Page 48 of Perfectly Matched

Chapter Thirteen

Hannah rode Bella to the modest walled castle set on a hillside overlooking the city. Several guards flanked the gates, but any real threat to Nikita had been extinguished long ago when the uprising had been squashed and the mortals had been cast off the island. These days, those left guarding the grounds were there to deescalate any intoxicated islander from storming the castle with boisterous opinions.

As Hannah rode up to the open gates, she was greeted by Sofia, a tall woman with cropped blond hair who wore leather and steel plate armor that covered her chest and shoulders. Her sword was sheathed in a scabbard hanging from her waist. The purple cloak that distinguished her as a royal knight swayed in the slight breeze, and Hannah smiled at a distant memory of them sharing each other’s bodies one night under the stars.

“Sofia,” Hannah said as she flashed back to a few new positions she’d learned that night and had since perfected.

“Hannah.” Sofia smiled as Bella came to a rest beside her. “Haven’t seen you in a while. What brings you to the castle?”

“I was wondering if I might speak to Nikita. Is she in this morning?” Her latest encounter with Payson had renewed her courage to challenge the law that stated no mortals were allowed on the island. If Payson wanted to know more about her life, then Hannah needed the option to bring her here.

“Is all well?” Sofia asked with concern.

“Yes, I just have a pressing matter I need to run by her. You know, cupid stuff.”

“Ah,” Sofia said in a long, drawn-out breath. “Affairs of the heart. Well…” She scrubbed her fingers through her hair and blew out a breath. “She’s kinda busy right now. Can it wait until later?”

Anxiety and unease mixed in Hannah’s stomach and churned. “This is a bit of a pressing matter that…” Bella pawed at the ground and let out a loud whinny. When another horse replied, Hannah glanced around and saw Oriana’s mare standing by the front of the castle. “Oriana’s here?”

Sofia nodded. “She’s been here all morning. They’re going over plans for the expansion of the academy.”

“Finally. That place has been in need of an overhaul for a while. Would you mind if I wait in the greeting room until Oriana finishes? I need to speak to her as well.”

“I don’t see why not.” Sofia shrugged. “But don’t go wandering around. I know how quickly your patience wanes.” She gave a knowing grin. “I’ll make sure word reaches them that you’re waiting.”

“Thanks, Sofia, and I hope all is well between you and Luna?”

Sofia shyly smiled as she nodded. “I’ve never been happier. In fact, we’re expecting a baby. But don’t say anything. We haven’t announced it yet.”

“That’s wonderful news, and your secret is safe with me. You’re an amazing woman, and I’m very excited for you.” Hannah once again thought about Sofia’s masterful touch during the one and only night they’d shared together. “You deserve nothing less than true happiness.”

Sofia raised a brow. “Don’t we all?”

“Yes, my dear friend, yes we do.” Hannah barely tapped Bella’s side, and she galloped forward. At the castle doors,Hannah dismounted and thanked Bella for the ride. Bella bobbed her head, then settled next to Oriana’s mare.

Hannah straightened the bow on her back, repositioned her quiver, took a deep breath, and walked with purpose into the castle. As soon as she entered, a flood of memories cascaded over her. She saw herself as a nervous twelve-year-old, performing in an archery exhibition in the main hall. It had been the first time she’d been in the castle, and she’d heard intimidating stories of Nikita’s stern side and warnings to steer clear when that side reared its head. But after the exhibition, Nikita had approached her and requested she sit at the high table in the dining hall, where she’d been treated with the utmost of kindness and respect. Since that day, Hannah had made many appearances in the castle, and each time, she was greeted with the gentle soul she had come to associate with Nikita.

She shuffled to a bench, sat, and gently placed her bow by her side while she waited. A half hour later, her leg was bouncing so much, she decided that pacing would be the better way to burn off the pent-up energy. She was about to take the most impossible shot of her life by asking Nikita to amend her own law. And this time, neither the wind nor any of her lessons would be able to aid in the outcome. This time, she was on her own.

She stood, stretched, and meandered around, admiring the paintings of past rulers and prominent residents of the island. As she stood studying the one of Nikita and Anna, the door to the room across the hall opened, startling her. Nikita and Oriana strolled out.

“Hannah?” Oriana tilted her head with concern. “What’s wrong, why are you here?”

Hannah bowed. “Forgive me. I don’t have an appointment. I was waiting in the greeting room so that I might have a word with you both, but I got a little impatient, so I decided to walk the halls. I hope I didn’t disturb you.”

“Not at all,” Nikita said as she gestured for everyone to gather back into the room. “We were just taking a break.”

“Hannah, has something happened?” Oriana placed her arm around Hannah as she ushered her inside.

Hannah glanced around while she gathered her thoughts. Rolls of blueprints lay around a large table, and oversized portraits hung between several open windows. The largest amongst them was Nikita and another woman standing back-to-back, faces slightly tilted toward each other, smiling. As Hannah stepped closer, she gasped. The eyes of the other woman were the same mesmerizing shade of deep emerald as Payson’s, and her features were hauntingly similar. “Gemma,” she whispered as the stories of Nikita’s best friend surfaced in her mind.

Gemma was not only beautiful, but she and Nikita seemed as connected as Hannah and Piper, a testament to the pain she had seen on Nikita’s face when speaking of her death. What a fool she was for coming here thinking she could request an amendment to a law that was put in place because the uprising took so many loved ones, especially Gemma. Who was she to request such heartache be modified to accommodate her? It was a disrespectful and selfish appeal.

“She was a cupid like you.” Nikita stood beside her as she stared at the painting. “She was funny, charming, and the ladies loved her. On the day of the uprising, the rebels were armed with guns that had been smuggled onto the island. Gemma was by my side, using her bow to help defend the castle.” Nikita paused as she let out a slow breath. “She jumped in front of a bullet that was meant for me. It took her hours to succumb to the mortal wound. In that time, I called upon every magician and doctor on the island to heal her, and when none could, I begged the universe to spare her.” She glanced at Hannah. “She died in my arms, and Anna has told me more than once that I have never been the same.”

Hannah thought of Piper as she replied in a faraway voice, “How could you be?”

“Hannah?” Oriana placed a hand on her shoulder. “Please, what’s wrong? Why are you here?”

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