Page 130 of The Forbidden Fae King

It is the final nail in the coffin, and Aldrin recoils as though he has been slapped.

A series of emotions rolls across his features, but they settle on utter defeat, as the shadows within his eyes deepen. “If it is what you truly want, I will take you to the portal tomorrow morning. Finish up your business with Odiane tonight.”

Aldrin turns and walks away from me. I watch until he disappears into the grand hall.

A numbness spreads from my chest, engulfing my every extremity, and I shiver uncontrollably.

“Are you okay?” That voice is gentle, and so familiar I almost crumble at the warmth and support in it.

I whip around to Caitlin. “How much of that did you hear?”

“All of it, to be honest,” she says, unabashed. “I am your sister. If you need to fall apart, I have to be here to put you back together.”A sob rolls out of me and Caitlin wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

I shrug her off me and stalk away angrily. “Don’t ask me that! It’s never been about what I want. Never.”

She chases after me and grabs my arm, pulling me around to face her. “I’m not trying to upset you. I need to know if you are sure. There’s no going back.”

I run my hands across my face. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. I want a distraction. Can we visit Odiane? Can we talk later?” Such desperation rolls through me that Caitlin nods.

None of this feels real. Not yet. Not while I can still reach out and touch him.

Caitlin leads me to the bridge arching over the frozen river, and down the steps to Odiane. The strangest calm falls over me in the presence of my overprotective older sister. It is as though she helps shoulder my burdens when she is near.

“Is it dangerous for us to be out here?” I suddenly feel selfish for not even thinking of her safety.

“I spoke with Cyprien,” Caitlin says as she deposits me on the bench surrounded by waterfalls, then sits beside me. “This spot is protected by the wards and the assassins only fight at night.”

I nod, lost in my own turmoil of thoughts. Caitlin puts an arm around my shoulder and pulls me into her side, leaning her head against the top of mine.

The surface of the river below becomes stained pink and orange as it reflects the sunset, with white slabs of ice drifting lazily across it. Odiane steps out of the nearby waterfall, parting the gushing curtains. Her body is water made into flesh.

Many rivulets reach away from the cascading water to form her silhouette. Her hair ripples down her back in shards of ice and hergown is woven of thousands of snowflakes.

A radiant smile fills Odiane’s face and her cheeks are flushed a deep shade of indigo. “My lovelies, you have returned to me. Already I hear my infant daughters sing of the most beautiful places.”

I should be brimming with pride that we achieved such an impossible feat, but it all seems so unimportant.

Caitlin stands and approaches Odiane. “It was an honor to bring your daughters to their waters.”

They speak for a while, as Caitlin retells the details of our journey to place the seed-stones in new waters. They smile as they talk. It all seems so foreign to me, so very far away. I linger a few steps behind them.

Odiane holds out the familiar shape of a seed sack, a circular bubble of water with a segmented coral net encasing it. Inside is a single seed-stone, oval in shape with a deep navy core and a transparent outer. I double-take, moving closer to examine it. The center has three dense, circular masses within it, instead of the usual one.

Caitlin collects the seed sack from her. “Are these —”

“Triplets.” The Lake Maiden chimes, her face brightening. “I thought long and hard on how I could gift you a seed-stone for your world, without my daughters suffering from the lack of magic. Three Lake Maidens, sharing the same blood and waters will bring magic to each other, and will starve off the loneliness until the portals open and we can hear their song.”

I cannot speak for the lump that forms in my throat, and tears stream down my face. “Thank you,” I finally manage.

Odiane looks at me for a long moment, not blinking once. “Young heart, it will not always hurt so. Time takes the edge off all pain, and the youth feel all their emotions tenfold.”

I startle. Of course she heard my conversation with Aldrin.

Odiane turns back to Caitlin, holding out another seed sack. “And my gift of a pregnancy to you, fierce one. Our daughter will have the body of a human, but the soul of a Lake Maiden. Make sure she visits her sisters often, both she and the triplets will find grounding by the bonds they share. Ensure her line takes care of the maidens that I havegifted upon your realm. If she is as brave as you, encourage her to take the pilgrimage to visit me.”

“Thank you.” Tears form at the corner of Caitlin’s eyes. “A daughter is everything I have wanted and I promise I will be the best mother I can be.”

“I know. I have looked inside your heart.” Odiane runs a hand down Caitlin’s face, leaving a shimmering, wet trail. “Place the seed inside your womb before you leave this realm.”

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