Page 113 of Across an Endless Sea

A stone settles in my gut, because I know, I justknow, that it’s Caed. Even if his closeness wasn’t thrumming behind my ribs, the truth is written in Jaro’s sudden stiffness and the worried lines on the faun’s brow. Kendel’s expression remains impassive as she peels away from the squires she was training and escorts him into the palace, but I know the knights are prepared for this too.

Wraith butts at my waist with his nose, and I reach out to stroke him absently. Within minutes, Florian is there, striding from the palace towards me. His shoulders are rigid, eyes glowing with a combination of fury and concern. Jaro leaves his spot and comes to stand beside me, and the two males exchange a look.

“Caed’s here.” I save them the trouble of announcing it, but my hand has a death grip on Wraith’s fur.

“You don’t have to see him,” Jaro reminds me, tugging me in for a one-armed hug. He takes my chin delicately between his forefinger and thumb, then pulls my face up to look at him. “We can arrange it so he’s in a separate room. You only promised to hear him out. No one would blame you for taking those words literally. In fact, the unseelie would probably praise you for it.”

I shake my head and pull away. “I promised.”

Despite the dread percolating in my stomach, I need to see him. I want to judge for myself if he’s even a tiny bit remorseful for what I went through. Even if he isn’t, this is too important for me to be left out of.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s that my Guard will hide me from the world if they think they can get away with it. Despite how good their intentions are, I’m sick of others making decisions for me.

Granted, they know more about this world than I do, so I’ll take their advice into account, but if I’m supposed to be queen, it’s time I started acting like one.

“I’ll see him in the throne room,” I decide, shocking them both. “I assume Prae is with him?”

Florian nods. “And a fox.”

I can hear the crushed hope in his voice. He’s not letting himself believe that it’s really Bram until he sees him with his own eyes, and I understand. How many failed searches has he been on? How many false leads have crushed him before?

“Caed doesn’t know who he is,” I reassure my brother. “He thinks he’s just another fae called Marlblew.”

Florian snorts, a little more hope flashing into his eyes. “So, he’s still using that old name?” he mumbles, turning away. “I’ll bring them to you, Nicnevin.”

Jaro sticks close to me as I walk into the palace, and so does Wraith. A few steps into our walk, he offers me his hand and I take it gladly, squeezing in thanks. I suspect my full Guard will want to be here for this, and I’m proven right when I step through the great doors and find Bree and Drystan kicking around the roots of the hawthorn throne. Both of them look up as I enter, and while Bree looks resigned, I can tell Drystan is furious.

Hopefully he’s not mad atmethis time.

“Can I stab him?” Lore asks, and I crane my neck to see him tangled in the twisting boughs of the wisteria that cover the ceiling.

His hat is currently an executioner’s hood, obscuring most of his face as he dangles upside down by his knees, a position that leaves his shirt caught around his under arms and his pale abs on display. His acrobatics also reveal a leather harness over his chest, strapped full of knives. I blink twice, trying to count them. How many blades does he really need? And how useful they can be trapped under his clothing?

“No stabbing,” I reply, remembering what he said. “Well, not unless I say so.”

Lore lets out a whoop and blinks to sit on Wraith’s back, pecking a kiss to my cheek before blinking over to sit on the arm of my throne.

“I’ll use my bluntest blade,” he promises. “Maximum tearing. He deserves it.”

Drystan grabs Lore by the collar and drags him off my throne just as I reach it. I let my fingers glide over the arms, tracing the knots in the wood as I sit and take a deep breath. Kitarni rushes in, robes askew and leaves falling from her hair as she hurries to take a seat on my left. She and I are the only two sitting, but I don’t bother telling the rest of my Guard to take a seat. I can feel their wound up energy from here, and it’s a miracle they aren’t pacing a hole into the tiles beneath them.

They take places on either side of my throne. Drystan on my left, Jaro and Bree on my right, while Lore returns to hanging from the wisteria. Wraith eyes the spot beside Drystan but chooses instead to stretch out on the dais around my throne, resting his head on my lap.

The weight of the barghest’s skull is considerable but reassuring. At least with him holding me in place, I can’t do anything stupid, like run from the room screaming the second I see Caed.

A knock at the door sounds, and I give the waiting page a slow nod, stroking Wraith to disguise how my hands are shaking.

That’s all it takes.

Florian enters first, bowing once before he claims the spot in front of my throne, hand on his sword as he turns to face the threat.

Caed fills the doorway seconds later, flanked on both sides by Elduin and Cailu. He looks much the same as ever, if a little more bedraggled than usual. Same sleeveless coat, iron armbands, and shirtless blue abs. Same braided, ashen hair and turquoise eyes. He even holds his shoulders in the same cocky way.

The only thing which has changed since the last time we were both in the palace together is the tattoo across his arm and chest and the fox curled around his neck.

Bram.

Relief loosens my grip on Wraith’s fur.

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