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“Do you think your life would have been different if—” Arianna couldn’t finish her sentence. What was she supposed to say? If his mother hadn’t vanished? Died?

“You don’t have to tiptoe around the subject.” He glanced skyward. “I like to think my mother would have protected me as Saoirse did, but I’ll never really know.”

It was so difficult to imagine him as a child. To envision a young Rion with joy in his heart and fear absent from his life. If his mother had remained, Arianna might have met Rion under different circumstances. Perhaps during a meeting between their nations. He would have proudly worn the colors of his country, standing at his siblings’, no, his father’s side as a representative of Brónach.

Once they were alone, she might have snuck out onto a balcony. Arianna would have been too shy to approach, but Rion may have introduced himself, offered her a walk through the gardens. She’d have asked him about his magic and how it worked, watched his demonstration of it as one might watch an artist.

Once signs of the bond appeared, he would have courted her, taking her on late afternoon strolls and to dinners and perhaps stealing a kiss or two beneath the stars.

But that was another life. Another universe.

One she couldn’t let herself dwell on because what she had now was as close to perfect happiness as she’d ever experienced. And she’d never take it for granted.

Chapter Seven

Arianna

Days later, horns blared in the distance and Arianna shot up from the blankets, magic curling around their bodies while her heart threatened to beat out of her chest.

They sounded again, the low bellow unfamiliar and eerie. Rion sat up at her side, gripping the sheets with one hand, his magic dancing around their forms as he studied her reaction.

This wasn’t Brónach. He wouldn’t know what one alarm meant over another, but one look at her pensive gaze had him pulling his clothes on.

“What is that?” he asked.

Arianna swung her legs off the bed and shoved yesterday’s shirt over her head before reaching for her pants. “I’m not sure.”

She opened the front door and the horns sounded again, still distant yet clear. She craned her neck. They were at the northern gate. Good, better than the western side considering the gates and bridge were still in ruins. She clenched her fists, hating that Levea was vulnerable at all. They had temporary measures in place, of course, and the bulk of their military forces were finally home, too. But still—

When the pair emerged from the spiraling wall of ice surrounding the summer house, Arianna looked at Eoghan with a hopeful expression, but he only shook his head, confusion covering his face as well. No Talon or Ellie.

Rion didn’t bother growling at the male, not where there was another potential threat to eliminate.

“Is it another attack?” Eoghan asked. Arianna couldn’t imagine an enemy announcing themselves, but then again, it would incite fear and cause many to scramble.

“It’s not Fiadh,” Rion stated, his gaze locked on the path to the stairs as if someone could emerge any second.

Arianna scented the air. No smoke. That was a plus, but could Levea stand another invasion so soon? Were they about to fight for their lives again after they’d barely survived the last encounter? There were still so many that roamed the estate halls in their black mourning clothes. Would they get no time to honor their dead?

Arianna darted toward the main path with Rion and Eoghan on her heels. The servants were gone, but she could see the sentinels up ahead, their hands on their weapons. Dread swept through her anew, but a male’s voice called before she could reach them.

“Arianna.”

Relief and fear flooded through her at his voice. She hadn’t seen Talon since his fight with Rion. She gripped Rion’s hand tight, but her mate didn’t growl or snarl or so much as bare his fangs. Right, another threat; maybe if they were always in danger Talon and Rion could tolerate one another.

“What’s going on?” She took in his fighting stance and pensive gaze, but there was also uncertainty there that had her wishing for more weapons.

Talon blew out a sigh and stared out over the horizon refusing to meet her gaze. “Avalon just told me an escort from the royal city is here.”

“What?”

“The officials in Ruadhán have been requesting your presence.”

She bristled, already knowing the answer to her next question. “And?”

“And since they didn’t get the answer they wanted, they’ve come to get you.”

***