Page 86 of Princess For All

“Exactly.”

“I have to go help,” I told him.

“I know. Do you want me to stay here or go back—what do we do, Nora?”

I didn’t have an answer. There was no right answer for something like this. There really wasn’t. “Stay here for now because you’re the only one I truly trust with Jamelle there. I will tell our children we’re going into lockdown and the Florida fun is over. I’m putting Ciara in charge of the coven while I’m gone.”

“She’s not ready,” he worried.

I snorted. “She’s better than half the princesses already in power. I also don’t plan on dying, so feck off, thank you very much.”

He grabbed my arm as I went to brush by him and turned me to face him, giving me a smoldering kiss. “Don’t leave me upset when you’re walking into battle. If anyone could take on Erebus to protect our daughter-in-law, it’s you. But we’ve lost a lot and I cannot lose you. You better keep your word that you’re coming back to me. Don’t fucking leave me.”

“Not like this, love,” I promised him. I gave him another kiss. “Come visit more often with good news and to fulfill your duties as my mate. I’m lonely.”

“We can’t have that,” he chuckled. “I promise. I will perform all the duties you love so many times when this fight is over. Things have been better. Go be her hero and I will thank you. More times than you can count.”

I shivered. No matter how old we got, no matter what happened, Sebastian still made me feel young and set my body on fire with just a few words.

I went right to Ciara and told her what happened. “You are in charge of the coven while I get help and go handle this threat. I have all the faith in you. Keep the coven on lockdown and be extra safe, Daughter. Only focus on burying the mines.”

“I will. And the fishing.”

“And the fishing, but sparingly,” I agreed. Shutting down getting food when people were still worried about that would lead to panic and we couldn’t afford that either.

“I won’t fail you, Mother. You can trust me.”

“Aye, I always do, and you never have, lass,” I whispered, being her mother more than her princess for a moment. I kissed her cheeks. “I go fiercely because she’s Aether’s champion, but I also go because I love her too. Thank you for being so strong so I can. She needs us like she’s been there for us.”

“Someday I hope to finally meet her,” she chuckled. “I feel weird that I haven’t yet.”

“I was hoping you could after Arpa was done there. Apparently, it’s good for all princesses to have a stay there. Maybe soon.”

“Maybe soon,” she agreed.

I went right to Olivia and ignored the shock that I was alone, people bowing and hurrying to show me in. I did a double take when I saw Cerdic there. “How can you leave your wife at a time like this and say you love her?”

He bowed to me. “Wrong twin.”

I swallowed some more cursing. “Of course. I keep forgetting the change. You were there?”

“No, but I saw the fucking energy beads rain from the sky right after,” Ceawlin said, looking a bit shell-shocked, so I didn’t even care about his language. “People came to tell me Mother arrived and something happened—something good with Lloyd not in the party. So I raced to where I knew Inez was because she couldn’t go to the castle because—”

“Whyever not?” Olivia asked with a frown.

“The ghosts are holding it hostage from what Sebastian says,” I answered for him. “Some new trick of Keres and Erebus’s. It’s why Aether couldn’t give any of them visions and the earthquakes.”

“I didn’t get that part of the message, just the earthquakes were a warning we would all listen to instead of some not believing such a young princess getting visions. Most would never believe her nobles,” Olivia muttered.

That was smart. Whoever framed it that way and told others—it was genius.

Ceawlin told us the rest, and I had only one question for Olivia.

“Are you ready to honor the treaty you signed, darling?” I raised an eyebrow at her when she didn’t immediately answer. “Some human stole a feckin’ jet and tried to bomb her—yourbrotherwho stands at her side.”

“Yes, of course I’ll help,” Olivia said firmly. “I was simply waiting for you to—I don’t know how I’ll be of help when Mother’s already there.”

That was fair but a bit too much like a daughter instead of a ruling princess. “You’re the leader now, Olivia. It’s time to be one and Inez’s sister-in-law. We need all the princesses to stand up—show they will stand up. Go talk to some as I will and get them there to help Inez. Matilda and I will take the lead as Inez’s mothers, but we need their support now.”

---