Page 69 of How to Claim A Shadow King

By the time the cobbled streets and thatched roofs of the Wild Oak Woods rise out of the emerald canopy, the afternoon sun is already low.

More time had passed with the Unseelie Queen than I thought.

The sight of the wrap-around porch of the inn is a small comfort. Smoke puffs out of the stone chimneys, late fall flowers blooming in a riot of oranges and reds along the porch.

The moment Malakai unwraps me from his arms, lingering just a little too long, the front doors fly open.

Wren Tiersen steps out onto the patio, clad in a leather apron covered in tiny scorch marks, a jeweler’s loupe hanging from her neck.

She takes in the tight set of Malakai’s jaw and her smile immediately fades.

"What happened?" Wren asks, ushering us into the warm, spice-scented lobby. "Caelan thought he felt the pulse of Unseelie earlier today. Is it true?"

"Vesperia created a rift into my realm.” Malakai hovers by my side, not quite touching, but close enough I can still feel the warmth radiating from his skin. "She materialized within the inner terrace. She targeted Aveline directly. She almost…"

“I put a shield up,” I supply. “I wouldn’t have lasted much longer, though.”

A muscle twitches in Malachi’s temple.

Wren swears under her breath, a torrent of words that might have made me blush only a few weeks ago. "The audacity of that old hag."

"Is she hurt? Malakai, if you let that creature touch our coven sister—" Piper flies in from the house, her hands covered in white flour, her pretty brunette face pale with concern. “Velvet came to get me, she said Fenn told her there was trouble, Wren.”

A deer steps on dainty hooves onto the porch, then kicks the door closed behind her. Velvet the familiar, I presume.

Not to be outdone, Ter launches himself at my shoulder from heights unknown. I do my best not to flinch as his talons squeeze my skin.

"Aveline stopped the initial strike with her own light," Ter squawks, perching on my shoulder. "But she and the other two unbonded witches are going to be like glowing targets of power. They’re unbonded power is an opportunity for the Fae to exploit. More powerful than the rest of you, and the opposite of each’s Elder God."

“Who are the other two witches?” Wren says with a frown. “You say that like they’re already chosen.”

“Magic is a complicated thing.” Ter shifts on my shoulder.

“That sounds like a way to say you have no idea, black bird.” Caelan breezes into the room, though there’s a wrinkle of worry in his face I don’t remember being there last I saw him.

“There’s supposed to be a way you can help shield me until I…” I shift uncomfortably, wrapping my cloak tighter around my shoulders.

“Until she’s comfortable sealing our bond,” Malakai finishes for him.

"Maybe," Wren says, her forehead wrinkling. She shares a look with Caelan, who nods at her.

“Follow me. I have something that I’ve been working on—it’s weird, I don’t know why I was so fascinated with it… but now it makes sense. If we enchant it as a coven, it should protect you until you… well until you figure out what you want to do." Wren cuts me a look of regret.

I know what she means. She means until I seal my bond with Malakai… or choose not to.

I close my eyes. Maybe I should just marry him.

“Do it,” Malakai tells me, placing a heavy hand on my shoulder. “I would not have you come to me because you are afraid and have no choices. I would rather be chosen with…” his voice drops, and I shiver, his lips brush my ear. “With love, than with fear.”

Tears fill my eyes, and I look up at him for a long moment, truly touched by that.

I brush them away and blink furiously, finally nodding at Wren.

“Let’s do it.”

Wren nods back, her mouth a determined, grim line, and Caelan grins at her. “There’s my little witch,” he says. “Go on, the basement is the best source of power in the whole inn. You know that.”

We must make quite a sight as we file into the inn, accompanied by all manner of forest creatures, but I’m too nervous to feel more than a dry amusement at it.