Page 40 of A Fate of Blood and Magic (Fated #2)

Chapter

Seventeen

TEDDY

The dungeons were full now with the traitorous humans Elias’s prisoner had named. George, Donnie, and the truth-tellers had weeded out the rest. None of them could or would tell us how humans came into possession of fire magic.

There were so many imprisoned that the castle reeked of their hatred. I’d only been down there once, and even after a week had passed, the look of detestation and disdain on their faces plagued me.

Did they truly hate fae so much they’d rallied together in the fae’s own home?

Elias, George, Donnie, and Brenton had claimed hundreds of weapons—from various knives and guns to even grenades.

Each one was fatal to fae with the iron from which they were created.

Hell, they’d be fatal to humans too, regardless of the material they’d used.

I understood survival. I could even understand their desire to use me as a bargaining tool. But this went beyond that.

This was treachery toward those who offered them safety and showed them nothing but patience and kindness. Elias had given them a home, and countless fae had given just as freely of clothes and food. Some even offered a room once their homes had been rebuilt.

I wasn’t sure what Elias was going to do with the prisoners.

While he took charge of many interrogations, he left the bulk of them to George, while he entrusted Donnie and the handpicked human patrol force to watch over the remaining humans in the cities.

In doing so, he’d been able to lift the state of emergency he’d declared, and later that evening, we were to attend our coronation.

Me, a coronation. As in, I was to become a queen. I wished Mom were alive to giggle over the ridiculousness of it all. But it was important to Elias and to his— our people. And if it meant Elias would share his burdens with me, I’d go through with it.

It didn’t stop the nerves from fluttering in my belly. Thankfully, Brenton had found a cure for that with a bottle of champagne and freshly squeezed oranges. Not that I planned on getting drunk, especially with Nalari back. She’d probably roast me if I embarrassed Elias.

“Not probably,” Nalari said. “I most definitely would.”

I snorted.

Brenton arched his brows up. “Are you talking to real or pretend voices in your head?”

I thought of grabbing the closest cushion and suffocating him with it.

However, we weren’t in my home but in the great hall of the castle.

With so many bustling around and preparing for Elias’s and my occasion, it was the only quiet place I could find.

The room was beautiful, exuding warmth and comfort despite its size.

It made me curious to know who Elias’s mom had been before she’d lost her mate .

“Is Alastor coming tonight?” Brenton asked.

I went to run a finger through my hair but thought better of it.

For two and a half hours this morning, two ladies had worked on taming my curls and making each strand glisten.

Thankfully, they hadn’t insisted on me wearing it up.

My hair had never looked better, and I wouldn’t ruin all their hard work.

“He didn’t say,” I answered. “I hope so.”

Especially since the dragons and shifters were meant to arrive soon. Alastor’s entire demeanor changed when Elias told us about the children of the mages and shifters. It was a part of his history he hadn’t known about.

Hope seemed to blossom in his chest, and I only wished for that small flicker to grow and grow.

Especially once he heard what Elias meant to offer him and his people after our coronation.

Deep satisfaction always seemed to settle inside Alastor when he taught me about the mage’s magic from the living book he’d once studied, although I hadn’t tried practicing it on my own.

There were too many foreign words I feared mispronouncing and causing an end-of-world destruction.

Alastor only laughed at me when I told him.

For some reason, these lessons made me want to go into the astral realm to speak with Eiran.

That desire to go to him had only increased since the day I’d been attacked and he’d guided and helped me from his realm.

Brenton clinked the tip of his glass with mine before he jumped toward me and took my glass away.

“You’re pregnant,” he said, his words coming out as a scold.

Dammit, I’d forgotten. I hadn’t forgotten I was pregnant or anything crazy like that, just that I wasn’t supposed to drink alcohol .

I widened my eyes in mock horror. “I am? Yet you offered me alcohol. Why would you do such a thing?” I cupped my stomach.

“I’ll take the glass.” Finley walked into the room with a sheepish, almost shy smile. She looked a lot better since I’d last seen her. Healthier despite the dark circles under her eyes. “That is, if you don’t mind?”

Not sure what Brenton would want, I waited for him to reply. He stood, pushing my shoulder with a playful shove before he gave Finley my glass.

“I’ll be back with another glass for you. Something nonalcoholic,” he told me, his eyes darting quickly toward Finley before he dropped his attention away.

“What am I going to do about my nerves?” I asked his departing back.

He shrugged. “Meditate.”

“You’re the worst,” I said.

“You mispronounced charming .”

I waited until Brenton rounded the corner before I turned to Finley, who sat at the edge of the couch beside me. “How’s Etienne doing?”

Her cheeks lifted with her smile. “Padern and Leah think he’ll be able to go home in a few weeks, but he’s not allowed to train or rush into battle for a few months. I’m sure the regressed babe is going to make me insane.”

There was affection in her words, which her eyes also reflected. She loved Etienne. Why, after years of living with her intended, had they never sealed their union? Was she hoping...for a soul-bound union instead? I’d seen the way she looked at Brenton.

“That’s good,” I said. “I’m happy to hear it. ”

She stared at the glass she held on her lap. “How’s Brenton?”

“If you want to know how he is, you should ask him.”

She had plenty of opportunities to do so since he checked on Finley several times every day, but from what I could see, he didn’t really speak to her.

While there’d been small moments when they’d seemed almost friendly before, Brenton had become distant toward her since Etienne’s return.

But it was partially distant, where he was still readily available if she needed him.

I wanted to push him to speak to me about her, but honestly, I didn’t care who he talked to; it was simply that he did. It was evident his feelings for Finley were hurting him, and that hurt was growing with every passing day.

When Brenton returned, he gave me a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. He sat at my side and put me in a headlock before he jumped away, apologizing for messing up my hair. I grunted, making him laugh.

After grabbing his glass and taking a long pull, he turned to Finley. “If you want to know how I am, ask me,” he said, repeating my words back to Finley.

Beside me, Finley straightened. “Would you tell me?”

Brenton hummed.

“This, right here.” She huffed in exasperation. “I’m tired of this.”

He took another long drink from his glass until it was empty before he pulled me to him, so I leaned against him, and he rested his chin on the top of my head.

“Why can’t you be normal and talk to me like you used to?” she asked, pushing herself from the couch to her feet.

“Like I used to?” He let out a dry laugh .

“I’m just going to—” When I moved to stand, Brenton’s hold on me tightened.

I looked back at him, and his eyes seemed to beg me to stay. Despite the awkwardness, I didn’t try to move again.

“Yeah.” She tossed the single word loud enough I was certain every fae in the castle heard her. “I don’t know what to do with your hot-cold routine. Either we’re friends again or we’re not, but I can’t deal with this back-and-forth.”

“I can’t be who I used to be because he doesn’t exist anymore.”

“Of course he does.” She stomped her foot exactly as Hee-haw did when he was angry. Actually, I’d seen Victoria do the same thing. “I see him every time you’re with your friends. With the sister magic gave you. Why can’t you do that with me?”

Brenton leaned forward, resting his elbows on his bouncing knee while he inclined his head on his palm.

He’d wanted me to stay, but I wasn’t sure how I could be there for him.

However, we were alike in our desire for touch and affection, especially when our emotions were heightened, so I pressed the side of my leg against his and felt the light pressure when he did the same.

“What do you want from me, Finley?” His voice sounded tired and angry and so damn hurt. “Do you want me to apologize for becoming what I had to become after you left me? Is that what you want? Because I won’t do it.”

Finley stood straighter, pressing a hand against her stomach. “I didn’t leave you. You left me. We had a plan, Brenton, and you left me to go to military school early.”

He looked up at her through haunted eyes, and it made my heart tremble.

“What else was I supposed to do? You chose wealth and stature over me. Forget about us being soul-bound mates, you were my friend. My very best friend, and you chose Etienne and what his family could offer over me. I get it, though.” Dejected, he shook his head.

“I knew your parents didn’t think I was good enough for you.

I just never expected you to agree with them. ”

A strangled noise fell from Finley’s gaping mouth.