Page 98 of Calling of the Crown

The skills and knowledge that Alvaro could offer, not only me but our army, were surely extraordinary. With his help, I’d no doubt become stronger and far more ready to face Elias than I would’ve been otherwise.

Slowly, I got back to my feet. “Okay. Yes. I’d love that. Th-Thank you, Alvaro.”

“You’re welcome.” He paused before dipping his head in respect. “Bria.”

My lips twitched with a smile. Bria. Finally, after all this time, he’d used my correct name. It was a small, simple gesture, but that, paired with our new agreement, put some real pep in my step for the first time in a while.

Chapter Forty-Three

EVERY DAY FOR THE NEXT couple of months was spent preparing for the upcoming battle. My days were full of strategy meetings and plans, working out, combat-training with Alvaro, and something only the Council of Doctrina knew about—getting our back-up plan ready. As we closed in on the week before the showdown, everyone seemed eager to spend it filling every second with loved ones. We’d trained as much as a nation could, and with only a week left before the big fight, it was time everyone rested and soaked up time together.

Just in case.

It was a phrase I’d been saying to myself a lot.

I’m going to visit this family today. Just in case.

I’m going to paint this scene. Just in case.

I’m going to make this Plan B for everyone. Just in case.

If my fight with Elias went sideways, I wasn’t about to let all my people follow me in death, so the Council of Doctrina and I had set a plan for everyone to fall back and escape to the human realm should I die. Dallas hated the plan. Rune was livid at the suggestion. But everyone agreed and understood that it was for just in case.

Now I sat along the back shores behind the palace with the moon and stars high in the sky. Torches had been staked into the sand, illuminating the area of the beach and ocean that my friends and I were using. Ardley, Khalani, Jayanna, Dallas, and Rance waded in the shallows of the ocean, splashing one another and laughing. Bassel, Carlos, Marlow, Alvaro, and the twins were building sand castles along the edge of the tide. Imani and Avana sat around a blanket with a solemn-looking Mingxia, and even though grief still clouded her eyes after losing Marcus, she was at least here. Akira sat in between Jesiah’s legs, and the larger man held the Raven Fae tightly in his arms. The two sat right next to Rune and me, who mirrored their position.

“I nearly forgot how beautiful the night sky is in Ambrolia,” Akira commented with a contented sigh.

Smiling, I took note of the overly large moon and black sky that seemed to move from all the twinkling stars. “It is definitely gorgeous. I don’t think you could ever see this many stars in the human realm. And I know you’d never be able to find the moon that big.”

“It has to be that big to house the Lunar Fae,” Jesiah stated matter-of-factly.

So many different kinds of Fae out there. I wonder if they’d be happy with the end of the war, too, or if they’d even notice it.

Akira pursed his lips as he continued to stare down the moon. “I bet I could fly up there.”

Jesiah chuckled. “Of course you could, my sora.”

Akira leaned forward to smile at me and reached his arm out to grab my hand. “Bria-chan! Let’s do it. Fly with me!”

I squeezed Akira’s hand and shook my head. “As much as I love you, I was scared shitless the last time I left the ground with you, and that was just a mere three stories up to my balcony at Myra’s house. There’s no way I could handle flying so high up!”

The Raven pouted, and Jesiah nodded. “Smart choice, Your Majesty.”

Akira’s gaze shot daggers Jesiah’s way. He tipped his chin up and left the dark man’s embrace. We watched as Akira got to his feet, let his wings out with a loud snap, and leapt into the air.

“You’ve done it now,” Rune laughed, shoving Jesiah in the arm. “Now he’s gonna stay up there until you admit he flies well.”

Akira soared high into the sky with an ease and grace that was stunning and mesmerizing to watch, like freedom in physical form.

Jesiah cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Okay! I take back what I said. You fly beautifully!”

Akira blazed through the sky, and with a flip midair, he nose-dived toward the sea. Just as he was about to reach the waves, he leveled out and zoomed over the tide and beach, smacking right into Jesiah’s open arms. The two fell back in a plume of sand with a groan.

Everyone laughed at the tackle and watched the couple sit up, Akira with a smug, knowing smirk, and Jesiah with a teasing grin.

It was fun. It was easy. It was everything I’d loved about our friendship.

And it was what I feared losing.

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