Page 114 of Prince of the Northwest Forest
I’ve been as lost in memories as Justice. A tear streaks down his cheek, and I wipe it away. Then he’s wiping tears from my face, and we slide to the ground, holding each other.
“I don’t know what to say,” I whisper.
“Same,” Justice says. “I knew something was missing. I just never knew it had always been you.”
“How are you feeling now? Like everything is coming back into place?”
He nods. “When Keithen returned me from the Fae Realm, which was probably a few days here but a few months in Oregon, he made sure to snatch any evidence of our relationship, like your letters, and messed with my head a bit more. I’m not clear on whether or not we dated, although it’s no wonder I didn’t trust anyone after that experience.”
“Your father …” I say. “He passed away not long after you were taken. My parents held a proper funeral for him.”
Justice nods. “Since all of my memories relating to the Northwest Forest were taken from me, all I had was a vaguenotion that my father had left my mother. Which she already knew, since they were divorced. Those bastards.” He sniffles. “No wonder I like watchingBake Off. It reminds me of him.”
“I wish I could fix it all,” I admit.
He lifts up his hands to touch my scar. “You got this defending me.”
“And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’m just sorry I couldn’t be successful at the time.” He cuddles into me.
I hear someone clear their throat and realize that Linus has reappeared. “Are these yours?” he asks, holding out two packets of letters. One stack is written on parchment and addressed to Justice, tied with a black ribbon. The others are on bright white paper and addressed to me, tied with a rough string.
“Where did you find these?”
“Over there.” He points to one of the alcoves stuffed with objects the fae must have stolen along with people’s memories.
I look squarely at Linus. “Thank you,” I say, my voice as sincere as I can make it, “for helping me find my love and helping us find our memories.”
“You did me a great service,” he replies. “With your permission, I will go back to my property now.”
“You may go,” I say. “You have likewise done me and the Northwest Forest a great service. We will remember.”
After Linus leaves, I want nothing more than to keep holding and kissing Justice, but all too soon he pulls away. “Don’t forget that time passes differently in this realm,” he reminds me. “We should get back to our own as soon as possible.” He grins. “We can continue this discussion there.”
“Do you know the way back?” I ask.
He nods. “I remember how Linus got us here from the fairy circle, and I think I can find my way from the fairy circle to the portal in Tassiya Meadows. I was trying to remember landmarks the whole way. When I initially went through the portal, I hadthis great plan to make cairns as I went along—so I’d have a trail to follow on the way back—but the fae nabbed me right out of the gate. Jerkwads.”
“Then let’s get going,” I say, with one last kiss. Justice carries our letters. With Hazel and Martin, we exit the hall of memories, and Justice leads us to the portal.
“After you,” I say when we arrive, but he shakes his head and takes my hand.
“Let’s do this together, shall we?” he replies.
I smile at him. “I’d just as soon do everything together for the rest of our lives.”
Despite my wishes, I know I won’t be able to accompany Justice everywhere forever. Still, I insist on seeing him safely home to Princedelphia. At his apartment door, I pause. “I need to get back to my realm. I’m concerned about how long we’ve been gone.” Which was a week, as we learned when we turned Justice’s phone on again.
He had a million messages from Layla regarding his friend Daryl, who has apparently been in the hospital and is now recovering at his dad’s home. Justice is anxious to see him. Meanwhile, I want to find out if my brother has gotten anywhere with the Fire Realm. Mount Pátu looks like it’s more active than usual, so I’m not feeling optimistic.
I give him a gentle kiss and go to leave, but Justice unlocks his door and tugs me inside by my shirtsleeve. I … don’t resist.
“I need a quickie,” he whispers. And he leans in for a much deeper kiss than the one we shared in the hallway.
We’ve kissed a lot by now, and every time is special. I value each one, because I know what it’s like to have had them taken from me.
And I want to have access to them permanently. There has to be a way for us to be together for the rest of our lives.
What would have to happen for that to be possible? Royals have given up their claim to the throne for love before.
