Page 131 of King of Storms and Feathers

“Quin was a usurper who conspired with the Sun Realm,” Van continued, “used dark magic to steal his sister’s memories, sold her to the fire fae, and locked me in a cell. Quin Omala was the traitor, not the girl who killed him to free you. Will you stand with her?”

As the sun set behind the city walls, the crowd roared and stamped the ground, the sound vibrating along the backs of my legs. Van held his hand out, and I took it and rose.

“Behold,” he said. “Zali Omala, the lost princess of Mydorian. Your future queen.”

Squeezing Van’s fingers, I forced a smile and thanked the Mydorians, promising to strive to restore our city to the thriving capital it had once been and its residents back to health and happiness. Not easy tasks, but I vowed to dedicate my life to them.

My gaze searched the crowd for Arrow, and I found him standing beside Ari, his fists clenched and body poised to surge forward at the slightest hint of trouble. Staring into his eyes, I poured my soul into his, hoping he would receive my message.

I needed him.

Now.

Arrow’s lips parted, then he moved so fast his body blurred, catching me just as my limbs folded in on themselves.

“My Leaf,” he whispered, kissing the top of my head. “Are you all right? Please… I need to know that you’re going to be all right.”

I nodded, and he squeezed me against his chest, probably bending a few bones out of shape in the process. I coughed, and his grip loosened.

“Sorry,” he rasped.

My throat burned as I breathed slowly, deeply, determined not to shed any more tears. None for Quin. And certainly none for myself.

Arrow picked me up, his gaze trailing my face, my arms, inspecting the blood, the entire horrible mess of me. “The hardest fucking thing I’ve ever done was stand by and let him hurt you.”

“Technically, you weren’t standing,” I slurred. “Not on the ground, anyway.”

“Must you always have the last word?” He laughed, then asked a question I couldn’t answer. “Where’s the closest bathroom?”

“Second floor bathhouse,” Van answered. “Head east. I’ll have clean clothes delivered there shortly.”

Holding me close, Arrow shot into the fiery pink sky, through an open palace window. Then he ran, opening door after door until he found the bathhouse and the largest tub within it. He lit torches with lightning magic, then cradled me gently on his lap as the bath filled with water. His wings wrapped around my shaking, blood-splattered body.

After a while, Ari entered, clean clothes and healing supplies in her arms. “You scared me out there, Leaf. When your cloak wouldn’t hold, I thought you were finished.”

“Me too,” I said. “But fortunately, I’m too stubborn to die.”

She chuckled, threading a needle. “Indeed you are.”

Arrow took it from her. “Let me do it,” he said, his voice a low command.

She bowed and left without another word.

While Arrow undressed me, he asked about my memories, what made them return and how much of my life in Mydorian I remembered. As I told him, I stroked the silky edge of a purple-black feather.

“Since you’ve been in Mydorian, your wings are on display. You normally keep them hidden. What’s going on?” I asked, a tremble of suppressed laughter in my voice.

A sound, closer to a growl than a chuckle, rumbled in his chest. “Let’s just say I’m feeling very protective of you. It’s taking everything I’ve got to stop myself from sweeping you up, shooting through the glass ceiling, and getting you as far away from this place as possible.”

“I can’t leave,” I whispered.

He heaved a long sigh, then cleaned my cuts and stitched the deepest ones with great care. I ground my teeth together and blinked repeatedly.

“It’s all right to cry, Leaf. You’ve been through a lot, too damn much. Crying isn’t a weakness.”

“Did you cry when you lost your family?”

He bowed his head and kept working on my cuts.

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