Page 30 of A Kingdom of Magic and Rain

A foreboding quiet settled over the group. All eyes were on Gray as everyone waited for his reaction to what Leland had shared. I also let my gaze shift to the lord. His face was hard as he stared at the woods behind the guard.

“What happened then?” he asked, refocusing on Leland.

“Then, he just…disappeared. As if he were never there.”

All blood drained from my face as my legs grew weak under my dress.

“What about the other guards? Did they see anything?” Gray asked, looking down the length of the border.

“No, my lord,” Briar spoke up, clearly the leader of the group. “Only Leland spotted a Fae. Show him.” He nodded at Leland, who immediately turned around and pointed with a slightly trembling hand toward the woods.

“Right there is where I saw him.”

I peered into the trees at the spot where the guard was pointing. The forest stood dark and ominous but otherwise quiet.

“Princess Emelin is here for a reason,” Gray said, drawing my attention back to him.

My stomach dropped. Was he going to expose the truth about the wards?

Gray’s eyes were calm when my panicked gaze met his. Trust me, the look in them conveyed.

“As you all know, only the royals can sense the magic of the wards. Emelin will inspect the part of the barrier where the Fae has been spotted,” he explained. “Everyone should disperse and give the princess space to do what is required.”

All the wary gazes locked on me. I shifted from foot to foot, trying to maintain a neutral expression to hide my anxiety.

“You heard him. Disperse!” Briar barked an order, jarring everyone into action.

The guards scattered, but Tom and Killian lingered behind.

When Gray gave them a pointed look, the adviser sneered. “You must be joking.”

“Give Emelin some privacy,” the lord said sternly.

With a sound of exasperation, Tom conceded. He and Killian stepped away from me and Gray, but didn’t go far, joining the guards huddled by the nearest guard post.

“They’re watching us,” I said in a hushed tone when Gray and I were alone.

“They’re frightened. There had never been a sighting before,” he replied, eyeing the guards. “We need to put them at ease.”

“You know I can’t do that,” I whispered.

His intent gaze focused on me. “Yes, you can. You should inspect the wards.”

I was frozen in place, terrified of what I might discover. I struggled to subdue my fear. If the wards had failed, the sooner I confirmed that, the sooner I could alert my father that our time had run out.

“Please don’t let that be the case,” I whispered, lifting my gaze to the starry night sky. “Please, we need more time. I need more time.” To do what, I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that I wasn’t prepared to find our only line of defense obsolete.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I followed Gray’s suggestion and stepped closer to the border. My body felt numb as I closed my eyes and opened up my senses, still praying to the Stars under my breath. The colors of the barrier appeared in my mind, bleak and translucent, but still there. “Oh, thank the Stars.” The words burst out of me with a harsh exhale of relief. “The barrier still holds,” I said low, turning around to face Gray, who had stepped closer to me.

Relief relaxed his pinched features.

“See.” He gave a half-smile. “You can reassure them.”

The pressure on my chest didn’t alleviate. “I can’t.” I shook my head as tears burned behind my eyes. “The wards still hold, but for how long? I can’t lie and say that they are as strong as ever.” It wasn’t lost on me that I was acting unfit for a princess. I had a duty to fulfill, even if at this moment my duty required me to lie to my people.

Gray’s half-smile fell as we stared at each other. His keen gaze was penetrating, making me feel like he wasn’t just looking at me but into me. Could he see my inner turmoil?

“I could never ask that of you,” he finally said in a strained voice. “I will talk to the guards.”