Page 146 of Enchanted Crown
Just as Emric was about to begin healing Reyald, I looked up to see Malachi swooping into The Drak.
He immediately shifted as he landed, right into his human form with a smoothness I had yet to master with my own wings. “Your Graces,” he said out of breath.
Esta turned from where she was tucked under my arm, her arm around my waist. “What is it?”
“We have company arriving in Keld,” he explained.
Esta’s confusion I felt down the bond mirrored my own. Krew was coming for my formal coronation and our wedding, but that was not for another month.
“What kind of company?” Esta snapped.
“Corshan.”
I stilled. Something I had put in the back of my mind came forward. And then I let out a laugh.
Esta turned toward me. “This is funny?”
I laughed again and gave my head a shake. “A little.”
“Care to enlighten the rest of us?”
Amory was back at the castle otherwise I was certain she’d understand. And Avril could have, likelyshouldhave given us aheads up, but between traveling for all the events and trying to find time to meditate, she’d been as busy as the rest of us. “Corsha’s Enchantment is beyond my understanding,” I started, “but Queen Relia did say that if all went well, she would be delivering the last of my father’s poison for us to burn.”
“So we need not be alarmed?” Esta asked me.
I snorted a laugh. “No. Gods no.” After the fact, I added, “Don’t make her wait three days in Keld.”
“I save that trick for hostile company,” Esta said defensively.
Nana chortled. “You married the hostile company, dear.”
“I—” Esta had to stop, a smile crossing her face, that lone dimple dancing into action. “I did.” She turned to Malachi. “Tell the others that the company is friendly. They are delivering a gift for the bonfire tonight and to be treated as guests. Give them the option of a carriage ride to Halikaara or a ride on a shifter. And send your team immediately to watch over them as they arrive, since they evidently have poison with them.”
With a nod he was gone to the skies again.
I turned back to Emric, giving him a nod to begin.
“Wait,” Vashti said, her voice sounding a bit panicked.
“Are you nervous?” I asked kindly. “I promise you, we will not hurt you. Our power, though overwhelming, feels like a buzz as it searches for the poison within.”
She shook her head, tears in her eyes. “I—” she took a moment. “I know I married into this family, and it is not my own, but I just want to say that I am sorry for all the hurt and pain my children and husband caused.”
She paused, none of us knowing what to say. “I would like to ask permission after I am healed and recovered to go to Keld for a while. I am not trying to hide or plan anything untoward. I just want space. Space to mourn.” Her voice sounded drug through gravel. “To grapple with how Lennix’s greed and jealousy managed to become the end of my entire family despite how hard—” shechoked on her next words, “how hard I worked for it not to be this way. Not to come to this.”
Even I was going to need to take some time to consider all that happened within that family. Of everything which had gone down, I still believed Oziel’s death had been entirely unnecessary. We had given him multiple chances to do the right thing, and still he charged Esta. And in doing so, he chose death. Now Vashti had no legacy, no living children left.
Nana moved to put an arm on her shoulder. “You are a Mallick. You always will be as long as you’d like to be. Of course you may go to Keld. We will check in from time to time, not only because after the past few months we would like to make sure no other tensions arise, but also because we would simply like to see how you’re doing. When I am able, I would like to visit.”
Tears in her eyes, Vashti gave her mother-in-law a nod.
Amaya’s voice was quiet as she said, “I do not know that I will be ready for a visit anytime soon, but I would like to get to a place eventually where I can. Right now my grief over losing Samori is just too raw.”
Reyald came closer, the lake sloshing at his feet, and looked Vashti in the eyes. “I am sorry. Truly. I should’ve reached out more to Lennix and fixed things. I mull over the thousands of opportunities I had to fix things and didn’t. The rift was so large we just couldn’t find our way across it.”
Vashti gave him a nod. “Thank you. I know it is not your fault, or Lennix’s, but a combination of the two.”
“I hold some blame also,” Nana admitted.
