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The words alone appeared to lift the weight from his shoulders just a little.
Queen Nyx wrapped him in a hug and planted a warm kiss on his jaw. “I’m so glad you’re all right.” She was a pretty goblin, smaller than most, but sturdy and built for hard work. A gift she embraced with her whole heart. Nyx could frequently be found in the kitchens working alongside the servants or in the gardens harvesting produce with the farmers.
“You don’t usually operate with such…dramatical flare,” Eris inserted as he stepped into their circle. His eyes sparked with humor. “I’m impressed. Although I’m not entirely sure what we’ve gotten ourselves into.” He glanced around, a touch of concern wrinkling his brow. “Are we dead?”
Jael barked a laugh. “Stones, no. This is temporary and will fade once the Bifrost is satisfied with the binding.”
Eris appeared relieved and chuckled ruefully. “That’s good to know. What does all this mean though? What now?”
Silence stretched between them. No one answered him, because no one possessed the answer to the question. This was unchartered territory. A whole new world.
“I suppose we will find out,” Jael said as he became aware of how tired he was.
King Ereb gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “Together.”
Queen Nyx pulled away from Jael with a final pat on his arm. Her gaze swept around the heart of the Bifrost, as if searching. “Kora! There you are!”
For the first time, Jael realized that their youngest brother stood apart from the family. His body betrayed tension, hands clenched at his sides, head turned so that no one could look him in the eye. A flicker of anger tore through Jael.
“He has a great deal of explaining to do.”
The others started at his cold tone.
“I see.” King Ereb’s voice filled with disappointment.
Queen Nyx uttered an exasperated sigh. “Really, Kora. What have you done this time?”
But Kora wouldn’t answer, his shoulder to them as if it might protect him from their wrath and disappointment. Jael parted his lips to tell all his brother’s recent indiscretions, but a gentle hand settled on his forearm and squeezed. Anrid stepped alongside him, eyes round and filled with questions.
“And who is this?” Nyx’s voice filled with curiosity, and something else Jael couldn’t quite pinpoint. She studied Anrid with extreme interest.
Jael laid his hand over the one Anrid had placed on his arm. “Oh, Mother, I’d like you meet Anrid. She is…well…we’ve collected a rather hefty number of orphans at Imenborg and she takes charge of them. Erm, their governess, I suppose you might say.”
It seemed so inadequate when she was so much more than a governess. She’d done Agmon a service they could never repay. She’d done something to him he would never forget. His heart yearned to tell her how he felt, but he feared his words would not be welcomed.
She’d never expressed any desire to stay in Agmon.
Nyx hummed. “I see. Orphans, you say? I’d love to hear more about that eventually, but for now: it’s a pleasure to meet you, Anrid.”
Anrid dipped a curtsey. “And you, your majesty.”
Nyx laughed. “Oh, none of that. We are to be friends, you and I, are we not?” She cast a gleaming look toward Jael. Heat filled his cheeks and went straight to the tips of his ears.
The king cleared his throat, arms crossed over his chest. “Well, I should like you to report to Elysium when this is all over, to give me a full update. Bring the orphans and their keeper with you, and we can find a place for them.”
A stone settled in the pit of Jael’s stomach. “Oh, but—”
“Thank you for the invitation,” Anrid said at the same time. “I’d be honored to visit your city. I’ve heard much about it.” She avoided looking at him, and yet she hadn’t pulled her hand away from his touch. It burned like fire beneath his palm.
He pulled away, steeling his heart for the disappointment it must endure. “There are matters I should attend to first,” he said. He sounded curt and cool, but he knew no other way to mask his emotions.
Anrid flinched and stepped away from him, locking her hands behind her back.
“Talos.” Kora breathed the name as if it were a curse.
Jael’s pulse leaped to a gallop. He’d forgotten all about him: how could he have neglected to make sure the elf was in hand? “Rock and bone!” He spun in a circle, but of course there was no sign of the dark elf here in the heart of the Bifrost. “I need to go back. Bifrost, send me back!”
Lights and color swirled as the magic released him from her hold and returned him to reality.
