Page 70 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

There were so many things I wanted to say to her. Did you know where you were sending me when you signed my marriage contract? Was it a part of some grand plan? If so, why? Why was I a pawn in their game? What was this thing in my chest and who is my father? I did also want to know if she was alright. Our lives had been nothing but turmoil for so long, part of me couldn’t blame her for the things she’d done.

“I wish I was there with you, Aelia. I wish I could help more.”

“I wish you were here too. But you’ve got an important mission of your own.”

Only silence answered. I twisted the whisper stone, and my heart clenched in my chest. There were certain places magic could not penetrate, and some towns put up wards to disrupt the magic. Had I lost Tharan?

“Aelia?” His voice sent a warming sensation through my body.

“Yes?”

“I miss you. That’s all. I miss everything about you. The way your skin feels against mine. The sparkle in your eyes when you laugh. The whimpers you make in your sleep.”

“I miss you too, Tharan. It’s funny. I’ve only known you a few months, but I feel as though we’ve known each other for ages.”

“I know, I feel the same way.”

A knock at the door tore me from my thoughts of Tharan.

“I’ve got to go. There’s someone here.” I wanted to tell him I loved him, but the words stuck in my throat like flies in molasses.

“I love you, Aelia.”

I twisted the whisper stone, and the connection was severed.

“Come in!”

The head servant entered, bowing his head low.

“My Lady, Miss Ursula is here. She said she’s here for dinner.”

“Wonderful. Set a place for her, and I’ll get ready.”

The servant bowed and shut the door behind him. I quickly changed into a low-cut satin gown, letting my hair fall in loose waves. Ursula had a penchant for long hair, and I knew how to tempt her. Pulling a soft wool shawl over my shoulders, I took one last look at myself in the mirror. Tonight, I would be the queen I was, and the mercenary would be put away… at least for now.

I stopped at Amolie’s room and knocked.

A sleepy-eyed Amolie answered the door.

“Ursula is here.”

She yawned. “I didn’t expect her to have an answer from her queen so quickly. It’s only been two days.”

“The queen of the Undersea never misses an opportunity to gain power. She’s likely been waiting for an opportunity to present itself.”

“Then we better not keep Ursula waiting. I won’t be long changing. Come on in. I have news.”

Amolie shut the door behind me, and I sat on the bed.

“What is it? Did Caiden and Roderick find something?”

She nodded excitedly, her brown curls bouncing. “Yes, well, kind of. They found a map to where they think a Well is.”

My pulse quickened. We were one step closer to finding at least one Well. “That’s fantastic. Did he say where?”

“No. It’s all very hush-hush. We’re sending messages in code via raven. Just in case they get intercepted; our rings will glow if the other one is in danger.”

That made my load a little lighter. “Smart.”

---