Page 86 of A Realm of Fire and Ash

"His mother built his portal." He narrows his eyes, taking too much interest in me now. "Only he can travel through it."

His mother, the Luna goddess. She's who the good fae go to when they die, and she lives beyond the veil, supplying magic to all fae, no matter your realm.

I feel Aggonid's hand on my shoulder as he steps protectively in front of me. I've said too much, and he's determined to protect me.

"You will get your portal back to the underworld, but it won't be ready for another month," Valtorious says gruffly, effectively closing the conversation.

He snaps his fingers, and all manner of staff step out of concealed doors. They begin to usher us through the halls, and Valtorious turns to me. "You will be our guest for the next month. I hope you find the hospitality of Romarie satisfactory."

I swallow hard, trying to keep my emotions in check.

"Show us to our chamber and we'll be out of your hair," Aggonid growls.

"Apologies, I wasn't expecting more than one of you. I've got you on the West wing, and your little friend here will have to stay in the tower with me. We've got a celebration tomorrow night, so we're quite full." He raises a brow, gesturing towards a stairwell, and my steps falter.

"The fuck you will." Aggonid moves in between us. "She'll stay with me."

Valtorious holds his hands up in surrender. "Doing business with you always comes with complications," he mutters, frustration clear in his voice. Then, he turns to a slight woman standing nearby. She is dressed in a light green gown that shimmers like the sea, and her hair matches the color perfectly. The woman's ankles are bound tightly together with a rope, preventing her from taking large steps, and the sight of it unsettles me. She reminds me so much of Wilder's mother. Is she a merfae?

"Bring them to the West wing and have someone ready their chambers. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Yes, my Lord." The fae obediently bows and leads us down a winding corridor.

We arrive at our chamber, a lavish room adorned with rich red tapestries, a large bed, and a massive fireplace. Aggonid sinks down onto the bedwithout ceremony, and I hesitate in the doorway.

"Well, I suppose this is our home for the next month," he says, forcing a small smile.

I hesitate as I shut the door behind me. "Why are you being nice to me?"

He sighs, flopping back so his legs still touch the floor, but the rest of his body lays on the bed. "You're my only ally here."

I climb onto the soft mattress and lean my back against the headboard. "Maybe I'm planning on seeking refuge here and finding my way back to Bedlam," I deadpan.

"Then you'd be a fool."

"Why?"

"King Valtorious is cruel, and only pretends to be a civilized host. People rarely make it out of Romarie alive, and you'd probably end up back in his care one way or another." He frowns slightly, then meets my eyes. "And I couldn't protect you if that happened."

"I don't know, Aggie." I grin at the nickname the king gave him. "You had me in chains, tortured me, and killed me in the short time I've known you. At least Ollin treats me with a modicum of respect."

"By ogling you?" His shadows curl around my form, the feel of them cool against my skin.

"You noticed that did you?"

He grumbles and throws an arm over his eyes.

"What was that?" I lean closer.

"I said," he sighs, "better the devil you know than the devil you don't. That's what they say, right?"

"You're giving me whiplash."

He tucks his legs up so he can roll further onto the bed and face me. "What do you want to talk to King Finian Drake about?"

"It'll be nice just to have a conversation with a familiar face," I hedge, but think better of it. “I think you know why I’m going to talk to him.”

A shadow falls over his features. "Do you love him?"

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