Page 130 of Tale of the Heart Queen

PRESENT DAY

Morning comes all too soon. I wake up wrapped in Nadir’s arms, his warm breath dusting the back of my neck. We stayed up late talking with Rhiannon and fell asleep instantly after returning to our room.

We slept later than I’d intended, but we aren’t scheduled to meet with the other rulers for another hour. Still, we should get up, have something to eat, and dress.

When I shift, Nadir groans and tightens his arms around me, dragging me closer.

“Where are you going, Lightning Bug?”

“The meeting is soon,” I say.

He groans again. “Great.”

I roll over to face him, studying his eyes. They swirl with specks of blue and green. He gives me a small smile.

“What are you thinking about?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. Everything.”

“It’s going to be fine.”

I give him a tight smile. We still haven’t discussed the bombshell that Cloris dropped about one of us giving up our crown. Nadir said it would be him, but I still want to confirm that he’s sure about this or at least talk about how he’s feeling. But it’s like we’re moving a million miles a minute, and there hasn’t been time.

Finally, we drag ourselves out of bed when breakfast arrives. I eat lightly because my stomach is twisted into knots. I don a simple red dress with long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline that Rhiannon supplied. It’s time to remind everyone of who I am.

“Ready?” Nadir asks.

“Not really,” I say.

He cups my cheek with his hand and drops his forehead to mine. “Let’s go, Heart Queen.”

At the top of the stairs, we see Rhiannon and Etienne talking in low voices, their heads bent close. She touches his arm and then looks up at the sound of our approach. If I fail to save Heart, Rhiannon and Etienne will lose everything, too.

“Good morning,” she says brightly as Etienne dips his chin. “Everyone’s here.”

Nadir and I clasp hands and make our way down the hall.

At our entrance, everyone in the salon turns towards us. The large room is covered with floral wallpaper and a thick fur rug. It boasts a bank of windows along the far side draped with heavy velvet curtains. In the middle is a low table surrounded by an array of armchairs and sofas where some of the most powerful people on the continent sit.

Bronte, the queen of Tor; Cedar and Elswyth, king and queen of The Woodlands; D’Arcy, the queen of Celestria; and Cyan, Linden, and Anemone from Alluvion. My brother and sister, and Mael and Amya, are also in the room. Etienne follows in a moment later.

“Hi,” I say, addressing Cyan, already knowing I can’t avoid this conversation. His eyes narrow, and he stands up from his seat. Today, he’s wearing long grey pants and a thin green tunic. Apparently, he does own shoes, because his feet are stuffed into a pair of leather sandals.

“Hi?” comes a bitter voice. Linden is already standing, her teeth bared, and her posture curved with aggression. “Hi? You left our kingdom in shambles, and you presume to stand there acting like nothing happened!”

She leaps, and I step back as Cyan and Anemone seize her by each of her arms while Nadir steps in front, shielding me with his body.

“Back off,” he says with a snarl, and I shudder to think what these two would do if they were alone in a room with me as the subject of their quarrel.

“She stole from us!” Linden screams. “She’s no different from her grandmother! Vile, selfish witch!”

I straighten my shoulders, trying not to let her words affect me. She’s right. I stole from them, and maybe I am just like Serce, but I’m trying to do better than she did.

“I had no choice,” I say, pushing past Nadir. He stands at my shoulder, ready if I should need him.

“You had a choice. You always have a choice,” Cyan says. “Don’t give me that bullshit.”

“Fine. I had a choice. And I chose myself and my mate over a piece of rock. Happy now?”