Page 17 of Song of the Heart Scale
“I just wanted to figure things out first. But now that the emperor is dead and Thorne is going to be emperor, is he going to want to marry—”
“Actually,” I interrupted, “the emperor’s death has put a pin in your marriage.”
She raised a brow. “How?”
“According to Uncle Bai, by the Immortals’ will, the royal family is supposed to mourn any family deaths for a full year. No celebrations are allowed during that time… including marriages.”
“Hell fuckin’ yeah!” she whooped. “I swear, when I get back to my world, I will start going to church!” She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and started to mumble something that didn’t make sense. “Thank you, baby Jesus.”
“Who is this baby Jesus?” I asked curiously.
She sighed and opened her eyes, then patted my shoulder with one hand. “You’ll meet him when you come to my world. He tends to walk the streets of Hollywood.”
“Oh… okay.” I furrowed my brows, still confused. “Well, I’ll thank him when I arrive.”
She giggled. “Good.” She brushed my hair back and caressed my face, then her eyes widened. “Wait… did I hear that right? Are you coming to my world?”
I smirked. “I guess. I was talking to my uncle, and well… there’s nothing holding me back here.”
Cat jumped up from the bed and squealed as she wrapped herself around me. “As you all say,by the Immortals!”
I laughed. “Is it that surprising?”
“Very!” She smacked a kiss on my cheek. “Oh my god, what are we going to do when we get there? I have to take you to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles… Wait… no, we’ll go to In-n-Out first. Wait! El Cholo… or Pink’s Hot Dog… Oh my gosh, I have no idea where to start!”
“What are these places? They have such strange names!” I scrunched up my nose as I held her, moving back towards the bed and sitting down with her on my lap.
“They are only some of the best places to eat on the entire planet!” she stated as if it should be obvious, even though I didn’t recognize half of the words she spoke. “Going to the Hollywood Walk of Fame is pointless because you don’t know who any of the celebrities are, and the last thing I need is those whack jobs trying to convert you to Scientology, but we can go to Hermosa Beach Pier and rent bicycles and ride to Venice Beach. We’ll try surfing, volleyball, and you’re indesperateneed of a tan,” she added dryly.
“This all sounds fascinating,” I said, although I had no idea what she was talking about. Even so, her enthusiasm made me equally as excited. “I can’t wait to do it all with you.”
“We just need to wait for a thunderstorm,” she said. “So the portal in the River Elara can open.”
I nodded. “Once it does, we’ll leave,” I promised, even though I knew I had to settle things here first before I left. But I didn’t want to diminish the excitement she felt at finally being able to go home.
Cat leaned forward and hugged me fiercely, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “Thank you,” she whispered.
I wrapped my arms around her, feeling the warmth of her body through her thin nightgown, but stayed quiet. For now, I’d let her have this bit of happiness.
5
CAT
The next morning, I sat in front of the vanity as Maeve did my hair, grinning like a maniac. “Guess what?”
“What, my lady?”
“I’m bringing back your Lady Arya.” I winked at her through the mirror.
She gasped and pulled my hair, making me wince. “Apologies, my lady.”
I rubbed my scalp. “Ouch! Be gentle, Maeve.”
My companion was obviously flustered. She fanned her cheeks and gaped at me with wide eyes. “What… how?”
“Damien said I can go home.” I wanted to tell her he was coming with me, but something held me back. Perhaps I kept that tidbit to myself out of a warped sense of self-preservation. I mean, it was entirely possible he would change his mind.
Maeve’s big eyes widened even further. “My lady, that’s wonderful!”
