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Loric steps away from me, his head falling back as he looks to the sky for strength.
“But you were a prisoner. Could you not have returned after Meg was taken?”
Loric snorts, shaking his head. “Elaria died in the dungeon.”
“She was tortured…” Just like Meg and I. “The king killed her, didn’t he?”
“Not in the way you think, and I'm honestly not sure which would’ve been better. The king gave Asmodeus an ultimatum, wear the cuff or he’d kill us and make him watch. Asmodeusrefused, knowing the moment he put it on he’d be a prisoner forever, just without bars. The king had planned to use him as a weapon. The king killed Elaria and then turned to me and Asmodeus caved saying he’d wear it as long as I wasn’t harmed anymore. Instead, I got to watch Jesper and my friends get tortured from that point on, while I rotted in a cell.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, incapable of looking at him, even though I can feel his gaze on me. The king did that to him, my flesh,my blood.
“After I was released, I was so angry, I didn’t want to go anywhere. I wanted to be here when the king’s castle crumbled to ash. Jesper and I joined the rebels in the outer realm, found Mira, Brenn and Vik on the way, and met Faelor there. All of us never looked back. We broke the law and were excommunicated for it. So, we can take you there, but we can’t stay. One day, if you become queen, maybe we can return with a pardon, but you have to prove your blood before they’ll even entertain the idea of giving you that crown.”
“It sounds like you need me to go.” I meet his gaze, and I don't need spelled paint to see the hurt in his eyes.
“No, trust me. I don't, not for me, but I need you to go for you, so you can get closure. And if you get there and hate it, then I'd jump at the chance to make you mine for good, not just for one night.” He gives me a sluggish grin, one that doesn't quite meet his eyes. “And should you become queen, well, you know where to find me.”
“Then it's decided. How much time do we have before we fly to the moons?”
His eyes drop to the space between us. “Tomorrow. Maybe one more day. It depends.”
Tears spring to my eyes, and no matter how hard I try, there’s no stopping them from streaming down my face. Loric tips mychin to kiss them away, drawing in a shaky breath as if he’s struggling with the same battle.
“I want more time,” I whisper as he hugs me close to his chest.
“I know, but we still have time, and I'd much rather spend that time seeing you smile than kissing away your tears.”
Nodding, I wipe my face. “You're right.”
We continue up to the cottage and the movement I saw earlier catches my attention again, jostling the wildflowers off to our right. A fluffy white tail curls and a delicate purr reaches my ears, growing louder the closer I get.
“What are you doing?” Loric asks, watching me as I step off the stone path to the house, drawn toward the flowers.
“Looking at something.” Reaching down, I part the flower steps to find a small, pure white kitten with golden eyes staring up at me. It hunkers to the ground, it’s fluffy tail swishing as if it’s uncertain on whether it should run or stay deathly still. My heart explodes as I reach for it, gathering it in my arms and squealing as I whirl to face Loric. “It’s a cat!”
“A what?” he asks, coming closer. He halts midstep a few paces away. “Oh no. Put it back.”
“Why? It’s probably lost.” I curl a finger under its chin and it closes its eyes, nuzzling into my touch.
“It’s a pest and no one here keeps never cats as pets, Calamity.”
“But it’s adorable. This is nothing like those things we saw.” Up close, I can see the gray and white stripes of its fur, the color change is so faint I wouldn’t have noticed if I weren’t holding it.
“Put it down. You can give it food on the porch, but that’s it. We’ll be on our way in the morning and regardless of whether that’s to the Luminaries or Lythanar, there’s no way it can go with us.”
The little creature stares up at me, its golden eyes rounding, so pure, and so sweet, I can’t imagine it being deadly. “But it needs me.”
“Needs you?I need you. That thing will have horns in a year or two and be on a pure meat diet. It’s not cute, it’sferocious. Trust me, it can fend for itself.”
“Look at it,” I plead, stroking its fur. It rubs against me, its little tiny teeth showing between its lips as it smiles.
“Put it back.” Loric takes a step closer and the kitten twirls in my arms, hissing at him.
“Well, now you’ve upset it… Fine, go ahead and once it calms down, I’ll put it back.”
Loric shakes his head but nods and steps inside. I glance to the ground, then back at the little cat that’s barely bigger than my hand. Digging in my pocket for the bread I took from the festival, I pause.
It could fit…
