couples of different courts.”
“You should tell him.”Luc’s voice was in her head. She must have sent him the last part of the conversation without realizing it.
She agreed. “In fact, Luc and I…” She cleared her throat. “We’re bound.”
Walter’s thick brows raised, his eyes widening in shock. “But?—”
“Believe me, I’m aware of the impossibility.” She smiled. “It doesn’t change what we are. I share it with you so you know our support isn’t going anywhere. We’ll demand the change at Compass Lake and on the continent.”
Walter put his head in his hands like this was all too much for him—it probably was. Rose still heard the words he spoke though. “I knew you would be good for this place. I knew it the moment you stepped onto Norden soil.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” she said, swallowing thickly around her own emotion. “I look forward to working with you and the Norden to make this a court that represents us all.”
