Cassidy’s voice had softened, but the strain was still there. Emmaline hated it, hated knowing she was the cause. They’d been through too much to let this come between them—fire and blood and ashes, all of it, and they’d survived together.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” Emmaline’s thoughts spun as she tried to piece together a plan. “Can you keep it together until next Friday?”
Cassidy frowned. “Next Friday? Yes, I think so. Why?”
“It’s the Summer Equinox Ball. I believe that Lady Isolde plans to announce a marriage for Caelith, whether he wants it or not.”
“And that helps us how?”
“He’ll declare me as his mate and future wife instead.” She crossed her arms, daring Cassidy to challenge her certainty.
“Ems…” Cassidy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’m not saying you’re wrong. I just want you to be careful. You’re putting a lot on the line here—not just for you, but for all of us.”
“It’s not crazy! I’m not crazy! Once it’s established that we’re mates, I can’t be punished for what happened. Everything can come out safely, then. You’ll see.”
Cassidy stared at her, clearly unconvinced, but said nothing.
“Just give me until the Solstice.”
“Okay.” The tension in her frame eased as she squared her shoulders. “Okay. But don’t you have a class to teach before you find some Corgi pups to cuddle—I mean, babysit?”
“Thank you, friend. I’ll find a way to make it up to you and Lara. I promise.”
Cassidy scrunched her nose but stepped forward, pulling Emmaline into a firm hug. When she released her, she gave her a playful shove toward the door. “When you’re a big fancy Lady living in that oversized castle, I’m sure you’ll think of something suitable.”
“You can count on it.” Emmaline smiled before turning to slip out the door.
Alone in the hall, she leaned against the cool wood of the wall as the anxiety crept back in.
She could trust Cassidy. The woman had always been there for her. They all had.
Maybe it was just the stress, but talking with the Corgi Rider had tugged at something deep and raw, unearthing parts of her past she worked very hard to keep buried. The memory struck like a physicalblow: the ground quaking beneath her feet, sulfur stinging her nostrils as the air turned to fire. The cries of the burning and dying echoed in her ears, a metallic tang thick on her tongue. She could still see Cassidy, her face streaked with black and red, her arms trembling but steady as she dragged Margo to safety.
Emmaline squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the images back into the recesses of her mind. They had survived. Together. And now, when it mattered most, they would be there for her again. Straightening, she lifted her chin and pushed herself toward the small room behind the healers’ area where her class waited.
The familiar scent of parchment and ink greeted her as she entered the modest space filled with young elves scribbling notes. Emmaline forced her mind to focus on the task at hand, walking them through the basics of managing their paychecks. It was the least she could do.
It didn’t hurt that the pups were waiting after class, though. She always stayed for an hour, letting their fluffy, oversized forms swarm her as she sank into their unconditional warmth. Cassidy had started the program years ago as a way for those still wrestling with the trauma of the War—or the move to the New World—to find some measure of comfort. Most had moved on. But not Emmaline. The pups were a balm she couldn’t quite give up.
By the time she left Rider School, the sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows over the walkways. The pups’ heat still clung to her skin in a quiet reminder, but her smile dimmed with every step closer to home. Tomorrow meant returning to work, and the clock was ticking, the time to act slipping away.
She had less than two weeks to prove to Caelith they were destined mates.
Lady Isolde was an obvious obstacle, and Deyric was a problem she hadn’t anticipated. He had never spoken to her before that night. Heck, she hadn’t even known he existed, yet the way he’d watched her—it was as if he knew something she didn’t.
Whatever Deyric’s game was, she had to figure it out before he tipped the scales and ruined everything.
Chapter five
“Whereisyouruniform?”
Lady Isolde’s voice arched through the grand hall like the snap of a whip, halting Emmaline in her tracks. The older woman’s gaze swept over her, remaining just long enough to make the scrutiny feel like a weight pressing down on her.
“That is not what you were provided to wear while on the grounds.”
“Yes, my Lady.” Emmaline lowered her head in a practiced bow, her hands smoothing over the fabric cascading from her waist. The rich cerulean silk clung to her frame before flowing into a waterfall of pleats, each fold edged in delicate lace woven with tiny embroidered blossoms in shades of silver and pale green.
“I apologize,” she continued, schooling her voice into one of quiet deference. “I needed to have my uniform taken out and couldn’t afford to have it rushed over the weekend.”
