Page 34 of Chained to the Devil's Daughter

“Yes! It means—wait, huh?”

“Shall I send Smok'in after her?” At my dumbfounded silence, confusion spread on Fara’s face. She released me and tentatively perched on the arm of the couch. “Searra. Tell me what is going on, my friend.”

It was entirely unheard of to hear Fara use my real name. I tittered, but Fara’s desperate glare compelled my mouth to shut.

“Today,” I drew the word out. This was not going to be a popular idea. “I announce Ash’ren as my suitor!” I spoke with a smile and a slight tremor. Having the words out of my mind and into the open air swept me off my feet, lighter somehow, like I was hovering above the plush carpet. Fara’s face paled.

“Oh.” Fara was so pale I readied myself to catch the fainting woman. She blessedly remained upright, though she sank further into the couch. “I—I—is this wise, your highness?”

The crushed yarn carpet slammed into place below me, my heart plummeting into my soles. “What did you think I was going to say?”

“I thought you’d accept Filaris as your wife.”

Oh, I saw the confusion. Every time a suitor was named, certain food was prepared. The same feast would be used to celebrate the day I accepted a suitor’s hand in marriage.

Before I could remind her that Ash’ren was the only one with keys to my heart—which Fara rings well knew—she rushed out, “I know you love him, dearest, but you must accept that your match will not be approved.”

“Approved?” I scoffed, putting space between us. Prickly heat consumed me, but the worst part was the grief of the mere thought of two more flames-ridden weeks without claiming Ash’ren as mine. “I’m the rings-damned queen! Fuc—err, screw their flaming approval!”

“You aren’t, though.”

Joy wilted in waves. “Just whose side are you on all of a sudden?”

A war waged on my kindhearted friend’s features, even as she stood without hesitation. She smoothed the stray hairs on my forehead, her pale eyes leaving no room for doubt. “Yours, of course. Yours. I’m so happy you’re reunited. You deserve to be happy.”

“Yes. That’s more like it.”

“I’ll get your instructions to Tor'cha right away. Have you told Ash’ren of your plans?”

“Not yet. I only just decided.” Fireflies fluttered in my belly, their blinking booties giving me a little heartburn. “I want to surprise him. Is that weird? Do you think he’ll accept?” The little bugs combusted into a forest fire in my guts. “Oh rings, do you think he might say no?”

Fara snorted. “He’s been in your room every night since returning, hasn’t he?”

“Ha! Ah, no,” I glanced away, nibbling my lip. “Not—not every night.” There’d been one night we spent most of our time in the Flamewoods, so that didn’t count.

“The two of you have a love purer than the lovebird goddesses Glacia and Terra. He burned Hell down to reach you, nine years later, and here you are blushing over him like he’d never left. He’s going to accept, Searra.”

Tears prickled. The overwhelming thought of finally having him at my side, legally, of flaunting him through the rings with pride, was a dream I’d never thought would come true. There was the teensy-weensy matter of our promise to take things slow, but what was the point of courtship if not learning to love one another?

“I must ask,” Fara began, my gaze averted. “Why the sudden change of heart? I thought Filaris had convinced you to wait.”

I flinched. Like a coward, I hid my face, opting to walk into the next sitting room to pour a glass of water and stare out thewindow. I tried to keep a chirp in my tone as I admitted my treachery.

“As you said, I’m not queen yet. If my father escapes the council’s clutches and returns, this might all be for naught. I simply can’t die without. . .” I trailed off, chasing the macabre thoughts down with gulps of ice water. “I can’t spend another flames-cursed minute without him. I want to love him in the light, Fara. He doesn’t deserve all these shadows.”

Fara’s expression had gone dreamy. Hands pressed to her heart, even her voice was swoony. “A person could go their whole life without something so precious.”

“Thank you, Fara. For everything. For the past nine years. For seeing me at my worst and staying.” I pulled the woman into a hug and squeezed until she coughed. “I would’ve gone mad without you.”

“You would’ve run off to that tower and locked yourself inside first, and the two of you would still be there, mad and in love.”

I gulped around my laughter and squeezed harder. “We’re both here now, but still mad.”

Fara pulled away with an exaggerated look. “Oh yes, and people think him mad—wait until they meet the real you.”

I bit my lip and gave a haughty shrug. “I do the best I can.”

Fara gave my hand one last squeeze before excusing herself to meet with Tor'cha.

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