Page 57

Evelina

Lyria held Evelina as she cried. They were lying in Evelina’s room, though the bed seemed foreign to her. She missed her rickety cot in the healer’s cabin. She missed seeing the Riders pouring in and out of their cabin at all times of the day and night, when Ranick and Elias would take off on a patrol together, or Keir would sit with her by the fire.

Her chest ached so badly she didn’t know if it had stopped beating altogether. She should’ve done more during the battle, should’ve found a way to keep Keir safe—should’ve found a way to push harder to stop Moros before he could kill Ranick and Elias.

She couldn’t stop the sobs that poured from her. It wasn’t just them she was grieving; it was her mother and brother too. She couldn’t even remember the last conversation she had with Ren, the last time she hugged him or told him she loved him.

A soft knock rapped against the door, nearly drowned by Evelina’s heaving cries. Her eyes were swollen shut, her throat raw. The light patter of steps moved closer to her and Lyria.

The weight of the bed dipped as someone came to lie down with them .

“I’m sorry, Evie,” Carwyn’s gentle voice soothed. “You’re not alone.”

An arm draped over her waist and squeezed her, sandwiching Evelina as Lyria snuggled in close from the other side. Evelina didn’t know what she would do without her sisters; they were her lifeline in this.

“Mother is with Father now,” Carwyn added softly. “The light of Caelum is upon them.”

Lyria hummed her agreement and sniffled. “We still have each other.”

Carwyn nodded, her face somber. But there was something in her eyes, a hesitation. “Evie,” she whispered. “Are you up to discussing a few things?”

Lyria frowned. “Carwyn, we should probably wait?—”

Evelina shook her head and pushed up, resting her back against her headboard. She sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve. “Whatever it is, I want to know.”

Carwyn and Lyria both sat up, settling themselves beside her. Carwyn blew out a long breath, and Evelina noticed the deep circles that had formed beneath her eyes. With the news of her mother dying, Evelina hadn’t had time to consider what this meant for the realm—for Carwyn.

“You’re preparing to take the crown,” Evelina said. Her voice was raspy, broken. “I’m sorry. You need us to be here for you?—”

Carwyn waved her hand. “Nonsense. We all are here for each other.” She looked down at her hands. “But yes, preparations have already begun for the crown to be transferred. Though it happens by the will of the Divine, it should be any day now. I’ll be ruling in the interim until it officially passes and the coronation can be held.”

Evelina nodded her head. The realm needed a strong leader right now; they needed Carwyn.

“That’s not all,” Carwyn continued. “In the wake of so much shaking the foundation of the empire, the people need stability. They don’t just need a queen; they need a king. ”

Lyria and Evelina exchanged a glance. Her sister’s eyes were wide, just as shocked as Evelina.

“And they’ll be getting one at the lux,” Carwyn said finally.

Evelina’s mouth popped open.

“Who?” Lyria demanded.

Carwyn smiled sadly. “Senna.”

Evelina nodded slowly, absorbing the news. It wasn’t a total surprise; Senna had always been the obvious pick for Carwyn’s consort. He was more than worthy—he would be a great partner at her side—but it was another thing entirely to marry him. Manors never married their consorts. Carwyn was forsaking the tradition of bonding human and fae rulers, a tradition that had kept peace between the races for centuries.

He would be the first fae king in all of Valon’s history.

“But he’s fae,” Lyria gasped.

“He is,” Carwyn said slowly. “Which is what the people need. If there are any humans left on this side of the mountains, they’re all in hiding. We must show our strength, our unity to what remains of this empire.”

Evelina’s head spun. She knew Senna wasn’t in love with Carwyn—just as Carwyn was not in love with him. It was a political match and nothing more, a notion that made Evelina desperately sad for them.

“Manors don’t marry for love,” Carwyn added, sensing Evelina’s thoughts. “Do not pity something I will gladly do for our people.”

Lyria sniffled and Evelina reached for her hand.

They were all Manors, but it had always been Carwyn who had carried the responsibility of the name. She was the only reason Lyria was still so innocent and Evelina was able to reunite with Daimon—none of it would’ve been possible if they had been forced to carry the same responsibilities as Carwyn.

Evelina admired her sister…but also was sad for her. She was handling this in stride, caring for her sisters and her empire du ring their mother’s declining health. The empire needed stability; and that stability was Carwyn.

Evelina sat beneath the shelves in the infirmary. She inhaled deeply, smelling the herbs behind her, the scent a mixture of floral and spice. She needed a moment to breathe, to sit in a place she felt more like herself. The room was quiet, all other healers asleep for the evening or off tending to patients.

Her knees were tucked into her chest, her arms wrapped around them. She wanted to shut herself in here for a week, or flee to the garden. To lose herself with her hands in damp soil and grinding herbs.

She let out a deep, shaky breath as the door to the infirmary creaked open. She pressed herself against the shelves, wanting to be alone to grieve.

But as the male turned toward her, she relaxed.

“Senna,” she said quietly.

He jumped, placing a hand over his chest as his gaze fell to where she was sitting. “Blessed Divine, what are you doing down there?”

She raised a brow. “What are you doing in the infirmary?”

He sighed and walked over to her, dropping down to the floor beside her. “Looking for something to help me sleep,” he mumbled.

She nodded her head and pointed to shelves across the room. “Second row from the top, far left. It’s the jar with little yellow flowers and dried green wisps.”

Senna was quiet a moment, making no moves to get up. “You okay?” he finally said.

Evelina dropped her chin to her knees and whispered, “No.”

Thankfully, he didn’t press, nor did he try to say how sorry he was. This was something she always appreciated about him; that he didn’t always feel the need to fill the silence.

They sat together for a little while, a comfortable quiet resting between them. Her thoughts drifted to her mother’s smile, to memories of Ren playing pranks on her when they were children.

This was the problem with silence, though. Too soon it was filled with memories that filled her with pain to remember.

“Carwyn told me,” she said gently. “That she’s announcing your match at the lux tomorrow.”

Senna huffed a joyless laugh. “Something to look forward to, I suppose.”

“Do you really want to marry Carwyn?”

The unsaid question hung in the air. Don’t you want to marry for love?

“I think that chance has already passed me by.” His voice cracked. “I’ve already lost the one my soul was made for.”

Shock thrummed through Evelina. In all the years she had known Senna, he was always considered a strong match as Carwyn’s consort.

She twisted toward him. “I never knew you found your soulbonded.”

“We were soldiers together for a long time,” he explained. A sad smile spread across his face. He huffed a laugh and shook his head. “It was a lot harder when he became a Rider. The war took something from all of us,” he continued softly. “I would do anything to get Keir back, and if becoming the next king helps me honor our people and his memory, I will do it without hesitation.”

Keir. The Rider he was in love with.

The memory of sitting beside a fire with Keir just before the battle surfaced in Evelina’s mind. Of Keir mentioning how she sounded just like Senna. She didn’t think anything of it then—they had served together as soldiers for years, after all.

But neither one of them bore the mark of the soulbonded .

“Keir was an incredible man,” Evelina whispered. Her heart ached and she watched a tear roll down Senna’s cheek. The image of Keir’s lifeless body flashed through her mind.

“I didn’t tell him I loved him the last time we saw each other.” His voice cracked. “The last thing I said was something unimportant and useless.”

Tears welled in Evelina’s eyes. “Senna?—”

“We never know how limited our time is, nor do we know what fate has in store.” His gaze met hers, undeniable heartbreak shining in his eyes. “If you find someone you love, spend every day as if it were your last.”