Page 30 of Bound By Roses

“And neither are you!”

His face flashes red at her words, but I feel mine do the opposite. It wasn’t until this moment that I truly realized that this place has no leader. I knew Aurelia didn’t think of herself as queen and not wanting a throne is something I completely understand, but if she’s actually not their rightful leader, then…

“Who is?” With just those two words, all confidence and authority have vanished from my voice.

“We have no queen,” Erwyn grumbles, either annoyed by the question or that I was the one to ask it.

“But how is leadership in Marein decided? Is it by blood? Strength?” I can already feel an imaginary crown tightening around my head and it’s a struggle to keep my breathing under control in response. My mother was the youngest of the former queen’s three daughters. Aurelia was older, but if the crown didn’t pass to her, should it have passed to my mother because of some custom I don’t understand? If that was the case…

Erwyn makes a big show of rolling his eyes and makes a sound of exasperation. “The throne is not yours, and thank the Gods for that.”

“How is it decided?” I say every word slowly and with force. I need to know.

A look crosses Aurelia’s face. A look I can’t quite understand. “A weaver has always ruled Marein. Until one is found, the crown will sit upon no head.”

Words from an earlier conversation I’d had with her flash through my mind.Your sister is a seer, yes? She gets that from her grandmother.

My grandmother—a weaver.

Oh, Gods. So that means Kaylee is…

The faintest of nods from Aurelia is all the confirmation I need. Not only is Kaylee the rightful ruler of Marein, but she’s a weaver. It all makes sense now, but at the same time, it brings more questions to light. Like why could she only see the future when she was in Lunae? If she can weave fate in addition to seeing it, that should make her the most powerful seer alive. If even she has limits, what does that mean for the rest of us?

“We have gotten off topic,” the healer says, bringing me out of my thoughts. “We must decide what to do about the dragon.”

“We give him time,” Aurelia says, as if it’s that simple. And perhaps it is. His body has healed, but his mind? Maybe more sleep is all he needs.

“Are you okay with that?” I ask Abby. All she’s done is point out her insecurities and still hasn’t given her thoughts on what should actually be done. Her opinion matters most. At least to me.

She nods, but doesn’t make a sound. Her defences have crumbled under the weight of this meeting, and through the cracks, I can feel her mind reeling and emotions flaring. I want to tell her to let me in, to let me shoulder the weight of this so shedoesn’t have to, but that will only make her feel weaker than she already does. I can’t be her strength without making her feel like she has none of her own. I just wish she would talk to me.

“No one will touch him,” Rhett says, as if his word alone is enough to make it so. The threat behind the statement is an obvious line drawn in the sand. He knocks his arm into Merrick. “Right?”

“Yeah,” Merrick agrees after a tense moment, though he didn’t sound as if he’s entirely in agreement. “One of us will stay with him so that—”

If he finished the thought, I didn’t hear it over the sudden blaring of horns that hit with enough force that my hands fly to my ears on their own accord. I’ve heard that sound before and the terror that slams into me through the bond tells me that Abby recognizes it, too. The weight of her fear nearly knocks the air from my lungs.

‘Stabby?!’I force the word through her crumbling walls and bring down the barrier separating my thoughts from hers.

‘It’s him. He promised he’d come for me.’Is she talking about Void? I knew she was having nightmares, but is hetalkingto her in them?

My head snaps up to Aurelia, who mirrors my concern. “Is it Imelda?”

She and Erwyn share a look before he storms off out of the room without a hint of explanation. When her eyes return to mine, there’s a tiredness to them. “Come with me,” she says, and her voice sounds equally as tired.

“Someone needs to stay with Jade.” I’m not trusting anyone with the confusion that’s about to ensue if this really is another attack. Especially with the way Erwyn rushed out of this room. We can’t even trust the healers not to kill him themselves!

“I will,” Rhett says, already moving for the door. “No one will touch him.”

I take Abby’s hand in mine, and we follow closely behind Aurelia. Whatever this is, we’ll face it together.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ABBY

More war. More death. More darkness.

That’s all that waits for me where the waves meet the shore.

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