Page 209 of Cherish

And just like that, the nerves die away.

I know it’s stupid, know I don’t need validation from any man to make me feel important. But Hudson isn’t just any man. He’s my mate, and there’s something about hearing him tell me he believes in me—something about him saying he knows I’ll be a good queen—that makes me believe that I just might be.

I hold tight for just a moment, listening to his heartbeat. Breathing him in. Reveling in the warm, sexy scent of him—amber and sandalwood and confidence.

So much confidence—in himself, in me, inus.

It gives me the boost I need to lift my head and meet his oceanic eyes. They’re filled with love, with pride, withforever, and as I gaze into them, I’m finally ready.

“Let’s do this,” I whisper.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

And then he puts an arm on my lower back and sweeps me along with him, straight into the portal.

118

Crown,

Interrupted

We walk out of the portal onto the grounds of a Katmere Academy neither of us has ever seen before. When Macy told me a few days ago that the school was almost ready, I hadn’t given it much thought. Hadn’t given this moment much thought.

But as Hudson and I walk over the magically packed snows of Denali, I can’t take my eyes off the new castle. In some ways, it looks just the same—gothic architecture, soaring towers, ornate parapets stretching across the top of it.

In other ways, though, it’s very different. The entrance is much wider and more welcoming. There are a ton more windows on every floor—I assume because defenses have changed a lot through the centuries. And, maybe most importantly, the gargoyles are all gone.

Of course, I knew that already. They’ve been at the Gargoyle Court with me for months.

Still, it’s nice to be here. And even nicer to know that Hudson and I will join the Circle here on Katmere’s grounds, where it all began for me—and for us. The fact that, as far as I know, no one is planning a human/gargoyle sacrifice ritual is also a plus…

The dais where we will be crowned is directly in front of us, and as we walk toward it, I realize that the other members of the Circle are already here.So many peopleare already here and lined up in place around the stage. Including my friends, who are shuffling into the spaces reserved for them.

My grandparents approach with solemn faces. Alistair reaches for me, and I think he’s about to give me a hug. But instead he goes for a handshake, pressing his palm to mine. As our skin meets, I feel the heat of the Crown burning against my palm. A quick shock follows, and then I look down to find the Crown emblazoned on my hand again.

“I thought you might have missed that, Granddaughter,” he tells me with a smile.

“You have no idea how much,” I answer as I curl my fingers over my palm.

He nods. “That’s exactly what I expect to hear from the gargoyle queen.”

And it’s true. When I handed the Crown over to him, I felt relieved to be out from under the pressure of everything it stands for.

But the longer I was without it, the stranger and less like myself I felt, though I never really put the two together. Now that the Crown is back safely with me, however, I have no intention of ever letting it go again.

I thought the Crown was taking things from my life—my painting, my relationships, my normal, everyday joy—but I see now that being a ruler isn’t overpowering those things. It’s strengthening them, making them more precious. Sure, it’s a lot of responsibility to carry the Crown, but it’s one I accept with pride.

As he and my grandmother step back, I turn to look at my friends, hoping for one moment of normalcy—of levity—from them, but their expressions are as somber as Alistair’s and the Bloodletter’s. Even Heather, who I half expected to be pumped up with excitement, is as serious as I’ve ever seen her as she reaches out a hand to squeeze mine as I pass by.

“You’ve got this,” she whispers to me, and I nod, even though I don’t feel like I have this at all. Giving orders on a battlefield is one thing, or settling disputes at the Gargoyle Court. But heading up the Circle is something else entirely.

Still, I won’t be doing it on my own. Hudson will be with me every step of the way. And if all of our challenges have proved nothing else, it’s that we make a really good team. Plus, we’ve seen a lot of bad ruling decisions, and hopefully we’ve learned from them. Hopefully, when it’s our turn to make the hard calls, we’ll be ready.

I turn to Hudson and realize he looks as resolute as I feel. Looks like we’re really doing this.

His smile says all the things I already know, just as I’m sure mine does. We take a moment for just the two of us in the midst of all this madness, and then, as one, we turn to the Bloodletter and Alistair, who—as the former gargoyle queen and king—are waiting to escort us to the stage.

And then I say, “We’re ready.” My voice echoes over the snowy fields to the mountains beyond.

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