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I wasn’t sure which one of them said it, but I revelled in the promise of the words.

“Home,” I repeated, tasting the joy of that single word across my parched tongue.

Arms wrapped around me, wings beat, and we were airborne. My tired eyes opened enough to look down at the earth. Stretched out for as far as I could see, was a lake – sunlight glittering across its surface, sparkling like a million diamonds.

Where Duwar had drained and destroyed, new life was given. I watched rivers spread like searching fingers, revitalising trees and fields, returning colour to a world that had been leached of it.

My mind was slow, at the cusp of collapse, and yet I fought against it, not wanting to miss a single detail. Duwar had found a new home, just as I had secured my own. It was over – the realms saved – and even in my tired state, I knew that life had only just begun.

CHAPTER 40

SIX MONTHS LATER

My ears rang with the cheers of the fey procession. I imagined it would take days more for my eardrums to settle, and the thundering beat of footsteps to stop reverberating in my bones. Not that I cared. Because seeing Erix take the mantle of King of the Oakstorm Court, was one of the greatest days of my life.

It had been six months since I released Duwar into the world, and the lake it created glistened before me. Summer sun beat down onto the body of water which separated Wychwood from Durmain. A place that had become a meeting point for the humans and fey in the months past.

It represented peace: Duwar’s waters signifying life and hope.

The fields around it flourished with life, the forests and woods fed from the well of pure power. Villages and hamlets that the chaos had ruined had been reclaimed – and with the help of the fey, we’d begun to rebuild homes for those who’d been displaced.

Aptly named the Waking Shallows, in conjunction with the Sleeping Depths – the lake had become a symbol, for the fey and humans, as to what price was paid to secure the future.

And there hadn’t been a day in the past six months that had been wasted.

I peered over the edge of wooden slats, catching my reflection in the azure lake. Wide black eyes set in a fuller face, with skin glowing with vitality. Seeing the man in the water made it impossible to imagine the terror and pain that had come before. Sometimes it was easier to hide from reminders, but every time I laid eyes on the Waking Shallows, I felt a sense of clarity to the past.

Over the far side of the lake, the humans stood, flanked by the Faithful. Rafaela was at their helm, her wings grown back in place, speckled with a multitude of greys, whites and browns. In her arms she carried a rather plump looking child – the human heir to Durmain, Princess Eugena.

I tipped my head in Rafaela’s direction, our eyes locking, and silently promised to speak with her tonight during the celebrations. The slight tip she returned confirmed it.

The Waking Shallows’ water was so clear I could see the bottom, where fish of the most vibrant colours swam amongst reeds and breathtaking purple flowers. Swans with elegant necks and prowess jetted over calm waters, dancing for all to see.

I wasn’t the only one who sensed the magic oozing from the lake’s surface. In the past weeks we had heard of humans with aliments who bathed within the lake, climbing out revitalised. Crops once afflicted with diseases had been cured.

This was what power should have always been used for.

I looked out across the wooden jetty, gaze fixing to where Erix stood, his broad outline reflected on the water behind him. A crown of gold, inset with the cut-out emblem of the summer court, literally glowed on his head. It refracted the light across the planes of his face, making him glisten as though he too was made from the same luscious metal.

“He needs to stand up straighter,” Duncan commented from my side. His attention was fixed on Erix too, pride evident in every smile line, hands nervously wringing before him. “I told him that before we left, and yet he still slouches.”

“Keep your voice down,” I said out the corner of my smiling mouth. “You and I both know it is Erix’s impressive wingspan that affects his stance. No one can blame him for that.”

“You and the obsession with wingspan.” Duncan flashed me a mischievous grin, his white wings coming to fold around my shoulder. He lifted his left hand, flashing the band of silver wrapped around his ring finger. “Any more mentions of it and I might start to get a complex.”

I leaned into his side, delighting in the strength of his constant presence. “Remember what I said last time?”

Duncan’s tongue traced his lower lip, before replying. “It’s not the size, but what you do with it?”

I giggled into my fingers, a blush creeping over my cheeks. “I thought we were talking about wings, Duncan?”

He laughed too, the sound melodic and as beautiful as the lake of life stretched out before us. “Oh, were we?”

“No more nitpicking the Oakstorm king, Duncan. You might find yourself getting in trouble,” I said.

“Trouble is my middle name. Even if I wasn’t under the protection of two kings, I welcome it. Although, I hardly imagine my head is under any threat – unless you are talking about a different head than I’m thinking about, darling?”

“Does everything that comes out your mouth need to be so filthy?” I asked.