Page 104 of Fated

Shae stood behind Greyson, waiting her turn. When Greyson stepped aside, she locked eyes with Ash, and a wide excited grin spread across her face. Without hesitation, she ran toward him, squealing his name before throwing her arms around his neck.She pressed herself against him, burying her face in his chest with a familiarity that made my heart sink.

I looked down, fumbling with the bracelets on my wrist, my chest tightening as I watched how comfortable Shae was with him. Was this the reason Ash couldn’t move forward with me?

A wave of nausea hit me, fighting back the irrational jealousy rising inside.

But just as quickly, Ash gave her a swift hug, then stepped away, stepping back to my side. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side as if to make it undeniably clear—to her and everyone else—that I was his. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the other way around.

A rush of warmth flooded through me as the jealousy melted away, replaced with the undeniable comfort of his touch.

“She’s Reize’s friend. We dated briefly in the past, but I never felt anything for her, so I ended it.”Ash spoke in my mind. I looked up to him and gave an appreciative smile before glancing back at Shae. Her eyes were on me, studying me with a quiet curiosity.

“I’m Shae,” she said. “Thank you for bringing my king home.”

She bowed her head slightly before stepping to the side.

I offered a polite smile in return, though something about her still made me uneasy.

Xanth, meanwhile, was still staring at Ash as if he couldn’t fully believe his brother was standing there, alive, and well.

“We need to get you to the castle, Sebastian,” Xanth said, breaking the moment. “Without anyone seeing you. We need to call a meeting and fill each other in on the last sixteen years. Word can’t get out that you are back until we are ready.”

“Why can’t people know Ash is back?” I asked Xanth.

“The entire kingdom is aware of the curse and the threatof Agidius. People may panic if Ash is seen alive and well without knowing the rest of the story,” Xanth explained. “The people of Ambrosia have been trapped here for the last sixteen years, many separated from family in the other two kingdoms, or visitors from elsewhere who were forced to remain when the curse hit.”

A weight settled on my chest, thinking about all the people who had been separated from their loved ones, trapped in a limbo of uncertainty. The reality of the situation hit me harder than expected. People here had been waiting for answers too, for freedom.

Xanth’s voice lowered as he hesitated, his next word almost a whisper. “Reize?”

“She’s alive,” Ash said.

“And Calyx?”

“Also alive.”

Xanth nodded, his expression caught between relief and sorrow.

“How did you find us anyway?” Ash asked, curiosity flickering across his face.

“Tessa notified me when she detected a breach in the wards over the river, so I grabbed Greyson and Shae to investigate. We felt a surge of power coming from the docks, so we’ve been searching the boats for the intruder. Then we found the doors downstairs blasted to hell, and honestly, I wasn’t sure what we were walking into.”

Ash glanced over at the remains of the bedroom door.

“Seems like the gift of disintegrating doors runs in the family,” I said shyly, the awkward joke escaping before I could stop it.

Xanth and Greyson both laughed, Ash smiling at me.

Shae however, stood quietly to the side, her expression unreadable.

“We’ve got a charger parked on the other side of the docks,” Xanth said, glancing at Greyson.

“Shae, let’s go ahead and make sure it’s clear to bring out Sebastian and Areya,” Greyson ordered.

Greyson and Shae left the room, leaving me alone with Ash and Xanth.

“I didn’t take up the crown,” Xanth said suddenly, his voice raw with emotion as he turned to face Ash. “I couldn’t do it. I ensured things ran smoothly while you were gone, but couldn’t … Well, I wouldn’t have been a true king without the heir power, but mostly, I just couldn’t accept you were gone.”

Ash gave Xanth a sad smile. “We have a lot to catch up on. Let’s head out.”

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