Page 46 of Of Vows and War: Special Edition
“Your Majesties. Your Highnesses. Isle Shifter welcomes you with great gratitude. We are honored to have the royal family upon our shores,” she beamed, clasping her hands together.
“Tasi, it is wonderful to see you once more.” Xavier practically hummed the words, mischief pouring off of him in waves. I watched with bewilderment as he stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and kissed her knuckles. Tasi stared at him with open desire, her bottom lip between her teeth as he held his mouth upon her skin for far longer than was necessary or proper.
“Yes, we do so enjoy visiting our many wardens,” Mia added, stepping into their space. Xavier released his hold on Tasi and nodded in agreement. “We are also proud to formally introduce you to Princess Asher Mounbetton, our daughter.”
Every fiber of my being seemed to will me to flee as those words came from her mouth. I did not run though, rather, I stared dumbfounded at the queen who had finally made her move. She was claiming me. Officially marking me as hers in preparation for ascending the throne. None of it made sense, not when she knew I was against her and uninterested in ruling as she did. Especially after all she had done to me this last year. I was volatile and determined to kill her, even if it meant my death too. Yet there she stood, arm outstretched to me and eyes glassy. Pride was shining on her face and pouring from her mind. It washed over me slowly, like sinking beneath the waters of a calm lake. A slow embrace of parental joy.
It was as if…as if she were telling the truth. As if none of it had happened. Like she thought I was still on her side, if not a bit confused from the magic that harmed me.
Eternity above.
“Yes, Strange One. You are finally seeing the truth of it all. That power of yours is showing its cards—rearing its ugly head.” Wrath’s deep and haunting voice seemed to echo off the sky itself. “As I said before, the price of such a gift is not your morality or the fear of others. The price of that power is your mind.”
I risked peering down at him where he sat to my right, his head just higher than my hip now. He looked soreal.
They all had.
“Asher?” Mia inquired, her face pinching in worry. Oh, did it look so unfathomably real. The face of a mother who was concerned about her daughter.
I tried to picture Bellamy, to remember how real he had truly been. I had once told myself I would always remember the tiny things that made up who he was, that I would never forget. But now I feared I might have meticulously crafted him in my mind after meeting him atop that balcony. Could it be that a single kiss and a few moments of attention had sparked this descent in my sanity?
With Mia before me, her arm lowering and her body fully pivoting towards mine, I was faced with the very real possibility that I had made it all up. That I had been horribly wrong in it all. Would it be that unrealistic for my mind to work against me after so long of my magic—power?—tormenting others?
Blinking, I did my best to shake off the thoughts. Even if—gods forbid—I had made it all up, that did not change the truth of the matter. They had hurt me nearly my entire life. I was not bound to them or the duty they had forced upon me. I did, unfortunately, have a role to play in that moment.
“My apologies, it seems I am still a bit seasick. Please, forgive me, Warden Tasi. It is wonderful to meet you and to be here on your isle.” I offered her a dip of my chin, which she quickly returned with a deep curtsy. She must have been the warden ofthe Single Lands, as Theon held the position for the Multiples before he had died. Had he died? Had I killed him? Or had I made it all up?
“No apologies necessary, Your Highness. I do agree though, it is lovely to officially meet you. I had visited while you were on your sick bed to pray to Eternity beneath the stars with the other wardens not long before you awoke. Perhaps the King and Queen’s desire for help from above was the answer after all,” she said, her smile shrinking minutely.
Every hair on my body stood on edge as silence suddenly overtook the beach. Shifters loomed, fidgeting and whispering. My magic barreled into the newly built gate around my mind, barely keeping it contained to stifle the pain of using it. Something within my chest writhed—The Manipulator seeking a foothold.
“Something is very wrong,” I whispered to Sterling, tugging him farther into me as I stood straighter. “Stay close and keep your eyes ahead.”
“Well, are we ready to make our way to the carriages? My estate is not too far from here. I already have dinner prepared,” Tasi said, gesturing to the spot where the sand rose in the distance and wooden steps led to a grassy area. Beyond must have been the carriages. How I wished we were not about to be forced to ride in them like caged animals. To say I was surprised that Xavier was allowing this would be an understatement. I was on edge the entire walk forward.
Beyond the steps, trees with jagged and sharp leaves loomed. Towering mountains without a hint of snow dominated the far right of the landscape, and beautiful stone homes poked from between the lush greenery on the left. It was a vision as we grew nearer, birds fluttering the leaves and singing above. Tasi continued forward, the male from before with the tattoos now on her right. He was speaking softly but animatedly to her, hisnerves projecting my way and once more rattling that lock on my mental gate.
The two carriages were simple and black, though as we got closer I saw that they had small etchings of different animals on them in the same color. Stunning brown and white spotted horses were already strapped in and ready to pull us to the warden’s home.
Despite my overwhelmed and slightly panicked mind, I did my best to breathe deeply and remain focused. I had to continue to believe it had all been real, to push forward and take down the royals.
But to do that, I had to remain free.
So I straightened my back and played the part I had been trained in my entire life.
Letting go of Sterling’s arm, I grabbed my skirts and walked to Mia’s side. She smiled at me softly, but her body was tense.
“Where is the warden of the Multiple Lands?” I inquired, trying my hardest to remain neutral on the subject.
“He died in a demon attack on the Golden Guard base here,” she whispered, her tone solemn. Ah, so the islehadbeen attacked. Another consistency with what I remembered, at least. “The demons become a bigger problem as the days go on. When we get home, you, Xavier, and I must accept the very real possibility that we will be in the center of a battlefield someday very soon.”
With that, she took Xavier’s hand and entered the second carriage, smiling at him as if he were her best friend. I remembered I once thought they were.
“Wife,” Sterling said, holding his hand out to me as he stood near the carriage door.
I rolled my eyes, leaning closer and hissing, “I am not your wife. Stop that.”
“Just maintaining appearances.” Shrugging, he let me put my hand in his and helped me into the carriage. When my skirts got caught, he chuckled and shoved his shoulder into me until I slipped through. Much to Mia’s dismay and Xavier’s amusement, I fell straight onto my hands and knees.
