Page 42

I anxiously clasped my hands in my lap to stop myself from fidgeting or picking at my skin as I sat around the war table in the giant tent.

The entire force of the South that had been stationed in Cairnyl, plus anybody who could get here in time from some of the smaller cities, had set up camp in this forest—Wittuck Woods.

That was as close as we could get to the border without losing too much coverage from the trees, since Quinn and Byn wanted to make sure we couldn’t be spotted easily from the sky.

Unfortunately, that meant instead of the battle happening at the border between territories, it’d happen just half a day’s trek from Cairnyl, much farther into the heart of our territory than any of us had wanted.

Quinn claimed the element of surprise was too important to lose, though, especially if my father was bringing the entire might of the North.

Fortunately, this meant the Northern fae would have had to fly farther, hopefully tiring them out to a degree before they arrived.

It also meant the battle would happen closer to the morning, rather than the middle of the night, as we thought it would be when originally planning to fight at the border.

We’d only have to stall them a few hours before the sun would come up, the strength of our sun stones rising with it.

Byn gently slid his hand over mine, likely sensing the anxiety welling in my chest, threatening to spill over.

“I believe that covers just about everything. Quinn, share all of this with your army captains, and make sure every single one of our soldiers are educated on the North’s fighting style and army layouts.

Chess, same goes for you—make sure the trokavs know what wounds they’ll likely be facing, so they can be prepared,” Byn said, squeezing my hand then releasing as he got to his feet.

The others around the table—Teagan, Chess, Quinn, myself, and Laurence—all followed suit.

We’d been sitting in this tent for hours, ever since we arrived at the campsite, around this giant table that held a map of our entire continent and its islands.

Laurence, though not an official member of the Valwain yet, had been a huge help in breaking down the North’s armies and how they were organized.

How they often used their weather wielders at the start of the larger battles to make it rain, sleet, and snow, so the rest of the wielders had unlimited ammunition to add to what they themselves could conjure.

How they were some of the most protected of the army because of that, and how the air wielders were often on the front lines—deemed the most expendable yet also deadly.

On top of Laurence’s insight on their armies, I was able to give the group a glimpse into their fighting style, with Quinn’s captains being brought in at that point to study and pass on the information.

Dimitri was taught by only the best of the North, and he taught me everything I knew.

I used bows, rapiers, swords, daggers, and more, showing everybody what, exactly, I was taught.

My body glided through the familiar motions, though my cheeks heated as all eyes settled on me, studying and analyzing, breaking down every movement.

After my demonstrations were finished and the Southern captains were dismissed, the Valwain finalized our army’s movements and positions on the sprawling map atop the war table.

Weariness began creeping into my bones from the journey here and the hours spent preparing, but I knew there would be no time to rest, at least not anytime soon. There was still much to do.

Chess asked Byn a question I didn’t hear as we all started to head for the tent’s entrance, but spotting Laurence at the back of the group, I laid a hand on his shoulder, pausing him.

He turned to face me as I said, “Can I have a moment?”

He nodded, his eyebrows rising slightly—the only sign of his interest being piqued—and motioned for me to lead the way.

I stepped out of the large tent and turned right, heading around the side of the structure.

My gaze snagged on Byn as I walked—like it always seemed to do these days—his head turned down talking quietly to Chess when our eyes met.

He gave me a small, encouraging smile and a slight dip of his head before giving his attention to the trokav before him once again.

My anxiety eased ever so slightly at the gesture, and I listened to Laurence’s soft steps on the grass behind me as I walked.

Just a few paces behind me had become his normal place the past few weeks, if not next to me, having taken on the role of my personal guard.

It’d become a comfort I’d learned to appreciate.

My eyes adjusted to the dark quickly—a child of the sky, as well as of the night—as we strayed farther from the torches placed outside of the war tent’s entrance, until a soft chirp rang through the air.

Laurence and I came to a stop before Eden and a servant named Cole, who’d been helping to take care of Eden since she arrived. Surprisingly enough, Cole even claimed that Atlas, Lychen, and Gaia had taken a liking to the griffin.

I gently took Eden’s reins from Cole, dismissing him with a murmur of gratitude, and shifted to face Laurence.

I forced myself to stand a little straighter as I said to my guard and friend, “I want you to ride her during the battle.”

Laurence, who had been admiring the griffin just a moment before, looked visibly stunned at my request, eyes snapping to meet mine.

“Majesty, I couldn’t possibly. She’s bonded to you, she’s your mount,” he said, beginning to shake his head.

I smiled slightly at his humility, but I didn’t plan to take no for an answer.

“She is mine, and as such, I deem who is worthy enough to ride her. She may not be specifically trained for war, but she’s agile, a fast flier, and tunes in very well to her rider’s emotions and movements.

She’ll be a great asset to your fighting style tomorrow.

” Laurence parted his lips to argue, but I held up a hand and continued on.

“You’ve never fought while grounded. I’d rather have you in the skies than on the ground where you’re more vulnerable.

You can take Eden with you tonight and get acquainted with her.

Plus, this way you can watch my back up there,” I said with a lazy grin.

Laurence swallowed thickly, emotion clouding his features.

“I never thought I’d see the day where I got to fly again,” he said softly, his gaze on Eden. “Not in this life, at least.”

His eyes met mine, tears threatening to spill over onto his cheeks as he said, “Thank you, my queen.”

Before tears could spring up into my own eyes, I dropped Eden’s reins and pulled the older gentlemale into a firm embrace.

As we pulled apart, neither of us bothered to mention the small spot on my shoulder where his tears landed.

A moment after introducing Laurence to Eden, she let out a sharp chirp and head-butted the guard’s shoulder, nearly knocking him over with the force of it. I barked out a laugh, and the tightness in my stomach eased. The two of them would get along just fine after all.

After reassuring Laurence once again that I was sure of this arrangement, I hugged Eden and said my farewells. With a few parting words, Laurence led Eden off into the night.

I waved until I couldn’t see the duo anymore, then loosened a breath. A small part of me felt guilty, asking Laurence to fight once again, but I knew he wouldn’t have it any other way. The male had said so himself.

I smelled Byn before he made contact—rain and magnolia blossoms—and smiled to myself a heartbeat before his arms twined around my waist.

I leaned against Byn’s firm chest behind me, still shocked that this was my reality. That I had come to trust him, somehow. Was even willing to go to war against my own people for his.

I was not the same female I was just a few months ago.

“I’m guessing that went as well as I told you it would?” Byn spoke quietly near my ear, intentionally getting close enough that when he spoke, his lips brushed my skin.

I had to suppress the shiver that ran along my skin at the contact.

I focused on my breathing as I nodded, then turned around in his arms to face him and laced my arms around his neck.

“It was… more emotional than I had expected,” I responded, our eyes meeting.

“Given what he’s been through, I’m not entirely surprised. He’s a good male.”

“So are you, you know,” I added.

Byn smiled softly, but didn’t respond. Instead, he dipped his head and softly pressed his lips to mine.

And it felt like coming home.

This kiss was gentle, tender, loving. Our feelings melted together in my chest until all I could feel was warmth as our lips danced together, perfectly in sync. My arms wrapped around his neck on instinct, pulling him closer to me.

Hidden by the dark of night, I lightly gasped as his lips left mine and found that sensitive spot below my ear.

“Ready to head to our tent for the night, my love?” Byn asked in between the trail of soft kisses that ran down my neck.

Intertwining my fingers in his hair, I fought all of the desires floating through my body in the moment as I responded, “I’m afraid I can’t. I still have things to do before the North arrives.”

It was with those words alone that I noticed the sudden weight on my chest—and that it wasn’t originating with me.

Byn pulled back to look into my eyes as he slowly reached out to stroke the inside of my wing. He moved calmly enough that if I wanted to, I could move out of the way.

I chose not to.

“Are you sure I couldn’t tempt you, wife?” he murmured, his voice carrying a teasing note to it.

I gritted my teeth together to hold back any embarrassing noises trying to surface as his fingers made contact. “You’re going to be the death of me, Thorntier,” I said through my teeth as the power in my body surged in response to him.