Page 11 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

He sits with me and lets me eat, content with the silence, as I’m sure he has a lot going on in his own mind at the moment.

“I had no idea, Aur,” Killian finally speaks, putting his head in his hands and shaking his head.

“I believe you,” I say, and I mean it. I don’t hold any ill-will toward him, or even toward my godparents. “You’re a shit liar; there’s no way you could’ve kept a secret that big our entire childhood.”

“Shut up.” He bumps his shoulder into mine playfully, drawing a sad laugh out of me.“What are you gonna do?”

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly.“But it doesn’t feel right to stay.” Saying it out loud confirms what I’ve been feeling for the last hour.

“Stay here, like, at our house, or here as in Staghorn?” he asks, sounding slightly afraid to hear my response.

“I think we both know the answer to that.” Tears flood my eyes, threatening to overflow.

“Gods, Auri…” Killian wraps his arm around me and pulls me into his side. We sit that way for a long while, neither of us speaking as he holds me in a comforting embrace.

“You’re still my brother Kil,” I say finally, pulling back tolook at him.“Best brother I ever had.”

He shoves me playfully.“I’m the only brother you’ve ever had, shithead.”

I shrug, smiling softly. Despite everything in my life changing in a matter of hours, I know that I’ll always have him if I need him, and that’s not something that I take for granted.

“Do you think Ma and Papa will disown me if I leave?” I feel weird about using such casual terms in light of finding out the truth, but for Killian’s sake, I’ll manage.

“I think they’ll be sad. And worried for you. But no, they won’t disown you,” Killian reassures me. I nod in agreement before he adds,“I could go with you, ya know.”

My eyes widen as I meet his gaze.“Go with me?”

“Yeah.” He shrugs nonchalantly, as if he’s suggesting we go get a cake from the bakery instead of going on a life-changing, most likely perilous, journey.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” I say, unwilling to put him in any kind of danger.“It wouldn’t be fair to Ma and Papa either.”

“What if I just help you get through the mountains?”

I consider his offer since I don’t know the first thing about navigating enchanted mountain passes.“Only if Briar comes too.” I nod, formulating a plan as I go.“That way you guys could journey back together once I’m through to the other side.”

“Briar? Really?” He bristles.

“Yes, Briar,” I say, sternly.“She’s a witch, and I trust her to take care of you, and you of her. You’re two of the most important people in my life, and I won’t risk either of you traveling back alone.”

“Fine,” he relents, sighing loudly.

“Okay.” The reality of what I’ve set in motion is making me freeze up. I’m about to leave my home, the only place I’ve ever known, to do what? Confront my aunt and tell her what a horrible person she is? To challenge her for the throne of the Autumn Kingdom? DoIwant to be queen, or do I just want Selenanotto be queen? I truly don’t even know what I want to happen, but I do know Selena needs to be put on trial for what she did to my mother, and for what she is likely continuing to do to her people.My people.

First things first, though… I need to apologize to Briar since she was right about Sibyl. Then, I have to convince her to let me leave, and ask her to help me do it.

Chapter Six

That afternoon, after an hour of groveling, pleading andliterallybegging on my knees, Briar finally agrees to help me get through the Nevoa Mountains. We just left her cottage, her to go ask the older members of her coven if they know what we’ll need to travel through the Pass, and me to go talk to Cedric. Even though we’re not partnered, it would feel wrong to leave without saying goodbye.

I find myself at the smithy, strangely only twenty-four hours after the last time I was here. Cedric is yet again working in the back, hammering away on what appears to be an axe. I watch him for a bit, fascinated by the grace and rhythm of his movements, until he looks up and notices me staring. My cheeks flush in embarrassment, but he doesn’t seem to notice. He walks over to me, looking down at me with care.

“Hi,” I say rather lamely, feeling unusually tense after how we left things last night.

“Hey,” he responds, watching me closely.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” I ask, a knot of anxiety taking hold in my stomach.

“Yeah, of course. Let me just wash up and I’ll meet you in the courtyard?”

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