At that thought, my skin glowed faintly beneath Noc’s touch. Just enough to illuminate his fingers briefly before fading away. He stared at the space where his hand rested, and then he met my gaze with pure, unbridled joy in his eyes.
“Forever?”
I grinned. “Forever.”
He crushed me with a hug and pressed kisses to my cheeks. “Good. Because I couldn’t have turned you, anyway.”
“I know, I made you promise.”
“It’s more than that.” Pulling away a fraction, he took a blade from his inner coat pocket—which was odd, given he’d always used his nails—and slit open his palm. Blood pooled along his heartline and waited there, unmoving. After a moment, he reached around me with his free hand to grab a spare cloth next to a stack of bandages on the nightstand. Likely what’d been used to patch me up. He wiped away the blood, revealing healed skin, and I frowned.
“What are you showing me?” I held his hand and studied the reddish smear lingering there.
“I can’t control it anymore. Which also means, I can’t raise the dead.”
I blinked. “What?”
He scrubbed at his palm a bit more until the smear was gone, then set the rag on the nightstand. “I think when I announced you as queen and we entered into Wilheim together, we reversed the curse that started with Zane and Mavis all those years ago. Here.” He stood and offered his hand. Easing me up from the bed, he wrapped his arm around my waist so I could lean against him. Together, we shuffled toward the windows. He peeled back one of the curtains, displaying the courtyard outside of Wilheim’s castle.
A giant chasm had split the statue of the First King in half. And out of its center, a beautiful tree had grown tall against the sky. Queen’s Heart. I recognized the smooth white bark and full pink leaves. Its roots had crawled over the broken stone to drink from the water of the fountain. Noc pushed open the window, and a lukewarm spring breeze tickled my face.
He took a deep breath, savoring the sweet air that coursed around us. “Everything here feels lighter than I remember. More at ease.”
“And your shadows?” I asked.
He smirked and summoned a single tendril that darted around me before disappearing. “I still have those. I just can’t create any more undead. I don’t think there will be new Sentinels in Wilheim’s future, either.”
I stared out over the quiet city. Fortunately, Ocnolog’s fires hadn’t reached the wondrous salmon, daffodil, and tangerine-colored buildings. Or the rooftop gardens dotted with blooming white rosebushes. The crystal waterways still flowed freely, cutting through the capital and running alongside the marble pathways. It was utterly tranquil.
Noc leaned forward and pressed his forearms against the windowsill. “Oslo had said we could rewrite history. When the descendant of the First King and a Charmer reconciled the wrongs of the First War.”
Reconciled the wrongs.A bolt of lightning hit my spine, and I turned in place to grip Noc with both my hands. “What happened to the sedated Charmers? My parents?”
He smiled. “They’re fine. Would you like to see them?”
“Please,” I said, my answer barely a whisper.
“Can you walk? Or would you like me to have them sent up?”
“No. I–I want to go to them.” For years now I’d had nothing but memories of who they were. Stories my aunt had shared and that solitary, rose-gold ring I’d given to Onyx when I tamed him. Seeing both of them asleep in the bowels of Wilheim had made me realize how little I’d actually remembered. How much of them I’d suppressed to hide from the pain. I only hoped they’d forgive me for not seeking them out sooner.
With Noc’s help, I dressed in a simple, loose gown and ran a comb through my hair. I’d spent several minutes in front of the mirror fussing about flyaways and frayed ends, leaving Noc to roll his eyes.
“They’re your parents,” he’d said. “They’ll understand.”
Even so, I felt like I should have at least dressed up a bit more. But my body was already protesting at the length of the walk, so anything more restrictive probably would’ve only caused more issues. Comfortable would have to do.
As we strolled hand in hand, I let my eyes wander to our surroundings. To the high ceilings adorned with crystal chandeliers, the endless stretch of windows overlooking the city. Being that we were several flights of stairs up, I could glimpse out over the diamond and marble walls surrounding our kingdom to the endless grasslands. Ocnolog’s fires were extinguished, but there were still scorched patterns in the grass. A testament to what had happened.
But it was spring. New grass would bud and our world would keep turning. Peacefully, now, thanks to our efforts. My gaze drifted to the dark skyline on the horizon. The edge of Kitska Forest. And inevitably, what laid beyond.
My hand tightened in Noc’s. “Does anyone know what happened to Hireath?”
He grimaced. “It’s mostly gone. When Ocnolog rose out of the belly of the keep, he’d destroyed nearly everything. There are a few buildings that survived, but it will take time to rebuild it. Kaori and Raven plan on returning there soon to further assess the damage and determine the best path forward.”
A deep pang splintered through my heart.Gone.My first home, wiped clean off the map. The place where I’d tamed my first beast, where I’d lived happily with Mother, Father, and my aunt. Where I’d eventually risen to Crown of the Council. There were so many memories there. Not just for me, but for every Charmer who considered Hireath a sacred place. What would they do now? Where would they go?
“Fortunately, Cruor was unaffected, which means the Charmers who’d elected to stay there instead of participate in the war are unharmed.” Noc glanced at me through the corner of his eye. “We will send aid. Hireath is part of Lendria, and our people won’t be left to suffer.”
