Page 9

Chapter

Eight

W hispers, and something wet and warm lying across her forehead, woke her. She furrowed her brows, then groaned when the motion made knives slice through her head.

“Take it easy, Lia. You’ve been out for a while,” Amalise whispered.

Forcing her eyes open, Lessia stared back at her friend, at her wide blue eyes, at the angrily set jaw.

Ardow hovered behind her, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

“Who do I need to kill?” Amalise cast a glare around the room, as if whoever had done this would appear out of thin air.

Lessia followed her eyes, realizing she was back in her own bed, the moon hanging high in the cloud-filled sky mocking her through the window.

She cleared her throat. “How did I get here?”

The last thing she remembered was hard stone, and bone-chilling wind brushing her cheeks .

Amalise shifted her glare to her, hissing quietly, “Who, Lia?”

Lessia’s mouth opened and closed, but invisible fingers tightened around her throat, and she drew a wheezing breath as they restricted the air flowing into her lungs.

Ardow placed a hand on Amalise’s shoulder, jerking his head at Lessia. “You know as well as I do that she can’t tell us. But I have a pretty good idea of who did this to her.”

Amalise sliced her eyes to Ardow. “Is it her king? This has something to do with what happened at the tavern, doesn’t it?”

“I think so.” Ardow sat down on the bed, the mattress shifting with both him and Amalise on it, making Lessia cringe as the movement sent sharp pain through her joints.

“Sorry!” He piled a few pillows between them, keeping her steady until they all got comfortable. “I think your king is coming for you, or has already, perhaps, based on the state of you.”

Lessia fidgeted with the blanket they’d placed over her, her eyes darting between her friends.

Ardow nodded to himself. “Yes, he’s having you do something for him. Are you leaving?”

Grateful that she could at least offer them that, she shook her head and tried for a weak smile. “I’m running for regent.”

Her friends’ stunned silence almost had her giggle.

Gods, she’d be made a fool.

Never had a half-Fae been in a leadership position, and with her reputation…

Jerking up, ignoring the sharp pain in her head, she stared at her friends with wide eyes.

This must be why the king had been so adamant she come to Ellow, that she make a name for herself until he called upon her .

But that was five years ago, and he’d mentioned recent events as the reason he needed her in the election…

Not that she thought it was beneath him to lie—but to risk this? Risk her being exposed as a spy, risk war? Something must have been going on for a while, something he was more afraid of than the bloodbath there’d be if humans and Fae once again became enemies.

Shuddering, she fell back against the pillows.

If he was having her do this, she’d need to find out what he really was looking for. If only so she could protect the people in this house, protect the land that had become her home.

She’d follow his orders.

She had to.

But he’d not explicitly forbidden her to do other things while she did.

“Regent?” Amalise stared at her. “I don’t know why I never saw it before, but I think you’d actually be a great regent. I mean, if you weren’t blood-sworn to the evil Fae king and all.”

She couldn’t stop the giggle this time, and soon Ardow and Amalise followed. All of them were gasping for air by the time they settled down.

Shaking his head, Ardow shifted so he could lie down next to her. “Lessia, regent of Ellow.” He nudged Amalise. “You’re right, it doesn’t sound so bad. But you know the nomination is tomorrow already?”

Lessia nodded, ignoring the unease churning in her gut.

It was better it was coming up quickly.

If King Rioner was concerned enough to risk war, she needed to figure out why fast.

And she’d need to be smart about it. Everything she was told by the regent she’d have to relay to her king. And if it was something that would put Ellow at risk…

She’d have to be careful with what and how she found out.

The sooner it was over, the sooner she would also be free. Would never again have to put her friends at risk because of the actions and choices that led her here. Would never again have to look over her shoulder for Merrick, or anyone else the king might think to send.

But they weren’t there yet.

Lessia cleared her throat. “I don’t think I can move. Ardow, can you please go get the leather folder that’s in the top drawer of my desk? I need to speak to you about something.”

His brows crashed, but Ardow got up and slipped out of the room.

Amalise immediately took his place, sticking her cold feet under the blanket.

Lessia wrinkled her nose. “Get those away from me.”

“Or what, you’ll pounce on me with that bruised body of yours?

” Amalise smiled at her, moving her feet closer.

“Nothing’s broken, by the way, and even though your face was all bloodied when you were brought here, it seems they spared it for the most part.

But you’ll definitely be walking funny for a while. ”

Lessia smacked her. “Who brought me here? I was—”

Apparently she could not even tell her where they’d been, and she nearly choked as the oath thickened her throat.

Amalise smacked her back, oblivious to Lessia once again being silenced, but then propped up on an elbow to look at her. “Some soldiers found you. They were kind enough to wrap you up in a blanket, but you were still blue when Ardow carried you up here. You nearly scared me to death, Lia. ”

Cautiously shifting her arm, Lessia bit her lip not to grimace as she wrapped it around her friend’s shoulders.

“What is this?” Ardow barged into the room, the folder open and the papers in his hands as he stuck them under her nose. “What is this , Lessia?”

Lessia swallowed as she stared at the yellowed papers she’d had drawn up a few years ago. “I’m signing everything over to you two.”

“No!” Amalise flew up, joining Ardow to glower down at her. “You’re joining the election. So what? You can still come back here from time to time while it’s running, and even if you’re elected, you can still help, perhaps even more!”

“Amalise, if something happens to me, I need to know they’re okay—that you are okay. If everything goes how I hope it will, I’ll be back, and you can sign my portion back to me. Please tell me you understand?”

It broke her heart to see them stare at her like this, anger and fear dancing across their features, but finally Ardow dipped his chin.

“I don’t like it. It feels like you’re preparing for something to go wrong.” He smacked the papers down on her bedside table so hard the lantern on it shook. “And we can’t even help you, because you can’t tell us how!” His voice broke, and Lessia reached up to pull him to her.

Ardow let her drag him onto the bed, and she reached out to Amalise, who slowly lowered herself down, even as she pulled at her hair in frustration, making knots in her blonde waves.

“You are helping me,” Lessia said quietly. “You’ve been helping me for years. And I can never thank you enough for it. But I need to ask this one thing of you, even if I can’t tell you why.”

When they bowed their heads, she squeezed their hands .

It was true.

She wouldn’t have survived without them.

She’d been so broken when she arrived in Ellow.

Not just from the years in the king’s cellar, from the abuse and torture they’d put her through.

But from the heartache of what she’d done to her family, from the memories of the streets, from the friends she hadn’t had time to seek out before she was put on a ship away from Vastala.

Ardow and Amalise had sat with her during the long nights the memories wouldn’t leave her mind, had listened and cried when she told them her darkest secret, and most importantly, had immediately helped her when she told them her plan of rescuing those who suffered like she had on the streets.

She breathed through her nose as apprehension, guilt, and warmth tangled inside her.

It felt as if the emotions would burst out of her body—too many, too intense, too conflicting, hurting more than her sore limbs and pounding head.

With a shakier voice than she liked, she said, “I need to sleep. I feel like I’ve fallen down a cliff.”

Ardow and Amalise mumbled to each other as they walked out, but she couldn’t make out the words as she tried to keep herself together.

Involuntary shudders convulsed her body as she stared up into the ceiling, praying she’d find a way to make it through while keeping Ellow, and everyone in it, safe.

Sleep came late that night, and when it did, Lessia wished it hadn’t.

Memories of the cell and her family fought for dominance in her dreams, and no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t change the outcome of death and destruction that followed as she tried to right the wrongs she’d caused.