Page 119 of Tale of the Heart Queen

My gaze snags on the golden tattoo on Gabriel’s neck, and I watch as he absentmindedly touches the spot. He notices my attention and his hand drifts away. Gabriel and I have never had the freedom to be friends, but had we been born into different circumstances, I think we could have been great ones.

Soon, Tyr will release the warders, attempt to destroy the ark, and send us a message when it’s done. He asked for some time to work up to it, and I’m praying he can summon enough power. But we still have a long road to travel before we’ve destroyed all the arks, so we can allow him time.

I reach out my hand, and Gabriel takes it before we wrap each other in a hug.

“Thanks for everything,” he says gruffly.

“I didn’t do anything,” I reply. “But I’m glad you will finally be free.”

Gabriel looks around and gives me a rueful smile. “Not yet, exactly,” he says. “How do you do it? Make decisions you know will affect everyone?”

I blow out a slow breath. “All you can do is let your conscience guide you. Nothing you do will ever make everyone happy, but I’ve always found that following my beliefs usually serves me well.”

Gabriel squeezes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“You’ll figure this out,” I add.

“Probably not, but at least I’ll go down trying.”

I clap him on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit.”

Then his gaze falls to Lor, and they study one another for a moment. She rushes towards him and throws her arms around his neck. I can tell he’s not quite sure what to do with that because his arms hang limply at his sides before he finally wraps them around her waist.

They hug for several long seconds before they pull away.

“I’m sorry we can’t stay,” she says. “Will you be okay?”

“Eventually. I hope. Maybe.” He rubs his hand down his face. “Thank you for all your help after the quake. You and your brother.”

“It was no problem,” she says. “But we better go.”

We say our goodbyes, and then we depart.

Etienne has returned and will use his magic to transport us to Heart in groups of two. Lor and I are the last to arrive. As we appear outside the walls of the first settlement, I notice the way Lor’s shoulders lift, as though being here fills her soul.

I squeeze her hand, and she looks over at me with a smile.

“This way,” Etienne says, and we fall into step next to him, passing through the gates. “The others went on ahead.”

We make our way through the streets, and several people notice our presence. There’s no need to hide Lor any longer, but now is not the time to reveal everything either. Their curious glances follow us, but no one stops us. “Rhiannon convinced one of the wealthier merchants to give up his home for a few days,” Etienne explains.

Quite frankly, I’m a bit surprised there are wealthier merchants in the settlements, but I suppose power will always grow in a vacuum. We pass through the village and head into the outskirts on the far side, delving into the trees.

“Where are we going?” Lor asks.

“Lord Maida built this house many years ago,” Etienne says. “Apparently, he finds the village depressing.”

Lor lets out a derisive snort. “How charming.”

We wind through the trees for a few minutes before coming upon a black wrought iron fence with a tall gate spanning the pathway.

“He also wants to keep everyone out,” Etienne says wryly.

“Who is he?” Lor asks.

“He claims he’s a very distant descendent of the Heart family,” Etienne says, and I hear Lor’s sharp intake of breath. “But as far as anyone can discern, he’s likely full of shit.”

“Why do you say that?”