Page 84 of Reign of Light
Almost two years.
I’ve been gone for almost two years.
My breath is almost a gasp as my mind reels with this new information, and suddenly I cannot fathom how Weston felt the momenthe found out he had been gone for twenty-one years. Now, twenty-three. Weston’s warm hand settles firmly on my low back, steadying me as my knees feel weak and lending me his strength while I stumble looking for words.
“I apologize,” he says, breaking the silence while Estelle watches me with concern, “for keeping her away for so long. We will be sure to come see you more often, Miss Estelle.”
Pink flashes in the tops of her cheeks as she regards him, then turns back to address me. “As always, I am available if anyone from the castle should need anything at all. It would be lovely to see you again, Addy. But I must be off. Mouths to feed.”
I clear my throat, trying to hide the shock that is still coursing through my body. “Thank you, Estelle. I will see you soon.”
She smiles warmly and hurries down the road, disappearing into the crowd as I still flounder with this new information.
“Addy?” Weston grumbles, the lilt of a question in his voice.
“I used the name of my handmaid and changed my hair when I snuck out of the castle. I didn’t want anyone to know who I was.”
I feel the press of his lips on the top of my head through the cloak, then the grumble of his voice in my ear. “Good girl.”
“It didn’t matter though,” I say, ignoring the shiver that runs up my spine. “Dane still saw right through it.”
“He did, but with all that happened, we still made it here. I found you, and we’re back home. Maybe it all ended exactly as it was intended.”
“Maybe it did,” I mumble. “I just can’t believe it’s been almost two years.” I look up at him then, and the sad look on his face takes me back. “I’m sorry. That was really inconsiderate.”
“You don’t need to worry about hurting me, Lennox. If anyone knows how you’re feeling right now, it’s me.” His fingers flex against my low back, and I lean into him, quirking my eyebrow as I tilt my head back.
“Why are you being sweet? What happened to the snarky captain that would have snapped back at me for being a pain in the ass?”
He laughs, and the sound makes me smile despite the churning in my stomach.
“He’s still here. He’s just readjusting to everything too. Same as you.”
I let out a sigh and drop my forehead onto his chest. “Alright, let’s just get this over with. Let’s go deal with my father.”
“And mine,” he agrees. “Although I doubt he will even flinch after basically sending you to come find me. Rem might have some words with him about that, actually.”
I roll my eyes. “He can get over it. I brought you back, didn’t I?”
Sliding his hand over my waist, he releases me, lacing our fingers together once again, and starts down the road toward the castle. The light is fading; the grey turning deeper as time wears on. Business owners begin to light the torches near their doors, preparing for a bustling night despite the wet cold in the air. It looks so much like the last time I walked back to the castle gates, only then, it was Dane walking me home, not Weston.
I push the thought from my mind, not wanting to ever think about Dane again, especially remembering how kind and sweet he was to me when we first met. Being back here, walking the same streets, brings back those memories, and I want to erase them with new ones made with the man by my side.
The gate comes into view as we round a corner, with the guards stationed in front and just inside, the same as they always are. Their crisp uniforms match the one beside me, and I take a deep breath, wondering if we will be able to walk through unobstructed, or if this is how my father learns of my return.
But when I look at each of them, what I find makes my steps falter.
“Lennox?”
My feet come to an abrupt stop, barely hearing him over the pounding in my ears. I pull his hand, tugging him closer to me to keep him from getting any closer to the gate.
“What’s wrong.” It’s not a question. He knows me well enough to know something has made me uneasy, and he needs to know what it is.
“I—I don’t know,” I stammer, my eyes darting between all the guards stationed at the gate a mere block ahead of us. Weston glances between them and me, his jaw tight, as he assesses the situation. His hand settles back on his sword, and I can feel the tension building in his body, matching mine.
“We just need to get inside,” I force out, trying to squash down the rising panic. “I know it’s been a long time, but I don’t know.” I look at each of their faces, recognizing them all, but they aren’t the same men stationed there when I left, when I snuck out even with the disapproval of my guard. The air feels heavy, and the laughs and jeers between them are jarring to my ears.
“Weston, something feels very wrong.”
