Page 97 of Calling of the Crown

My eyes widened in surprise. The one word was firm with no hint of hesitancy or uncertainty.

Rune seemed to notice my surprise, and as we climbed the steps, he explained softly, “I feel like seeing him would send me back to places I don’t want to go, especially not right now. I need to focus on you and on training the Fae who will be fighting. I can’t afford not being at my best right now.”

I nodded in understanding. Losing his dad had devastated Rune, and he’d become a jaded, angry man. It fueled his hate of Water Fae, and he’d lived blinded by that loathing for a long time. If he worried that seeing his dad could reignite some of those ugly emotions, I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to see Balgair. Maybe once this was all over, I’d still have the chance to make the offer again.

I SIPPED ON MY COFFEE and inhaled two fresh cinnamon rolls while my friends congregated in one of my personal sitting rooms. I had to debrief everyone who’d been at the beach about what happened, but since it was just my group of friends and not anything official, I’d forgone gathering in the meeting room for the more comfortable arrangement of my sitting room. The twins tried to join us, but since this had to do with Myra, Marlow offered to take them to the beach to play, which Alvaro encouraged.

With food finally in my body and all my friends here, I set my empty coffee mug aside and told them everything. What Muna said, my secret nighttime training, seeing my dad, deciding to try the same thing on Myra, and finally, the confrontation with the Fox Fae.

“It’s a miracle you survived that,” Bassel remarked after I’d finished.

“Give Bria more credit,” Akira said, nudging the Liger with his elbow. “I’ve always known she was a badass who could hold her own.”

I smiled. The Raven Fae truly had always believed in me.

“Even so,” Dallas hissed with a glare directed right at me. “That was stupid. You should’ve told us your plan so we could’ve protected you. You could’ve been killed. Why would you do something like that?”

“I did it for Rune and the boys,” I answered immediately. Looking down at my hands, I said, “I wanted the twins and Rune to have their mom back. I mean, the boys always ask about her. I—I just wanted to bring her back to them.”

The room fell quiet. The twins had become a big part of our lives, not only for me, but for everyone in here. I liked to think that we all thought of the boys as our own family, so hearing my reasoning seemed to give them all pause.

“It was still stupid of you to go alone,” Dallas grumbled, crossing her arms.

“I know,” I conceded. Guilt weighed down my shoulders as I met Dallas’s worried eyes. “I’m sorry.”

She huffed and plopped down next to me on the couch. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pulled me into her. We squeezed each other tightly as she said, “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Rune, who stood across the room with Jesiah and Ardley, watched me and Dallas as he stated, “The fact that Bria was able to sneak out past all the guards and patrols highlights that our security is lacking. I think there needs to be some training and work done in that area.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Jesiah responded. “Especially given the current state of everything. I think everyone, soldiers and patrols alike, should begin heavy training with the rest of us today. A refresher won’t hurt, and we want all at their best with the upcoming battle.”

The rest of us were in agreement with that, and with the previous night’s excursion finally out in the open—and all curiosities of my new ability addressed—we separated to get started on today’s combat work.

As everyone filed out of the room, I noticed Alvaro hanging back. Sensing that perhaps the Fox Fae had additional questions about his wife that he may want to discuss without an audience, I waited until everyone was gone so that only Alvaro and I remained.

Meeting the large man’s stare, I asked, “Is something wrong?”

Alvaro stared blankly at me with his arms casually crossed. “That was very foolish to meet my wife the way you did.”

I sighed and forced myself to refrain from rolling my eyes. “Yes, yes, I know. We’ve established that. But as I said, I—”

“Thank you.”

I stopped, mouth frozen mid-word, eyes wide. Blinking a few times to clear what had to be a delusion, I stuttered, “Wh-What?”

Alvaro’s eyes never left mine. “Thank you. You’ve always been good to my boys. The fact that you risked your life to give my sons their mother back means far more than you realize. I thank you, and to show my gratitude for all you’ve done for Newt and Greshim, I’d like to offer my services.”

I was still too stunned, hearing Alvaro offer me praise, that I couldn’t seem to formulate a response.

I didn’t have to, because he finished, “I’d like to personally train you for combat. Like Myra, I was a high-ranked military personnel. I know Elias’s fighting style, and I can help you prepare for your battle with him.”

Now the surprise knocked me off my feet. I sank down onto the couch and stared at Alvaro, dumbfounded. “You want to train me?”

He nodded. “Sí.”

My relationship with Rune’s step-father had always been borderline non-existent. We shared the same spaces at times when the twins were involved, but that was basically it. To have him, not only thank me, but offer to work together was baffling to say the least.

But it was also exciting.

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