Page 116 of Across an Endless Sea

Both of them have told the truth the entire time, and I’m pretty sure that’s the only reason they’re both still being allowed to speak.

“As a show of good faith.” Prae takes a step closer to me, which makes every fae in the room reach for a weapon. She pauses, rolling her good eye before she continues, “I will tell you that he’s on his way to reclaim her with a fleet a hundred times the size of anything you’ve seen before. He was ordering every able-bodied Fomorian to build more ships. It’ll be half a year, at most, before he’s at your doorstep, and our cousins will do anything to be the one who has you caged and ready for his arrival. Especially now that there’s an opening for the position of heir.”

The silence is so thick I could hear a pin drop in the next room.

“The last two walls are going to fall,” she finishes. “If you’re smart, you won’t be here when they do.”

All five males stiffen as a bolt of fear runs down my spine and lands heavily in my gut. Jaro opens his mouth, probably about to suggest I leave, if the expression on his face is anything to go by, but I shake my head.

I may be younger than all of them, but I’m not a child to be sent from the room whenever the adults need to talk. As much as he might hate that I’m afraid, fear alone won’t kill me. I can handle it.

“Thank you for the information,” I reply, surprised at how even my voice is as I rise to my feet and turn to my brother. “We will discuss this privately. In the meantime, I want it known that Prae isn’t to be harmed while she’s here. She can walk the city and the palace, as my guest.”

“And Caed?” Florian asks, scowling.

I shrug with a confidence I don’t feel, releasing Wraith’s fur as I turn away. “I believe Danu has made it clear that it’s not my job to decide his fate.”

The Fomorian in question growls, surging to his feet, and tugging both Cailu and Elduin after him.

“Coward!” he snarls. “Casting me off as someone else’s problem?” He takes another step forward, despite the twins’ attempts to hold him back. “Even after I saved your skin from that assassin and brought your beloved brother back to you?”

Growls echo through the chamber, but Lore’s voice rises above them all.

“Wraith, dinner,” he snaps.

A rush of white blurs past me, and the throne room is filled with the snarls of a barghest before I can even turn to see what’s happened.

Caed has been tackled to the ground, and now Wraith is standing on top of him, his great furry paws digging into the Fomorian’s chest and drawing blood as he snarls and growls. Only Jaro’s arm around the barghest’s neck is stopping Caed from being eaten.

“Call him off!” I cry, forgetting that I’d just declared Caed not my problem. “Lore!”

The redcap sighs, then blinks down. “Fine. Wraith! Protect.”

The barghest gives Caed one last look, then slinks back to my side. He doesn’t stop staring at the Fomorian, though, which isn’t helping matters.

“I have no powers,” Caed snarls. “Danu took those, too. If you leave me to these bastards, I’m dead. If you banish me, I’m dead too.”

I tip my chin up and meet his anguished gaze with a boldness I don’t feel. “I guess you should’ve thought about the consequences of your actions when your father stroked my wings and whispered in my ear how nice they’d look pinned to a wall. Or how about when he threatened to rape me until I gave him an heir to legitimise his claim to my throne? You swore to protect me, but when I needed your protection. You. Did.Nothing.”

You could hear a pin drop in the silence which follows my outburst. I’m not the only one surprised by the savage anger in my own voice, but I can’t hold it for long. My next words are softer, and my voice cracks embarrassingly.

“You turned away.”

“Rose.”

I cut him off. “Your father was about to force a mate bond on me, and youturned away. If it wasn’t for Bree’s snake, you would have let him, and you didn’t even have the balls to watch.”

The moment everyone else realises what I’ve said, more snarls fill the room and my composure starts to fracture. Turning on my heel, I flee from the room, Wraith hot on my heels.

I don’t make it far before I collapse against a wall. It feels like someone has stolen the air from my lungs and the strength from my bones. Wraith licks at my face while I sit in the abandoned corridor hugging my knees and try my best not to shake.

Bark-covered hands grasp my shoulders, and I stiffen as Kitarni pulls me into a full-body embrace.. Her body is hard, covered in gnarly knots, and rough like wood, but still, the intent is there.

“Rose,” she whispers. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I kno—” I cut off, unable to finish the lie. “I just… I hoped he’d be sorry. Even a tiny bit of remorse would’ve made it better. Instead, he’s just… angry.”

“My cousin is a dick.” Prae’s voice startles me, and I jerk my head up to see her lounging against the wall opposite us. “And a complete idiot. But I agree with the tree.” She rolls her eyes at my pointed censorious look. “High Priestess—dryad—whatever. He’ll have plenty of time to think about his fuck-ups in relative safety while he’s in the dungeons.”

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