Page 154 of The Edge of Darkness

The guests shifted on their feet, lingering on the topic of war only for a brief moment, before deciding it was indeed a conversation for another day. Orbs glowed to life at the tops of each stairway, guiding everyone out of the temple and into the forest, where I had ensured the evening festivities would continue in full swing.

Once the temple was empty of guests, and only our group remained, Roirdan blew out a breath. “Fucking fates.” He shook his head. “That could have gone to hell in a handbasket really quickly.”

“Thanks to Fallon and Morah, it didn’t,” I said.

Fallon had foreseen Ramil’s mind games this morning before the entire event began. With his abilities returning at a quick pace, he was seeing more and more glimpses of the future, but they were only small windows in time. And they were broken into segments. He hadn’t known when it would happen, he only saw a dagger aimed at my face, and some of the audience falling prey to Ramil’s false realities. Thankfully, he’d stopped his father from letting it get any further than the dagger at my face.

Auren walked over to Morah and grasped her arms. “Are you all right?”

The female had just publicly beheaded her father and didn’t bat an eye while doing so, and now she stood contentedly, like the entire spectacle hadn’t just happened.

“I’m fine,” Morah answered. “It should have been done a long time ago.”

“He was still your father, though,” Auren said. “That took strength.”

Morah shook her head. “Actually, it took nothing. I knew it would happen one day, and that I would be the one to do it.”

Across from her, Aremis met her stare. “Courage is something we all hope to have, but never know if we do until the time is right. What you did took courage, whether you think it did or not. You have our deepest respect and my highest admiration.”

“Thank you,” Morah said. “And thank you for watching over Fallon for all those years, despite what Ramil did to you . . . and how I treated you. I know we were not as close as we could have been back then, but I do hope I can work to mend whatever can be salvaged between us.”

Aremis regarded her, taking the time to find his words. The corner of his mouth lifted in a gentle smile. “There is nothing that needs mending, Morah.”

“But, the things I said to you⁠—”

Aremis held up his hand. “It’s all right. You were obeying your father. You didn’t know any different, and I do not blame you for any of it.”

When her words failed her, Fallon stepped in. “Thank you, Brother,” he said to Aremis. He extended his arm, and Aremis closed the distance to clasp it. They gripped each other just beneath the elbow, a sign of good faith and respect.

“Aremis,” Morah said, more quietly this time. “I . . . I have to ask . . . Did you know? About the others in the catacomb? About . . . the rest of my family?”

Aremis frowned. “I knew there were younglings buried there, and I always suspected there was more to it than Ramil led on, but I did not know that they were related to you. If I had known . . .”

Morah’s face relaxed with relief, and she nodded.

In the silence that followed, Auren laced her fingers in mine, gently reminding me that we still had the rest of the evening to enjoy. “Shall we join the rest of the court?”

“Yes. As lovely as all this camaraderie is,” I said, “I’m overdue for a good glass of whiskey and spinning my mate around the dance floor. You’re all invited, by the way,” I called back over my shoulder as I escorted Auren across the platform.

Roirdan laughed. “You’re damn right we are. I didn’t dress up this fancy for nothing.” He tossed Auren a wink as he followed us up the stairs.

The rest of our group trailed behind, ready to unwind beneath the stars.

Darkness had fallen, and The Elderwood had been transformed into a magical forest, the likes of which completely outshined the Woodland Court’s decor and pomp.

The tree trunks were wrapped in millions of white lights, illuminating elegant tables piled high with tiered platters of pastries, aromatic meats, and enchanted glasses and goblets that filled themselves from the bottom up with whatever drink the consumer desired. Garlands of greenery and rich red flowers cascaded down the length of every table and flowed onto the floor, dripping with silk ribbons at each end. And in the midst of it all, elegantly-dressed fae mingled, laughed, and drank in our honor. Every head turned, chins dipped, and knees bent in curtsies as we passed by.

Niall led me further into the forest, toward an open glade where soft music filled the trees.

“Did you do all of this?” I asked.

His grin answered me before his words did. “Amarna and Sorscha helped.”

As we entered the throng of guests, I caught snippets of conversations. Most of them consisted of females gushing over my dress and fawning over how romantic it was when Niall saw me coming down the stairs. But no one stopped us. In fact, they parted, making a clear path to the glade ahead. When I saw what was waiting there, I gasped . . .

Hundreds of candles floated in the air, casting their soft, golden light upon the grass-laden dance floor. More silk ribbons adorned the tree branches, draping from limb to limb, encasing the space as if it were reserved for only Niall and me. Every detail had been meticulously curated, and I loved him all the more for it.

“Everything is stunning, Niall.”