Page 57 of Broken Lands

It was beautiful, the way the sun shone across the space, reflecting off the water in front of us. It was easy to understand why so many wanted to ascend and move here. This had been the promise, this bustling, thriving space. Much better than the bleak reality back in Sommers.

A loud squeal from my left broke me out of the spell I’d fallen into and before I could so much as twist toward her, Amy was crashing into me, her arms wrapping around my body and squeezing tightly as she bounced up and down in excitement.

Her embrace was so strong, I struggled to suck in a breath, only just managing to choke out the words “Can’t. Breathe.”

Letting go, she stepped back, her hands grasping mine and holding them firmly.

“Sorry. Sorry. I’m just so damn excited to see you!” Her breathing is labored, like she sprinted across the plaza the moment she spotted us. Maybe she had.

“It’s good to see you, too, Amy. You look great.” Great was an understatement. She was positively radiant. Her bright yellow sundress sat just above her knee, showing off her slender frame and making her bright blue eyes pop. Her bright red hair was down today, loose waves framing her face, a couple of strands dancing in the cool ocean breeze.

“All thanks to you, Riley. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for you risking yourself and your own safety to help me. You’d met me only minutes before, and you still took it upon yourself to save my life. I am forever grateful.”

A flush spread across my cheeks, and I shuffled my feet as she squeezed my hands again. In all honesty, I hadn’t thought about what I was doing when I ran to her after the void creature ripped open her leg. Instinct had pushed me toward her, and I’d acted on autopilot. Her praise felt undeserved.

“Anyone in my shoes would have done the same,” I said, dipping my chin and looking toward where Bee was standing back, waiting to be introduced. I dropped one of Amy’s hands and waved Bee forward, glad to find something that would take the attention off me. “This is Bee, my roommate, and the sweetest person in this realm—possibly across all of them.”

Bee shouldered me playfully as she extended her hand for Amy to shake. A smile spread across her face as they shook hands. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “Riley here is clearly trying to deflect the attention from herself. She’s not one to easily accept compliments and has already demanded a relaxing day.” Her eyes danced with amusement as she shot me a grin. “Let’s show her all Danann has to offer.”

“Oh, yes! What have you got in mind?” Amy asked as my tablet vibrated in my pocket. Pulling it out, I could see a message from Garner. Amy and Bee chattered among themselves as a ringing sounded in my ears, drowning out the noise of the plaza as I hyper focused on the screen.

Garner had promised to send me James’ address, but I hadn’t heard from him. Until now. I’d been beginning to wonder if he’d decided against helping me. There was still a chance he had, and this was an apology message.

Holding my breath, my hands shaking—with fear or excitement, I wasn’t sure—I swiped open the message.

32 North Street. I can meet you there in an hour if you’d like some company.

Blowing out a breath, I tried to decide if I wanted company. Going through James’ belongings would be hard, emotional. My chest ached every time I thought of him. I missed him so damn much. It was happening more and more often the longer I spent in Danann, too.

Maybe having someone there would anchor me. It might keep me from becoming too emotional and help me focus on searching for some clue that maybe the Fae had missed.

I shot a quick text back, letting Garner know I’d meet him there, and looked up just in time to find Amy and Bee staring at me.

“So? What do you think?” Amy asked.

Grimacing a little, I asked, “About what?”

“Girl, you are so distracted today. What is going on? Better yet, which one was it?”

“Which one?” Amy asked, raising an eyebrow at Bee in question, and let out a groan. These two were thick as thieves already.

“Mmmmhmmm. Riley has her pick of Fae men at the moment.”

“Oooh,” Amy exclaimed, bouncing on her heels. “Colin was pretty sweet on her the night we met. Who else are you connecting with?”

“StefanandLincoln.” Bee stretched out the and, making it seem like such a big deal and I rolled my eyes as Amy gasped, looking to me for confirmation.

Admitting defeat and realizing they weren’t going to drop the subject, I nodded. “They’re all so different, but I’m drawn to them all equally. It’s an… experience.”

Bee snorted loudly. The only person in the world who could do that and make it cute. Amy glanced at her, grinning, some emotion shining in her eyes as she studied Bee.

“It wasn’t any of them, though. It was Garner. He gave me James’ address and is going to meet me there in an hour to see if we can find anything.”

“Alright,” said Bee, her features taking on a more serious expression. We’d spent a lot of time talking about James, and she knew how important it was for me to try to uncover what had happened and where he was. I refused to believe he’d have left willingly, without telling me. But I also didn’t want to consider the alternative. That he may be hurt or worse, dead.

“We should be able to find a dress for the dance tomorrow and grab that coffee before you have to meet him.” She declared, looping her arm through mine again. To my surprise, Amy fell in on her other side, looping their arms together too as Bee led the way across the plaza to what was apparently the best dressmaker in Danann.

Chapter thirty

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