Page 77 of The Forbidden Fae King

“So much has changed since you left,” Cyprien utters. “New laws. Different members of the council. I started to truly lose my faith in the high chancellor when soldiers were pulled from the border of winter, after they started returning home from rotations speaking of things that gave substance to your claims. As you said, what kind of leader would pull soldiers from the boundary of an enemy they believed was planning an attack? One that is either vastly incompetent, or who is covering for her own lies.”

He shakes his head. “I had to come to witness the truth for myself. I had to talk to you. Properly. We haven’t had a conversation since—” His voice breaks.

“Since Lorrella died.” I finish for him gently, that all too familiar throb of pain building in my chest.

“I heard your proposal to the council,” Cyprien runs a hand across his face. “I listened to your arguments and your evidence, but I wasstill too far gone in my grief and pain and anger to truly hear you. And when everyone turned against you, one by one, I too got swept away by the current.”

I touch Cyprien’s shoulder and he flinches with the contact. “Listen to me now.”

“This is a lot to take in.” He motions with an arm to the sight before us. “Let me think first. Tonight we will talk.”

I nod, fighting the wave of emotion that rolls through me. It is much more than I expected and I am afraid to dare to hope. Not when he has let me down before.

Cyprien and Lilly stalk away to another buff to take in more of the view, creating their own air shields. My thoughts fall into a brooding cyclone that whips as harshly as the frozen wind around us. Keira takes my hand in hers, and I jolt at the contact, forgetting she was there.

“I’m sorry that happened to you, Aldrin.” She peers up at me, the wild curls of her red-gold hair erupting from her fur cap. Those strands are the most vibrant thing up here. “Not only that an imposter used deception to steal your birthright and smear your name, but that your friends did not stand by you. That youstillhave to convince them.”

I blink at her, surprised by the warmth. “Too many of my friends followed me into this exile. Ten was enough. More would have joined, left their positions in the Senate or the army, but the Spring Court needed them. Perhaps I will still have friends in places of influence when I return to the capital.”

If I ever return to the seat of my power. That old pain radiates through my chest, seizing my heart. Longing floods me, to see my city once more. To have a chance for redemption and to save my people. It had become a distant hope for too long.

We leave the howling edge of the Dividing Cliffs in huddled groups, with shields of air tucked around the clusters of people, a fire orb in each. Warmth spread through my body from the hike back.

Cyprien is deep in thought by my side, a severe frown pulling at his stern features, as we descend the cliffs through a path cut into itsstone. An outcrop scoops over our heads, shielding us from the worst of the snow and wind.

“Are you planning on taking a human consort?” Cyprien suddenly asks.

“What?” I choke on the word.

“It’s why you are keeping the girl near, is it not?”

“Do not say that in front of humans.” I grab him by the arm. “Our realm has been separated from theirs for hundreds of years and they do not remember us favorably.”

Cyprien gives me one of his probing, questioning glances.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. This is the worst place to have this conversation, but I know Cyprien won’t let it go. “In our history with humans, there have been fae who have kidnapped a human consort. A corrupt minority, but it seems this is the only part they remember of our relations. I have been told that even recently, human women have been held against their will after wandering into our realm. The humans seem to think we are all slavers and rapists wanting to take their women. It doesn’t help that we have both tried to contain these two.” I tip my head in Keira and Caitlin’s direction.

“They’d end up dead if they wandered through the forest on their own,” Cyprien snaps.

“Would they?” I raise an eyebrow at him. “You’ve seen them fight.”

He gives me a conceding bow of the head. “You didn’t answer my question.”

I huff out a breath. “I’m not looking for a consort, Cyprien. She promised me information, that is all.”

“You have a very interesting way of trying to getinformationfrom a woman’s mouth.” His lips actually curl up into something that resembles a smirk.

“Are you making jokes now, are you?” I laugh at him. “I thought you were challenging the frozen planes for iciness.”

“You give a man far too much ammunition, Aldrin. You ever like to dance on a knife’s edge.” His eyes glitter with amusement. The irony is that I have always thought the same of him.

Cyprien shakes his head, then removes my hand from his arm. “You are far too distracting. I need to think.”

I raise both my hands. “I was respecting your silence. You started the conversation with your inappropriate questions.”

Cyprien pats my shoulder, then joins Lilly, immediately talking in tones that I cannot hear. I watch them for any hints to what they will decide.

The path leads out of the stone cavity and a winter wonderland sprawls out before us. Cold dread pumps through my veins at its presence inmylands. Every inch of me screams that this is wrong.

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