Page 21

Rue

Jade’s relentless pacing isn’t helping my nerves. I get that we all handle stress differently. And if her Omega is having a meltdown as big as mine, I can see how the movement might help. But watching her stomp back and forth and hearing her footsteps echo through the empty foyer is making my chest feel like it’s about to explode.

Wandering off alone would be dumb, so I decide to go stand with the gryphon, who is by the castle doors. Keeping watch, maybe? I’m not sure. But it’s across the room from Jade, and I’m hoping the gryphon’s big body and feathers might block out some of the sights and sounds of Jade’s anxiety.

If she’s okay with me joining her, that is. I step cautiously up beside her, hoping she lets me stay if I’m quiet. She shifts her eyes from the courtyard and blinks down at me.

I smile, even though my heart is fraying one fiber at a time as I wait for news about Durin. “Hey,” I say softly. “I hope you don’t mind me being here. Omegas tend to amplify each other’s stress when we’re upset.”

The gryphon considers me for a moment. I wring my fingers, wishing I knew the right thing to say. Wishing I didn’t have to hide from the part of Jade that’s also an annoying part of me. Wishing this whole thing would just be over already.

The gryphon suddenly crouches, then launches herself into the air. I assume at first that I’m bothering her and she wants to be alone, but she grabs me with her talons and carries me straight up to the top of the tall room.

I gasp as my stomach flips over. Below, Jade stops her pacing just long enough to look curiously up at me. Brody shrugs and waves. They both disappear as the gryphon carries me over the ledge and lands in front of an open doorway.

A black gryphon with a white head stands by the entrance with his chest puffed out. He must be some type of guardian. The cave gryphon gives a little trill and bumps her head against his chest. He leans down and bites the plumage around her neck before stepping aside to let her pass. I wonder if they’re family of some kind or if this is just how gryphon hierarchy works.

With the guardian moved aside, I get a glimpse of gold through the doorway. Lots of it. The cave gryphon glides through the tall opening and looks back at me. I can either stay on this tall ledge, resisting the urge to look down, or I can take a peek into the gleaming room that’s sure distract me for a bit.

I walk past the other gryphon, bowing my head as I pass. When I step through the doorway, the warmth almost suffocates me. The ceiling is made almost entirely of glass, letting sunlight pour into the room. The light bounces off piles of gold and shiny gems, painting the walls with bright splashes of color.

Some gryphons lounge on nests of pure gold while others pick through the treasure, moving pieces around to their liking. Two juveniles chase a large, purple gem as it rolls across the floor, screeching at each other as they fight to grab it first. The smaller one snags it, and the other one crashes into him, sending them both tumbling into the treasure pile.

When we first got here, I wondered how such majestic creatures could live in this lifeless castle. It makes sense now. They love shiny things, and this room is one giant sparkle.

My smile slips away when I think of the pouch of gold Durin left in the cave before he turned me away. I’m not sad because of the pain I felt in the moment but because I know he’s out there right now risking his life, possibly losing it.

I push the tears away and turn to the gryphon to thank her for bringing me here. I find her standing at the entryway with the guardian. Two new gryphons land on the ledge and join them in the room. They chirp and trill for a moment before the cave gryphon turns my way.

She walks gracefully past me and climbs right into the gold pile, digging around with her claws. I watch her patiently, enjoying the dancing reflections her movements cause along the walls. After a few moments, she returns with something clutched in her beak and gently lays it down at my feet.

I bend down and pick up the heavy, solid gold crown, admiring the deep blue gems lining the bottom. They remind me of Vaegon’s wild hair when he was born. I laugh to myself, imagining trying to wear this giant thing. Even if I managed to keep it on my head, I doubt I’d be able to walk under its weight.

“It’s beautiful,” I tell the gryphon, holding the crown out to her. “Thank you for showing it to me. And for bringing me here. I feel much calmer now.”

She unfurls her wings and leans down to nudge my shoulder with her beak. I push the crown closer, trying to give it back, but she doesn’t take it. She nudges me again, pushing me back toward the entrance.

I think she wants me to leave. I try to lay the crown back down, but she trills at me and moves me along with her wing. With no other choice, I turn and head back out through the doorway, unsure what to do about the very shiny treasure I’m walking past the guardian with.

He doesn’t even look at me. The cave gryphon squawks something at him, then takes off, grasping me in her claws and carrying me back down to the bottom. Only she doesn’t drop me off with Jade and Brody. She soars straight toward the castle doors. I twist around in her grip and see the two gryphons swoop down from the treasury, pick them up, and follow us outside.

My eyes dart around as I try to figure out what’s happening. I grip the crown, worried I might drop it. Are we needed for something? Is Durin hurt? Or Vaegon?

I can’t see behind us, but the battle with the nobles seems to have quieted. Ahead, I can see the part of the forest where the queen was hiding. The dark patch among the trees has lost some of its shade. There are no bolts of blue or walls of fire. It’s quiet. I’m not sure whether that’s a good or bad thing.

The gryphon swoops down and weaves between trees. It’s terrifying, dangling helplessly in the air, narrowly missing branches and trunks. I want to close my eyes, but I force myself to keep them open–I need to see Durin.

My heart pounds in my chest as I catch sight of Anders and a large group of mixed fae. The gryphon comes to a gentle stop, setting me down on the ground before moving aside to give the other gryphons space.

A flash of bright blue catches my eye, and I take off through the trees. The crown is heavy, slowing me down, but I’ve gripped it so tightly for so long that my fingers are stuck curled around it. I lug it along and finally make it around the last big tree trunk.

Durin is there, alive, clasping arms with a fae I’ve not seen before.

I want my feet to keep moving, but they stop, leaving all my focus on my relief. I stare at his beautiful face while trying to convince myself what I’m seeing is real.

When I finally snap out of it, I look around at the others with him, searching for my son. The green-haired fae they were dragging around the castle is on his knees in the black dirt with his head buried in his hands. Lucas shifts back from his wolf form and joins Vaegon and the handler we saw through the fire.

They’re alive. All of them.

Durin spots me and rushes over with a wide grin on his face. He grabs me in his arms and lifts me off the ground, checking my face and wiping my cheeks before kissing me firmly on the lips. “I love you,” he whispers, his soothing voice more appreciated than ever.

I sob in his arms, letting his scent wash over me. I wish I could hug him back, but the crown is too heavy. I’m about to toss it to the ground when it hits me why the gryphon gave it to me–she was telling me Durin had won.

I look up at his beautiful face and laugh at myself. I’m an idiot. But I don’t care. I heave the heavy crown up and place it on top of his bright blue head. He gives me a puzzled look, then lifts his eyes up as if he could see the crown sitting there.

“Well, look at you… king of the fae,” I tease. “Does that make me your royal friend?”

Durin throws back his head and laughs, almost losing the crown. He straightens it with a grin and says, “I think you’re due for a promotion, don’t you?”

I hum, pretending to consider it. “Like what?”

“How about queen of my heart?” he asks, trying to keep a straight face.

I roll my eyes. “I don’t know… I have a few dryad friends who might be a bit jealous.”

He chuckles and kisses the tip of my nose. “Let them be jealous. They don’t stand a chance against a king.”

I resist the urge to grab his long ears, settling for the hair at the back of his neck instead. I pull him down and kiss him hard. It doesn’t matter who’s watching. I need this connection with my mate. I lose myself in him, deepening the kiss until my lungs scream for air.

Reluctantly, I pull away and rest my head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his still-beating heart.

I watch Vaegon, standing proudly with his family. They’re gathered with the mixed fae shifters and the handler.

“He is not claiming all of them!” Jade growls, gripping Anders’s hand and shoving her finger in the handler’s face.

The handler freezes, taken aback by the frightening little Omega. But he soon recovers, and his loud laughter makes Jade crack a smile. “Don’t worry. That won’t be necessary,” he assures her.

I jump when the seer appears beside us, but for once, my joy isn’t sucked out of my soul. I even find a smile for the stale elf, though I know it won’t be returned.

She eyes the crown resting on Durin’s head before moving toward the crater. A hush falls over the forest as we listen to what she has to say.

“Magic comes from the sun, not the soil,” she says, peering down into the shadows below. “Gifts from the dark are short-lived and come at a cost. Gifts from the light are free and boundless, outshining time itself. Let this be a lesson to us all.”

Now would be a good time to recognize the gifts I’ve already received. Fate made itself the bad guy to ensure the realm found freedom. I lost my pup, but I gained a son I can be proud of. And I can still be a part of his life if he decides to stay.

Even if he doesn’t, Faerie has changed for the better. Durin and I can enjoy those endless days in bed. But I think we’ll have a lot of fun seeing the changes in the realm now that everyone is free.