No one could tell me much about mates before, besides what Odessa told me. But that wasn’t even the real her, so who knows if that was correct?
I throw a look over my shoulder at Lachlan, who might be in earshot, and whisper, “How do youknowif someone is your mate?”
Freya follows my gaze before giving me a knowing look. “It’sa tug at first. A gentle pull in that direction. But when the bond slides into place, you know it.” She struggles for the words. “Like a key fitting perfectly into a lock. If you accept it,”—she raises her hand again—“this appears.”
Her analogy, a key and a lock, has my cheeks burning with color. Every time Lachlan’s called me, ‘Key’ dances around in my mind. Mates. We could actually be mates.
“Do you think you might have one?”
Knowing who she’s related to helps me see her in a new light. As someone I could confide in and seek guidance from. She’s not just one of the most powerful rulers in our realms, but also the grandmother of someone I’ve been in love with my entire life.
My front teeth slide over my bottom lip, clamping it into place as I reminisce on moments with him. “I hope so.”
Freya grins, her eyes bright and lovely as she glances at Odr. “It’s a wondrous feeling. That shared connection between you and your soul mate. It’s woven into the tapestry of the universe. Nothing could keep you from finding each other, and nothing could tear you apart. Well,”—she grimaces—“that is if you accept the bond.”
My nose scrunches as I think over her words. “Do some people decide not to accept the bond?”
“To deny the bond is to deny fate. Some choose to set sail on their own paths.And it has not ended well.”
Evander walks through the residential hall and into the throne room before us. “We have a room ready for Freya and Odr.”
“Thank you, Evander. I’m not sure if we’ll need another room for Harald and Piominko. Can you check with them when you see them next?” Evander gives me a nod, clasping a hand on my shoulder as he leaves.
I turn to Freya. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
She studies my face and cups my cheek gently. The action isso motherly it makes my chest ache. “Tomorrow will be difficult for you. Get some rest.”
She looks at Lachlan, her eyes gleaming with emotion. “I would like to speak with you sometime. If that’s alright?”
Lachlan nods, his face gives nothing away to how he’s feeling. “That’s fine.”
The sky is pastel blue, the kind of blue that hints at a sunny, happy day. Waves break almost silently against the shore, as if they are also too sad to make a sound. The scent of rain and cedar seeps into the marrow of my bones, quelling the lingering anxiety I feel standing next to her boat.
This is it.
My Gran is gone.
I have no family left. Well, not any family I know.
I’m all alone.
Lachlan brushes against me, his touch reminding me I’m not technically alone.
I have my friends, I’m not alone.
My black gown twists around my legs in the ocean breeze.
Freya says heartfelt, kind words to the crowds gathered on the black sand beach. I don’t know how many people are here. I can’t even look at the boat to my right. My eyes stay locked onthe ocean before me. The constant swelling and rushing of the water against the sand is in line with my breathing.
In and out.
I can do this.
The royal guards step up, black wings shimmering in the early morning light. They push the large boat out to sea. Ornate carvings line the hull, the curling bow and stern, some of the grandest work I’ve ever seen on this island. Water sloshes around them as they heave. The same water races up the shore mere feet away from me.
I want to run into those waves.
I want to scream under the water where no one can hear me.
