Page 68 of The Curse of Golden Blood
"I grew up there. I wasn't trained as a warrior like Zydar. In the fog court, they harvest the magic of sleep. They use it to foresee the future, to heal wounds, to protect the court from attack. I learned everything I knew from them. And then, when I was ready, Zydar came to take me back home."
"And they just... let you go? Just like that?"
Narietta smiled. "Of course. Thunder and Fog are allies. Have been for centuries." She paused, and a shadow passed over her face. "Besides, the lady of Fog was my mate."
I blinked. "Your...mate? Silvyr?"
Narietta nodded. "We were bonded when we were young."
"Bonded..." I whispered.
Fae mates are rare, and precious, and most do whatever it takes to keep their mate alive and well. They're soulmates. Bonded in a way that humans can't understand. It's not something you can fake.
"How do you know? That she was your mate, I mean?"
"When a fae finds their mate, they have a... sense of it. An awareness, deep in their bones. A pull toward the other person. As if their souls are connected, even before they meet."
"So it's not like...love, at first sight?"
"It can be. But not always. Sometimes it's not until after the two have spent time together, gotten to know each other, that the bond forms. And sometimes...sometimes it doesn't happen at all. It's rare. Very rare."
"How is she doing now?"
"Silvyr?" Narietta sighed. "Your blood seemed to help her. At least, for a little while. But the curse is taking its toll."
I swallowed, remembering the way she'd looked, the fear and anger and pain in her eyes. I didn't want to imagine what it would be like to watch someone you loved slowly die, their body rotting away from the inside out.
"You have to help me convince Zydar to continue the treatment," I said, desperation edging into my voice. "Please. It's working. We just have to keep going."
Narietta looked at me for a moment, her gaze unreadable. Then, she shook her head.
"You don't understand," she said softly. "The Sun Court is coming for you."
I froze, a chill going down my spine. "What?"
"They have spies in every court. They know where you are, and they're coming for you."
"How? Why?"
"Your blood. It's the only cure for the Rot. And the Sun Court wants that cure. That's why we have to protect you. To keep you safe. To hide you away, until it's time for you to ascend."
I stared at her, a sinking feeling in my stomach. "Ascend?"
"Do not worry." Narietta placed a comforting hand on my arm. "We'll keep you safe. No one can touch you here. Zydar won't let anyone harm you. You're too important."
"Important," I repeated.
Narietta nodded. "For once, those fools at the Sun Court may have done us a favor."
I shifted uncomfortably. "How so?"
"You'll see soon enough."
With that, she strode off. Her cloak swished around her, and I glared at her back, my hands curling into fists.
I let out a slow breath, the tension in my shoulders refusing to ease. I needed to see Riden. The thought of him waiting in the healing dome steadied me. I promised I’d finish reading him the next chapter of The Throne of Silver Fire.
He would be expecting me, eyes bright with that quiet, stubborn hope I’d come to recognize. He was getting better each day—his cough easing, his color returning—but I knew the road ahead was still long. The healers said it was my voice that kept him calm enough to sleep through the pain.
