Page 119 of The Crown of a Fallen Queen
“Your Luther tried to kill Elio twice. Wasn’t he acting on your orders?” I ask.
She joins me by the tub and dips a hand into the water. “Luther is a good soldier, but he’s young. He’s got a skewed, somewhat romantic view of the future. He thinks he can save the world from many ailments, including grief.”
“But you don’t approve?” I press her.
“A world without pain is impossible. I think we both know that.”
A heavy sigh whizzes through my lungs. “Aidan wants you back.”
“Aidan wantshisWillow back, but she’s gone.” Willow wets a piece of cloth and uses it to wash my back, wiping the last remnants of the attack from my skin. “Even if he was manipulated and brainwashed by our parents, he still stood by while that monster of a king used and abused me. I resent him for it.”
“I don’t blame you.”
She braces her chin over the copper rim of the tub and draws absent-minded patterns in the water near my feet. “Freya will eventually succumb to the wounds she suffered in the attack, so once Ethan is neutralized and killed, only the Red Queen will need a good spanking. After that, the new order of things can finally prevail.”
“What about Alaric Rayne? Was he part of your new order?” The water sloshes around me as I bend forward to hold myknees. “With the Chalice gone, anyone can be chosen—even the most devious psychos.”
“The Chalice never kept psychos from the throne. Alaric would’ve been neutralized within days, had you not intervened. We were preparing to sail to Deiltine. Destroying the Chalice was only the first step. The seven crowns were holding an entire realm’s magic in it, preventing its people from rebuilding, forcing them to stay in hiding. That’s not right.”
For a moment, it feels like we’re two best friends at a sleepover, gossiping about boys and planning our futures.
Before her marriage, she was a fierce Summer Fae—sun-bright and clever, always busy planning a secret get-together or a grand, public gala. But after she wed Ezra, she absorbed something of him. His light. His lure. His cunning. That maddening quality that made him seem dangerously approachable. Sweet, yet lethal.
From that day on, she carried it too—that same glittering charm. That quiet, compelling power to make me feel like I was her one true friend. Like everyone else either didn’t matter…or answered only to us.
Like I was the most badass Fae in all the worlds.
The rubies on her knuckles shine under the firelight as she unravels my braids. She cleans my hair, threading her delicate fingers through to massage my scalp and style my red mane into soft, smooth curls.
“What I want is a Faerie government that exists independently of the crowns. Using the Mist Jewels, the Tidecallers can hold royals accountable for their crimes or inadequacies,” she says.
“You have that power?”
She holds out a clean towel. “I’ve taken on all the kings and queens of Faerie at once. I could easily kick your ass.”
I step out of the tub. “Could you take on the new Mist King, too?”
“Yes.” She punctuates the statement with a wink. “I’ll have rooms prepared for you and Seth, and we’ll discuss the next steps in the morning.”
I couldn’t bear to be alone tonight, and my eyes dart down. “One room will suffice.”
Embers flicker in her gaze. “Ooh, I thought I got a vibe, earlier. Good for you. Well, good for Seth, really. You’re the catch of the century.”
I raise my brow, feigning to be offended. “Century only?” I tease.
She laughs and pinches my arm. “Oh, I’ve missed you, sister. I want you by my side, and Luther… He still hopes his brother will come around. If you found each other on your own, maybe we’re finally getting what we wished for. Like it was written in the stars.”
“The stars can be deceiving,” I murmur.
“But they light the way,” she says with a wistful smile. “Always.”
Chapter 39
Brothers
SETH
Ihover near the bedroom door Devi just disappeared through, reluctant to leave her alone. The obvious familiarity between her and the Lord of the Tides sets me on edge. Willow Summers waved me off like it was no big deal, but she has no idea what Devi endured.
