Page 52 of Boundless

And I couldn’t tell you why it felt like I wasback home,but there was magic in the air and colors hanging on trees, and a part of me that wasn’t allmewas at peace here. The part of me that used to be a fae queen.

Then Maera said, “I’m afraid the Midnight King will have to wait a little longer, Nilah. The Council of the Vale has gathered this dawn. We didn’t know why—until you arrived. They opentheir doors at nightfall, and I’m certain they will want to see you first.”

I turned to Maera to find her holding her empty cup tightly between her hands, staring away into nothing, jaws locked tightly. She was visibly uncomfortable.

“Um…I don’t understand a single thing you said.” Maybe she’d forgotten that I had no clue about how most things in this realm worked, even though she thought I was from here.

“The Council of The Vale,” Maera said and slowly turned to look at me.

I shook my head. “I don’t know what that is.”

She sighed, a sad smile on her face, like she was just realizing that I wasn’t from here all over again. “It’s a gathering of elders,” she started. “The stars sometimes call upon our elders to gather through the years. It doesn’t happen often—only when there are big changes coming forth, or…big threats.”

Threats,she said, and I could have sworn she meantme.

“They are like our seers, only they are not permanent, and not a single person. The stars call upon them when they have a vision to reveal.”

Once more, I tried to imaginestarsas conscious beings, as entities that could do magic and watched over Verenthians and dictated fates.

Impossible. I couldn’t wrap my head around it at all.

“What does that have to do with me? I’m not a threat, Maera,” I said, just in case she’d forgotten.

“You’re not, but you still used the ley lines, opened a gate without permission,” she reluctantly said.

A bad feeling settled in my gut. “Because I had no other choice. I had to come back.”

Maera put her empty cup down on the table between us. “And we will tell them that.”

My God, what the hell had I gotten myself into this time?

I licked my dry lips. “Will they care?” Because the way she said it…

“I don’t know.” But she did. Theywouldn’t.

I stood up, suddenly feeling like I needed torun.Suddenly feeling like all that calm had been fake because my blood was fucking boiling, with anger and fear and magic.

“Nilah, they will not hurt you,” Maera said. “I have no authority to keep you from them because youhaveviolated our most sacred law.” She stopped in front of me, put her hands on my shoulders. She might have been smaller than most people here, petite, but her presence was massive—just like that of the Midnight King had been. TheformerMidnight King.

“But they will not hurt you on my watch. You’remine.They know it.”

Mine,she said, and there was something about being claimed by a werewolf alpha. “Maybe they don’t want to see me at all. Have they said that? Have they said my name?”

“Nobody has spoken to them. The chosen elders have locked themselves up in their chamber, and the doors will only open with nightfall. Then we’ll all know.”

“I wasbanished, Maera. I had no choice—the ley lines were more powerful than the Aetherway,” I said, as if trying to justify myself would make any difference.

“I know that. We will tell them that together. There’s no reason to be afraid. Do you understand?”

As if on cue, the sun sank deeper beyond the horizon, and the sky was much darker so suddenly.

“Will there be a punishment involved? If I have really violated your most sacred law, will I be punished?” Because I would not stand for it. If they wanted to imprison me or if they wanted to stop me from going to Rune in any way, I was going to fight back with my everything.

“Impossible to tell at this time,” she said, but even she didn’t believe herself.

Yes, there would be punishment. The question was, could Maera fight against them with me?

I didn’t dare try to dwell on the answer for too long.