Page 30 of An Honored Vow

I made it to Aralinth as the suns began to rise. The watery veil between the two twisted trunks in the garden no longer shimmered with silver light but gold. I didn’t transform; instead I soared over one of the large canopies and snipped off a dew rose with my beak. I dropped it into the small pool of water along the twisted branches from above and dove through the veil a moment later.

The trail to Myrelinth was just wide enough with my large wings. I soared silently, banking along the last curve. A group of Elverin on patrol jumped back as I came through the end of the trail. I let out a low call in apology and curved left toward my burl.

Riven wasn’t in his. No faelight hovered in the window, and a thin layer of dust covered the twisted branches that framed his bed.

He hadn’t been here at all.

I spread my wings and dove through the center of the Myram. Panicked shrieks followed by immediate laughter echoed through the hollow tree as I evaded a group of Halflings climbing to the burls on faelight.

I soared through an opening and flew into the grand hall. Hundreds of Elverin looked up at me, apparently no one had felt safe enough to sleep with theshirakon the loose. I tilted my wings back and forth as I flew over a group of children, their giggles calming the room as I disappeared down the tunnel toward Killian’s chambers.

The flash of light as I transformed made up for my lack of faelight. I knocked on the door, chest gasping from the exertion of my long flight.

Riven pulled it open. One hand on his sword, the other pulling up his boot.

Mumbled voices echoed down the tunnel.

“Quiet.” I cupped my hand around his mouth and pushed him back into the room, letting the door slide closed behind us.

I didn’t move. I stood on the tips of my toes waiting for the voices to pass.

Riven’s jade eyes bore down on me. The heat in them only grew as I slid my fingers away from his mouth.

“Sorry,” I said, more to say anything than to apologize.

Riven’s lip twitched upward. “You can push me into a dark room anytime you like, Keera.” Riven let his gaze trail down my body. “You never need ask.”

His regret still hung from him, obvious in his wrinkled clothes and the dark circles under his eyes. But there was something devious in his smirk. Something light and playful too. It was new and familiar all at once.

The face was Riven’s. But the mischief and wit in his eyes was all Killian. It was so obvious now, how the prince had watched me the same way Riven had. Just without the pain of his magic. And now without the pain of his secret.

Riven’s smirk faded when I didn’t speak. His jade eyes glinted as if the magic he had lost was only resting under his skin. My fingers tingled.

Maybe it was.

“Keera, what’s wrong?”

I gulped down my panic. There was no time to lose myself in the comfort of Riven’s arms even if that’s what I wanted. To go to bed and pretend that the world outside of this room did not exist.

“Something happened to Gwyn—”

Riven charged for the door but I grabbed his arm.

He lifted his hand to my cheek. “I’m so sorry,diizra.” His whisper was even softer than his touch. The sweetness of his name for me sent a warm wave down my skin, soothing the onerous itch.

“She’s not dead.”

Riven’s thumb stilled. “How injured is she?”

“She’s not injured either. Not really.” I took a breath trying to find the words that would make sense of everything that had happened, but the only ones I found were simple. “She’s Fae.”

The stillness in Riven’s hand traveled up his arm until his whole body was rigid.

I held up my hand in front of him. I didn’t dare call that newfound power forward—I wasn’t even certain I could control it—but I saw the realization settle into the hard lines of Riven’s eyes. “I made her Fae.”

I leaned back. Riven’s reaction was slow like ice melting until he could finally move enough to ask. “Elverath gave you the power to restore the Light Fae.” There was a hint of worry in his awe. I didn’t know if that was for himself, for me, or for Gwyn.

I shook my head.

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