Page 80 of Boundless

Until two sorcerers brought her a bottle of water to drink, then helped her to her feet.

She was on the skinny side, her dress black, her silver hair tied behind her head in a braid that reached her elbows. Pale skin, and her eyes could have been silver. She was looking from me to Maera every few seconds.

“It’s okay,” I whispered to Rune. “It’s okay. We’re okay.” Nobody looked like they were planning to attack. We were safe, at least for now. We were safe.

“We do not trust the Midnights,” said a sorceress—the same woman who’d towered over me earlier.

“He’s a king, not a common fae,” Maera said before I could, and she was looking at the woman, too, and so were the wolves. The other two must have shifted as well when I wasn’t looking because four of them were around her now, heads low and ears sharp, yellow eyes focused. Their teeth were showing, and fuck, they were even more terrifying than I remembered.

“We do not care for royals who’ve spilled sorcerer blood,” the woman standing next to the first said.

I stepped forward, and Rune took his arm off me. “He hasn’t spilled sorcerer blood. He’s herefor me.We had an agreement, didn’t we?”

My magic was at the ready, my hands burning with the cold that wanted out. There were so many of them—too many, and the sorcerers were not afraid. They hadn’t even hesitated to attacktwofae kings, and I knew there was a reason for that. They were strong, even though Rune and Maera and the wolves were here. Chances were that we wouldn’t make it.

But…

“That’s enough,” said a sorceress—thesorceress, the one who’d choked on my magic before it had disappeared rightinsideher. “The fae royals will be safe in Mysthaven—and in all of Verenthia—while they search. That is the will of the stars.”

Whispers erupted among the crowd of sorcerers. Maera started to back away from them and come toward me, and the wolves waited for her to jump over the crack on the ground before they did the same.

Rune was right behind me, and his hand closed around the side of my waist, making my heart skip a beat.

“They’ve spoken to you, Neria,” said one sorceress or another.

The woman said, “They have. I’ve been chosen as the Seer of the Frozen Court from this day and until my dying breath.” Every inch of my skin rose in goose bumps, especially when she bowed her head to us. “Until then, I am at your service, Your Majesty.”

She’s not talking tome, I told myself. Not tomespecifically—no way.

Because people didn’t justbecome seers,did they?

How the fuck would the stars even choosea seer in a scenario such as this, just like that?!

“Have you made your first reading?” Rune asked, his voice loud. Clear.

“She has,” Maera said. “We were all witness.”

And she was looking at the sorcererwithoutfear or even suspicion—just wonder.Respect.

“Maera, how…” I shook my head, stepped forward. “How does that work? How could you simply be chosen to become a seer—how…”

Words escaped me.Thoughtsescaped me.

“The stars decide whom to give the sight to,” the woman said. “It is they who choose, not us.”

“What was it?” Rune stepped to my side, eyes on her. “What was your first reading?”

The sorceress didn’t hesitate. “Where the moon’s eye watches and the bridge stands alone, the lost crown awaits in the court with no throne—that is what the stars have showed me,” she said. “And I’m afraid your time is running out. You must be on your way at once.”

I shook my head again and again, looked at her and Rune and Maera, all the sorcerers who had stepped farther back. They were just curious about the woman now.They didn’t seem the least bit interested in attacking anyone, king or no king.

Meanwhile, I was so fucking confused I didn’t recognize any of the thoughts in my head.

“The lost crown? Do you mean the Unseelie crown?” Rune asked—again, like he was already on board with this.

“I believe so,” the sorceress said with a nod.

“Where? Where is the moon’s eye and the bridge that stands alone?” Maera asked—becauseyes, she, too, believed the sorceress. This wasn’t unusual to them. It wasn’t confusing—it wasnormal.