Page 101 of Whispers of the Water

Nodding, I said, “Of course.”

His glossy eyes met mine. Grinning, he bounced over to us.

“We will join you, too!”

Greshim raced forward from wherever he was behind us. I hadn’t even noticed that he was there, and when I glanced over my shoulder, I realized everyone was out on the lawn. Rune’s grandparents and family stood close by, inching their way closer to Myra, who now watched us with an amused smirk. Even Aidan and Yasmine stared from the sidelines, but instead of looking amused, they seemed utterly baffled.

Newt followed behind Greshim until they stood in front of me. Newt beamed up at me, pushing his glasses back into place from where they had slipped down his nose.

Looking back at Dallas, I said, “We can do this. We can stop the fighting. I know it won’t be easy. We all know that, but we’re still willing to try if it means helping all Fae. I’m sure there are more out there who want this war to be over.”

Dallas held my gaze, and I waited. While she had accepted Rune and my friends for the most part—clearly not fully judging by this exchange—asking her to accept peace with Land Fae would be a lot. But I knew she could do it. This was the girl who wrote letters to law enforcement agencies, encouraging them to look further into missing persons’ cases. This was the girl who gave her last dollars to strangers on the street.

She would do the right thing.

Finally, she kneeled, going down on one knee in front of me. “As you command, Princess. I will follow you on your journey toward peace.”

The group of Water Fae behind her exchanged hesitant looks before following suit. Dax was slower to kneel, but he, too, bowed his head. In unison, they shouted, “As you command, Your Highness!”

A scoff sounded from near me. Turning, I found Rune’s grandmother, Lilith. Her narrowed eyes bore into me, and I realized the only reason she and the other Fox Fae weren’t charging us right now was because Myra had her arms held out, keeping everyone back. Which only unnerved me, because why would she do that?

“You think you can bring peace?” Lilith asked. “You think people will actually listen to you? You’re wasting your time. Land Fae will never agree.”

I swallowed hard. The truth of her words felt heavy on my shoulders, but I couldn’t let her see that. I had to stay strong and believe in my new mission.

Myra held up a hand to silence her mother. She tilted her head higher as she regarded me coldly. “How diverting. It will truly be a delight to watch you lead the downfall of your people. As much as I want to split your stomach down the middle and see your innards stain my lawn, I won’t. I’m a predator, and what do predators do best? We wait. We wait until it’s the right time to strike, and while I could easily steal your next breath, I will wait. Let us see the end of those vile creatures under your leadership. You and I aren’t finished. We’ll meet again, I’m sure. Only it will be at your grave, your blood dripping from my lips, and your life snuffed out by my hands.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

MYRA WALKED AWAY. Walked away! It was a huge gut punch for so many reasons. For one, she was willing to walk away from the very people she loathed, because she truly believed I’d destroy them anyway. The rest of her party obviously agreed with her, because not one Fox Fae advanced on me or any of the Water Fae present.

I hoped they were wrong.

Even more disheartening were her parting words. They felt final, heavy, and dire—not a mere threat, but a promise. She wanted to draw out my death and make it as brutal and messy as possible. The knowledge made my breath get stuck in my lungs and my body to grow rigid with chills.

Everyone had a grim reaper, and I’d just stared into the eyes of mine.

Rune’s family trailed after Myra, throwing furious glares in our direction. Aidan and Yasmine were slow to follow, and I noticed their expressions were far less clear than the rest. The last to leave was Alvaro. The man surveyed his sons standing proudly next to me before he shared an indiscernible look with Rune and walked away. Rune, Dallas, and everyone else watched in stunned silence, and I wasn’t sure if it was because they were all shocked that the Fox Fae were actually leaving or if it was because of Myra’s threat.

I was struck silent from both.

The anger being cast toward us by the retreating party made a new worry settle in my gut. As if I didn’t have enough already.

How could the twins face their mother after choosing us over her?

“Bria.”

I stiffened at the sound of Dallas’s voice. I turned in her direction to find her eyes pleading with me.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Her gaze flicked to Rune for a brief moment before finding me again. “Are you sure you want to go down this path?”

“I’m sure,” I said without hesitation. “To me, this is the only path. Fae need a fresh start and a chance to reconcile. There needs to be peace for everyone’s sake.”

She took a deep breath. “It won’t be easy. You’ll have a lot of people against you.” She paused. “But I’ll be here with you. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“So will we,” Akira said with pride lighting up his black Raven eyes.

“Reconciliation is long overdue,” Avana said. “It will finally put an end to an era of violence, grief, and hatred, and replace it with one of regrowth, healing, and unity.”

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