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Great.

“We’ll prepare for a full-on attack from the Paragon,” he said. “I’ll reach out to our allies and see who will come to our aid. We won’t let them take you, Jade.”

“Rewyth really has allies?” I asked. “I guess after what happened in Trithen I didn’t think that was possible.”

Malachi smiled. “My father had many enemies, but it’s time I start cleaning up his mess. If it’s true that you are the secret to this prophecy of power, they’ll come to our aid.”

“Thank you,” I said. “For doing this. For caring.”

Malachi reached up and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “You didn’t ask for any of this, Jade,” he stated. “To be honest, I’m not even sure how you’re still standing.”

“It’s not without difficulty,” I replied. Tessa’s words rang loudly in my mind.

Do you feel lucky to be alive?

CHAPTER24

Malachi

Over the next three weeks, hundreds of fae came to our aid. I was surprised at first, I’ll admit, that anyone was willing to come help us. It took days for our messengers to get back to me, and by then I was almost certain that everyone would decline our call for help.

But one by one, armies began showing up.

We filled every possible room in the castle, and the overflow of men camped out in the nearby fields.

We were a force to be reckoned with.

I stood on the tallest balcony of our castle, taking in the view of hundreds of allies when the door opened behind me.

I spun around, half-hoping it would be Jade.

Eli.

Eli had certainly kept his distance from me since Fynn’s death. I didn’t mind it. It only meant that I could keep pushing away these tough conversations.

“Brother,” I greeted.

He came to stand next to me, looking out onto our kingdom. “You’ve had quite the turnout,” he stated.

“I can’t say I’m not surprised.”

“New king. New rule. New hope,” he said. Something in the way he saidhopemade me tense.

Did Eli still have hope? After Fynn’s death, did he believe in a better world for us?

“How have you been, brother?” I asked.

Eli only shook his head. “I’m surviving. Trying to find the reason for all of this.”

My heart twisted. “It will get better, Eli,” I said. “I promise you it gets easier.”

“How long did it take for you?” he asked. The words shocked me, but I knew he was coming from a place of genuine curiosity. “How long did it take for you to be okay after your previous wives died?”

I tried not to look shocked. It wasn’t every day that my past wives were mentioned. Before Jade, I wasn’t sure a single day would go by that I didn’t think of them.

Now, though, they were only distant memories.

It’s both relieving and heart-wrenching, that time can wipe away memories and emotions piece by piece.