Page 91 of Joined By Magic

I considered it. An ordinary life. As ordinary as a life with Leo in it could be anyway. The thing I’d been craving for months. No pressure, cameras, or stress. A chance to start afresh.

And a huge missed opportunity. Things would be different this time. Leo hadn’t forced his way into power—he’d returned a hero and they’d offered it to him. He’d have the support and freedom to change the things he wanted.

And I was different too. I’d find a way to act on my own terms, to improve the lives of all non-mages. I’d watched a woman fling herself to certain death to stop one evil man from succeeding, and I couldn’t let her sacrifice go to waste. I had power now, and I’d use it for something worthwhile.

I leaned my head against Leo’s chest. “Yes.”

He sighed, pure relief. “You’re sure?”

I lifted my chin to look up at him, and a smile touched my lips. “Yes, Lord Commander.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Talia

Blacknesssurroundedmelikea warm, cozy blanket. I felt myself breathe in, then out, and rolled my awareness out further, curling into my limbs. My body fit strangely, as if I’d been taken apart and pieced back together in a different shape. I twitched my fingers.

A gasp traveled into my ears, rattling along rusty pathways to my brain. “Talia?”

I stretched my fingers out again and struggled to open my eyes.

“She moved! Get the king.”

The king? Which king? A trickle of fear pierced the soft clouds surrounding me. I sensed movement nearby. As my mind cleared a bit, I pieced it together. I was in a bed, and someone had just sat down on it. My eyes finally obeyed and cracked open.

Bright light slammed into my retinas, driving a spike of pain through my head. I hissed and screwed my eyes shut again. “Sorry,” the voice said. The lights dimmed. “There. It’s darker now.”

I tried again. This time my eyes opened with ease, and the light was bearable. I blinked to focus, and a face appeared right above me. My sluggish mind realized who it was.

“Neeve.” My voice was a hoarse croak. Neeve’s delicate face broke in a grin.

“Yes! You’re okay. I’ve been so worried. They didn’t know if you’d ever wake up, and they said you might not remember anything—”

“Which king?” My throat rasped painfully.

“King Adante. Crowned last week.”

She ducked out of view, then returned with a glass of water, which she held to my lips. The icy cold slipped down my throat like liquid bliss. I tried to marshal my thoughts. My memories were slippery, a hazy cloud of voices and pictures that wouldn’t click into focus. Adante was king. As of last week?

“How long was I out?” Words came a little easier, though my voice still croaked. Neeve gave me another sip of water.

“It’s been three weeks.”

Shit. I ran my shaking hands over my body with tentative fingers. Everything still seemed to be attached, though I was noticeably thinner. I wriggled my toes. They worked.

Neeve gasped, then shot to her feet, out of my field of vision. I managed to lift my head a little. Neeve had dropped into a low bow. The prince stood framed in the doorway, dressed in full royal finery. Black, but etched with gold and silver stars. His hair was longer than it had been. He looked like his old self again, besides one addition. A slim crown, plain and made of white metal, sat on his head.

“Leave us.”

Neeve fled the room as if it were on fire. He sat down on the bed, face tight and wary. A long scar stretched above his right eye, healed but still deep. It made him look even more dangerous than usual. “Talia.” He searched my face. “How are you?”

Brittle emotion laced the words. He sounded almost afraid. “Okay, I think. My head’s a bit fuzzy.” I squinted at him. “Is that a new crown?”

As I spoke, the tension drained from his body and his expression softened. He touched the crown on his head. “Yes. I looked too much like my father in the old one, so I had this cast. Fuzzy is acceptable. The healers warned there could be permanent mental damage.”

“Well, I remember the battle, and—”

The memory ambushed me, claws drawn. Magic tearing through my mum. The sound her body made as it hit the floor. The unbearable pain of having to grieve her again when I’d only just gotten her back.

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