Page 21

A series of sharp knocks on the door had me stumbling over my untied shoe laces to reach it.

“One moment!” I shouted through the door, reaching down to tie up the laces of my black boots.

They matched the rest of my black, leather outfit perfectly for traveling, besides the giant slits and holes I had to make in all the clothing I had been given here in the South so that my wings could fit through the backside of the tops.

I had also made sure to braid my hair into two plaits down the sides of my head and down my back as soon as I woke up this morning so I wouldn’t have to bother with it.

The only part of my hair not perfectly tamed were the bangs that fell across my forehead.

I took a quick look at myself in the mirror and fussed over my bangs for a moment. I made sure the fitted eye patch was in place—I still wasn’t sure I wanted to display my recent change to the world—and went to open the door.

If I hadn’t been in such a rush to fling the door open, maybe I would have noticed that I had heard that specific knock before.

I stopped dead in my tracks, the slight smile I had given my reflection falling off of my face as I looked up into the green eyes of Robyn.

It had only been a week since I’d seen him last, but he already looked different.

His skin was a half shade darker, as if he’d spent the entire week outside and the sun had shone solely on him.

The time outside made his freckles pop, too—his cheeks and the bridge of his nose covered in them, like somebody had splattered a spray of paint on him.

His eyes, though, I recognized, and feared I always would.

I knew I’d be able to pick his eyes out of a crowd anytime, the perfect shade of forest green.

They matched his deep green, cotton shirt perfectly, complimenting his brown, leather pants.

I imagined I should be upset with him for leaving and not telling me anything about it, but I couldn’t think past the relief of seeing him in one piece in front of me.

It wasn’t until I heard my name being said, for what I assumed wasn’t the first time, that I snapped back to the present moment.

“Pardon?” I asked, not having been listening in the slightest.

A knowing smirk overtook his plump lips as he said, “I was just saying I came to fetch you. Everybody else is outside, getting ready to depart. Where is your bag?”

I opened the door further, the smell of freshly carved wood coming off of it still strong from being replaced, and allowed him to step inside. I rounded the side of the bed and went to reach for my bag, but Robyn beat me to it, grabbing it and slinging it over his shoulder in one smooth motion.

It took everything in me not to stare at his toned muscles moving beneath the skin of his arms.

It wasn’t until he turned his back on me to walk out of the door that I realized the bag I had packed with my few belongings matched his, which was hanging from his other hand, perfectly.

“Ezra gave me that bag yesterday. It wasn’t a spare though, was it? It’s yours?” I asked as I ceased walking before I exited the room.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder and simply nodded, still wearing that stupidly handsome smirk of his. Then he walked out of the room, forcing me to follow after him.

Fae males.

It took a few paces, but I caught up with him. If I hadn’t known better, I could’ve sworn he was taking smaller strides than normal just for me.

Not having anything to carry or put my focus into, I held my hands together in front of me and began picking at my cuticles without thinking much about it.

Truthfully, I was nervous about this trip.

We were venturing even farther into the South, farther than most Northerners had ever gone, yet here I was.

I also didn’t know the Valwain all that well yet, and I didn’t know what to make of them.

I knew I wanted to learn to trust Robyn and the rest of them, but how do you start letting people in when your whole life you had a wall built around your heart?

Seeming to sense my worry—probably literally—Robyn shifted the bags to one hand and reached across the space between us, gently brushing his knuckles across my hands, causing me to drop them back down to my sides. The moment our skin touched, I could feel the zirilium pumping in my veins sing.

“About my Valwain, you have nothing to fear. Each member is a good fae, sworn to protect and serve the citizens of the South—which includes you now. Some might be a little rough around the edges, but I assure you, we all only want the best for our people,” he spoke quietly, “especially you.”

The last part he said so softly, I thought I’d misheard him.

I took a deep breath and nodded, loosening the breath again a moment later, willing my racing heartbeat to calm down. “ Thanks ,” I murmured in Nolvym, too anxious to be outright in my appreciation.

I caught his surprised look out of the corner of my eye, but thought nothing of it when he failed to carry on the conversation.

After a few more minutes of walking through the mostly empty castle—I imagined not many were awake this early in the morning, for it was just shortly after dawn—we stepped outside into one of the side gardens. Just beyond it was the rest of the Valwain, three horses, and some unexpected visitors.

Even from where I paused on the castle steps, I could clearly see the giant wolves huddled with the rest of the Valwain.

From the looks of it, they were the same two from when I was brought to the South—one almost entirely pitch black with brown eyes, and the other gray and white with green eyes.

The gray and white one was crouched down, flat on its belly, allowing Teagan to strap a large leather saddle to the creature, along with some of the group’s luggage.

Robyn, who hadn’t noticed I’d ceased walking until he got down the handful of steps, followed my gaze to the pair of wolves.

“Sometimes I forget having Titan Wolves isn’t an ordinary thing for most fae,” he mumbled, then motioned for me to continue following him.

Once I reached his side, I looked up to meet his eyes and parroted him, “Titan Wolves?” I’d never heard about them in any of the books I had read on the South.

He nodded. “A dying breed of especially large wolves. They can run faster and jump higher than any other mammal on the continent. What’s left of them are only ever bonded to Southern royalty.”

He pointed to the wolf that was being loaded up with luggage, then said, “That’s Lychen, Teagan’s wolf.

She bonded with him when she was eleven.

” He pointed to the black wolf next. “And that, is Atlas. He’s one of my best friends.

I bonded with him when I was thirteen, and we’ve been together ever since. ”

Slowly, we started walking toward the group again. I was so lost in thought and anxiety ridden I barely noticed the beautiful garden we were floating through—full of all kinds of varieties of Southern wildflowers, each sector a different color.

“You said you and Teagan were bonded to them. What’s that mean, exactly?” I asked him as we drew closer to the group.

“It means our lives are intertwined. Atlas and I know each other well from years of being together, but because we’re bonded, he’s also able to pick up on my moods—kind of like how you and I are able to feel each other’s emotions—and therefore he can predict my actions better during battle.

Also, he shared his markings with me once he decided I was the one he wanted to bond with.

I didn’t just pick him, he had to pick me, too.

” Robyn stretched his marked right arm out and motioned to it.

“These markings are the same as the ones Atlas has. Watch this,” he said, a small mischievous smile playing on his mouth.

He whistled a double, high pitched note and Atlas’ head immediately snapped in our direction. He came bounding over after catching sight of Robyn.

As the large creature walked over, I noticed he had the same swirling pattern on his head that Robyn had on his arm in a deep brown color, almost blending in to the black surrounding it.

Starting right between his eyes, it traveled up between his ears and down his spine.

Though, I noticed, Atlas’ marking was longer than Robyn’s was.

Likely sensing my curiosity and following my gaze, Robyn said, “The stronger the bond grows between a rider and their Titan Wolf, the more of the wolf’s markings they’ll gain.

That’s why Teagan’s markings covers more of her arm than mine does, because her and Lychen have been bonded for years longer than Atlas and me. ”

I had to suppress a sigh as I thought of Eden. I hadn’t had much time to think about her recently, and the ache of being separated hit me all at once as I gazed at Atlas.

“Interesting,” I murmured, then took a step back, slightly behind Robyn as Atlas drew close. Only then did I realize exactly how huge the Titan Wolves were.

Atlas stood at least twice my height, forcing him to crouch down in order to meet Robyn face to face. I seemed to only be as tall as one of his legs.

When Atlas was finally face to face with Robyn, he let out a huff of hot air, blowing Robyn’s hair out of his face.

I noticed his tail had begun swishing back and forth, too.

It was clear that Atlas was extremely fond of Robyn, allowing him to reach up and scratch under his jaw, and Atlas simply leaned into Robyn’s hand.

If he were a cat, I was sure he would’ve begun purring.

“Atlas, there’s somebody I want you to meet. I told you about her, remember?” Robyn said, then stepped aside so I was no longer cowering behind him. “Atlas, meet Aviva. Aviva, Atlas.”

Atlas’s ears perked up as he looked at me, his tail gone still.

Suddenly I felt lightheaded with nervousness.

“It’s alright,” Robyn cooed. “Here, give me your hand.”

When I hesitated, he added, “Just trust me, Avi.”