Page 71 of A Kiss of Embers
He hardly believed his ears. The entire situation seemed far too suspicious. And quite frankly, he felt safer on this side of the Ember Fae than on the other. “A half-breed? It’s against the law.”
“That law died the moment Alban got chained up in a cell.”
It took a moment for him to remember that Cranky Cricket’s actual name was Alban. He preferred the latter.
Well, shite…
He scratched his cheek as he surveyed the waft of steam rising behind him, then at the slew of villagers watching the Ember Fae with wide, uncertain eyes in the distance. His heart cracked when he didn’t see his father because Cranky Cricket had killed him. It was up to him now to lead these people.
Unless…
His gaze fell on Seraphina lying at his feet. The thought of losing her hurt. Because to be together, one of them had to give up their home.
And he certainly wanted nothing to do with being concubine number four. Or three. But still.
“Clear out the meeting house,” he ordered. “We are far more civil than to allow our newfriendsto camp outside while their queen recuperates. They can stay there.”
“But Chief…” Gael frowned.
“But nothing. She saved all your sorry hides. The least she deserves is your appreciation, a soft bed beneath her head, and a warm bowl of broth to fill her belly.”
“I’d rather go to your home,” Seraphina murmured behind him.
While the others begrudgingly followed his orders, he turned around and smiled at Seraphina, where she now lay with her eyes open. “I currently find myself homeless. Pri burned down my home. Cranky Cricket burned down my father’s home…”
He trailed off, and his smile slowly fell as he thought of his father. He hadn’t yet found a chance to mourn him. He desperately wanted the man at fault to pay, to burn like his father had. But…
“Bastien.” Seraphina rolled her head to the side until she met his gaze. “Your father—”
“Chief!” another villager cried out, winded as he approached. Though, the man slowed to a stop when he caught sight of the Ember Fae. Like the entirety of his people, they didn’t seem to know what to make of them. “Your presence is needed in the jailhouse.”
“All right,” Bastien scoffed. “Now I’m starting to feel like this is a joke. Who in their right mind named me the chief?”
“Uh…” The man glanced between Gael and Tobie. “Ashryn. She’s got all the hostages at knifepoint.”
“Of course,” he breathed, running a hand down his face. Ashryn could be very persistent with a knife in her hand.
He turned back around, and the Ember Fae guards allowed him to pass once again until he knelt on one knee beside Seraphina and took her hand. “Queen to Chief, perhaps we can come to some sort of…peaceful arrangement with the Glades.”
Gasps of surprise resounded on all sides of him, and Seraphina’s eyes grew wide. “But…but…our people have been fighting over the Glades for as long as I’ve been alive. It can’t just…stop.”
He chucked her chin and grinned. “I can’t see why not. Without you, they’d be gone altogether. I think that should be taken into full account.” More than anything, he wished to pull her into his arms and kiss her until her strength returned. But he forced himself to stand and step away. “Get some rest, Ser. My people will show you where to go.”I hope. “But I’d still keep one eye open if I were you.” He grimaced and shrugged as he glanced at their group of dark-haired fae again. “Or two.”
And then to himself, he murmured, “Autumns knows I’ll do the same.”
As he walked toward the jailhouse with his patrol guard comrades at his side, it felt odd when villagers stared as he passed, with a level of uncertainty in their eyes. And he suddenly realized they didn’t know what to do. Without Cranky Cricket issuing orders after the Ember Fae had saved themandthe supposed enemy wasn’t attacking, no one seemed to know what happened next.
What was this?he wondered to himself.A coup? Did Ash organize this?
He stopped before the jailhouse and took a deep breath to try to calm the anger simmering in his veins. His fists clenched at his sides. His body temperature spiked despite his best efforts. Ever since he and his father were dragged to Attleglade, he’d wanted to kill Cranky Cricket.
Unable to dampen his anger, he threw the door open and strode inside, only to find the prison packed. Ashryn, Sylvain, and a handful of other people kept the council members inside a single cell. The six of them stuck up their haughty noses, but he didn’t miss the underlying fear in each of their eyes.
Bastien pushed up his sleeves, but before he managed to approach the cell, Ashryn took hold of his elbow, steered him to the opposite corner of the room, and blocked his view of the cell.
“I could kill you right now,” she hissed, one hand over her stomach as if the wound still pained her. “What were you thinking? Jumping the ravine like that?”
Obviously, she knew the answer because she didn’t allow him to speak before pulling him into a tight embrace. He swallowed the emotion gripping his throat. Because he knew this was one of the last times he would embrace her. At least for a while.
