Page 57 of Songs of Retribution

My muscles went rigid with anxiety, but I nodded. Shaan's powers crackled, the buzz of their energy sweeping into the air. God, he'd kill whoever this was if they made one false move.

Kaelin turned towards the group and gestured. A soldier in the back dismounted and helped someone down from their kelpie. They moved through the crowd slowly, but when the woman with her kind eyes and silvery hair slipping past her headscarf stepped forward, I didn't wait for her to reach me.

I strode across the clearing, approaching her with tears in my eyes. "Aila."

She bowed deeply. "Your Highness."

"No." I hugged her before she'd risen all the way. "Don't. I'm 'Your Highness' to almost every being on this field." I whispered against her neck. "Let me just be Lennox to you, please."

She hugged me tight. "If that's what you wish."

I pulled back and clasped her hands. "It is. I'm so glad you're okay. Lira told me—”

"I believe I told her not to count me out." Aila's eyes twinkled. "She apparently listens as well as you did as a child."

My breaths came in gasps as I attempted to keep tears at bay. I doubted the Seelie soldiers wanted to see their Prince who they'd sacrificed everything for weeping before his childhood nursemaid. But Aila was more than that to me; she was family. I'd feared the worst when Lira told me what happened and hadn't allowed myself to dwell on it. It was one more tragedy I'd have to face and grieve after we finished this fight.

"I believe," I said, my voice trembling, "I was a fairly well-behaved child."

Aila chuckled. "That you were."

Shaan had caught up, and I shifted to include him. My heart wanted to burst with joy, and I gestured to him. “It is my honor to introduce you to Prince Shaan of the Prasanna. Shaan, this is Aila.”

They both looked at each other with renewed interest. Aila had known of my feelings for Shaan long before I’d revealed them to anyone else, and he understood how much she meant to me.

Shaan bowed and pressed his hands together. "It is a tremendous honor to meet you, Mataji."

"The honor, Prince Shaan, is mine."

For a moment, I reveled in the bubble of peace that surrounded us. We had more problems to deal with than I could name, but for a few heartbeats of time, I truly believed we could overcome them all.

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

NEIA

Orman had keptto his intentions. Despite me spending the entire day trying to talk him down, he batted my remarks away, set his face into a stubborn frown, and stared ahead at the stone walls.

I wanted to punch him. If I thought I could take him in a fight, I might have. Instead, I paced furiously back and forth as the cell seemed to shrink. I wished Elisa was here. She could talk sense into him. I was too caustic to break through his resolve. Elisa would only need to look at him with her wide, sad eyes, and he'd probably reconsider for a minute at least.

Sai wouldn't want an army at this cost, and I didn't believe Orman's life was the only way to get it. I wasn't even sure the elves would help us, regardless. Orman was not going to die for nothing. At least not on my watch.

I gritted my teeth and prepared to make another argument he'd ignore but at that moment he stood. "They're coming."

"Orman." I was mewling. "Please."

He gave his head a shake. "It's what needs doin', Neia. It's been an honor." He thrust his hand out.

I slid my anxiety dampened palm into his and wanted to clasp his hand tight and drag him away from this. "I've decided I don't like honorable you."

He chuckled. "Why? Making you feel guilty, mate?"

He released my hand, and I whimpered. I wouldn't let him face execution without intervening, regardless of what he said, but I was likely to get us both killed. "I don't do guilt."

"Pfft." He rolled his eyes. "You're dripping with guilt right now and over something that ain't got a bit to do with you."

"Sai wanted me to join you to help. Letting you die isn't helping."

Orman stepped closer to me, his warm brown eyes shining with honey-colored highlights from the glow of torches. His expression had gone soft as he clapped a hand on my shoulder. "I wanted you to come with me and I'll tell ya’ the truth. If I'd had the pick of anyone, I'd have chosen you. Thank you, Neia. Ya' made it easier to face all this. They'll be here in just a moment. Use your shadows to escape. Tell Sai thank you. He gave me a purpose when I thought my life had ended." One corner of his mouth pulled up. "Tell me, what do you think your wedding will be like? You gonna' go Prasanna with it and have a full week of celebrating? I hope you will. I think Elisa'd like it."

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