Page 45 of The Crown of the Last Fae Queen (The Heartless and the Wicked #4)

“You were beautiful out there, you know.”

Taken aback, she shook her head. “What are you talking about?”

“Your fight,” he said like it was the simplest thing in the world.

“I was waiting to see you wipe the floor with that giant fae, but even when you were losing, you appeared … graceful. You’ve gotten better at everything, Kolfinna.

I think it’s your confidence that’s making you glow so much; you’ve changed from the first time we met. ”

Heat spread up her throat to the tips of her ears. She couldn’t meet his gaze, even as a giddy excitement rushed up her spine. “We really should focus on getting out of here, Blár.”

“You don’t believe me?” She didn’t need to look at him to know he was scowling; she could practically hear it in his voice. “You are beautiful, you know.”

“Blár, we don’t have?—”

“Time?” He grabbed her shoulders and spun her until she was facing him.

He peered down at her; his arctic eyes appeared a deeper, darker shade of ice-blue in this lighting.

“Don’t brush this under the rug like you’re so accustomed to doing.

I want you to know that I think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world, Kolfinna.

And I want you to believe it, too. Because in my eyes, there is no one else who shines brighter than you. ”

Her face warmed again and she couldn’t rip her gaze away, not when he was staring at her so intently.

She didn’t think she was as beautiful as he was making her out to be, but when he spoke like that, with so much authority, so much assurance, she wanted to believe it too.

The backs of her eyes burned and she opened her mouth to deflect the compliment once more, but Blár seemed to anticipate it, because he leaned closer and pressed his lips against hers.

The kiss was unexpected. Gentle. And she wanted to push him away and tell him that now wasn’t the right time for this, that they were in the middle of a strange dimension, and they needed to escape—but she could already hear his dismissal.

And for once, she wanted to let go of all the baggage weighing her down.

All the stress to escape everything. To win. To gain freedom.

Kolfinna’s eyes fluttered shut and she kissed him back softly. For a moment, she could forget everything. And she did. She wound her arms around his neck and breathed in his scent. His hard, muscular body felt right against her soft one.

When they pulled back, there was a feral gleam in his eyes. “One day, you’ll believe it when I tell you you’re beautiful, and you’ll shine even brighter than you already do.”

“You’re talking nonsense,” she whispered, despite the fact that his words warmed her down to her toes.

“I think you’re the one talking nonsense.”

She opened her mouth to refute him, but the sound of chattering grew once more, and they both were reminded that they had a purpose here.

Kolfinna sighed, her fingers skimming over his cheek.

She wanted to remain like this, in his arms, with his whispering, sweet words.

But reality was too harsh, and she knew this moment couldn’t last any longer.

Kolfinna motioned toward the gilt double doors a few feet away from them. “The noise is coming from there.”

Neither of them wanted to release the other, but eventually, Blár stepped away, and she almost grabbed his hand again to pull him back to her, but she held herself together.

This truly wasn’t the time for romantic dramatics, she told herself.

Sure, they were finally alone, but they didn’t even know where they were, or why, and that was the most pressing issue. Or at least, it should have been.

Blár turned the doorknob and shoved it open.

When they entered the room, the first thing Kolfinna noticed was the cozy warmth that filled the spacious area.

Giant, plush couches were placed in front of a massive, roaring hearth that spread heat throughout the room.

Two young girls sat on the floor, playing with wooden dolls, while a man and woman huddled on the couch in each other’s arms, watching them play.

Both of the girls had long, golden hair and eyes that burned sapphire. Their cheeks were ruddy from the fire, and their grins were infectious as they spoke to one another.

“The princess can’t ride a dreki like that,” one of the girls whined, her eyebrows pulling together as she pouted. Her hair was a paler shade of gold than her sister’s.

The other girl lifted her head, a proud look in her eyes. “Sure they can. Princesses can do whatever they like.”

“But I don’t want her to,” the other girl retorted, lowering her doll. “I want her to go to her home and dress up for the ball. There, she’ll dance with the prince from?—”

“Well, I want mine to ride a dreki and defeat all the humans!” The other girl lifted her doll up in the sky as if she was soaring through it. There was an excited gleam in her bright eyes. “And then she’s going to become the greatest queen the fae have ever seen!”

“But—but—” The other girl frowned, jutting her lower lip out. “I don’t want that!”

“Your princess can stay home and look pretty,” the sister said. “But mine is going to be a warrior .”

“I don’t want that!”

“So what?” Now, the sister seemed annoyed. “You can do what you want with your doll, but mine isn’t going to play dress up all day long and do nothing. You can have that boring life. But not me.”

Blár shifted on his feet and Kolfinna could feel his gaze flicking from the two arguing girls to her.

She couldn’t meet his eyes; she could only focus on the girls.

The parents were speaking to one another so softly that she couldn’t hear them, and they didn’t seem too concerned that their daughters were arguing with one another.

Was this … Aesileif and her sister? The two girls certainly looked like Aesileif. At least, the painting of her that Kolfinna had seen.

She approached them tentatively. Blár grasped her elbow, his eyebrows furrowed. “Are you sure we should do anything?”

“I want to see her.” Her words came out strangled, and she could see the pity in his eyes. She ripped her arm away from his. She didn’t know why she was suddenly so drawn to the girls, to Aesileif. She was supposed to be an evil, evil queen. And yet … she was also her mother .

A mother she had never known.

Kolfinna drew closer to the girls. One of the girls, the frailer of the two, was now crying, while the other sister, the headstrong one, crossed her arms over her chest and peered down at her with a deep frown.

The one who was scowling was probably Aesileif, Kolfinna realized as she looked at the little girl.

She couldn’t have been more than eight years old.

Even so young, there was a proudness about her that made her fit her royal role.

Sharp, long fae ears. Dazzling sapphire eyes. Full, dusty pink lips. She was a beautiful fae princess. And it was difficult imagining that she was Kolfinna’s mother.

“Elin, stop making your sister cry,” the man on the couch said with a loud sigh. As if he was exhausted already, and didn’t want to deal with his children’s quarrels.

Kolfinna snapped her attention to him. This was her grandfather, then? His hair was black and his eyes were a deep shade of forest green. Beside him, his wife, looked similar to the young girls.

The frowning girl released a low growl. “But Aesileif is making her doll boring. I want them to have a grand adventure!”

Kolfinna gasped, turning to the girl who was crying. She was Aesileif?

She looked almost identical to the older girl, except her eyes drooped in the corners ever so slightly, giving her a perpetual doe-like expression. Her shoulders and frame were also willowy. And yet, this child would one day grow to become the wicked queen, Kolfinna realized with a start.

Blár came to Kolfinna’s side. “Are you okay?”

“I … I don’t know.” Her throat closed up. Were they inside Aesileif’s memories? Why were they seeing this right now?

Aesileif began coughing, her trembling hands covering her mouth. Her parents leaped to their feet and framed both sides of her, their hands going to her shoulders.

“Are you all right? Is it another fit?” her mother asked, tone rising.

The father shot the other sister a dark look. “I told you not to strain her, Elin. She has a more delicate constitution than you. You know that.”

Violent coughs rattled through Aesileif’s little body, while the other sister glared at them all.

“It’s not my fault she’s weak!” she shouted.

“Elin!”

“When I’m queen, I don’t want to see her face ever again.” The young girl gathered her toys and stomped out of the room despite the cries and shouts from her parents, who were too busy tending to their other daughter.

“I-I’m fine,” Aesileif said between her coughs. Blood speckled her pale lips. “I’m fine, really.”

A moment passed, and the images of the three of them slowly faded until Blár and Kolfinna were alone in the room.

She stared at the spot Aesileif had been sitting, her dolls still dotted with her blood.

Her mind had gone blank, and for whatever reason, she couldn’t stop her body from quivering.

Like she was cold down to her bones. And yet, she felt no chill. No heat. Nothing.