Page 121 of Fae Farewells

He chuffed at her, a sneezing-snort sort of noise that I rarely heard him make. I thought maybe she’d embarrassed him, but he showed me no images or colors to back up my claim.

As Cronus returned to his post at the stairs, Vaughn motioned his sisters forward once more. I stayed in the doorway, standing in front of my guys and Freya’s as they blocked the crowds’ view of Vex and Reagan.

Vaughn raised his hand, and the hushed murmur fell silent.

“The queen is dead.”

At his words, whispers picked up, but he only raised his voice.

“The fae who led you for the last eighteen years was not Vex Summers. She was Alania Summers, my mother’s sister.”

What’s, why’s, and how’s rolled through the crowd. Vaughn waited for them to settle before speaking again.

“Alania committed many crimes against us, including imprisoning fae under false claims and starving them of their magic. King Reagan has been right under our noses since he went missing, but we didn’t know. Not until we killed Anahien Summers.

“She told us many things, including how Alania had tricked us all. Our parents trusted her, and she tricked them, too. They were among those imprisoned, deprived of their rights to a fair trial. She sought power, uncaring of the people she hurt.

“We have brought King Reagan and Queen Vex back to you to lead this realm, as it should have been. As they take their place upon their thrones, ready to lend an ear to your woes, please let us know what we as a people can do to repair our homeland.”

We parted to let Reagan and Vex step forward. The crowd remained silent long enough for me to worry, scanning for attacks. One fae clapped her hands, and the rest of the crowd followed in an excited uproar.

With the Winter family all lined up together, I observed their interactions. The way Tilly held Vaughn’s hand behind her back, needing the comfort but not willing to show that in front of her people. They were each touching another in some subtle way, from the brush of a forearm or the bump of an elbow.

Ruby and Tilly had Vex’s pin-straight copper hair, while Freya and Vaughn had Reagan’s dark chestnut curls. From there, I could help but the crowns on their heads.

Reagan’s crown looked like Vaughn’s, but the black diamonds were more recognizable. It was as if the stones become less rough with age, their clarity reflecting the king’s wisdom. With Valano standing near them, out of the limelight, I could see that to be true. The stones in his crown were polished to perfection.

Freya’s crown was much the same, the raw pinks and teals of her stones not near as bright as her mother’s.

I wondered what the spring and autumn crowns would have looked like if they had belonged to older, wiser fae leaders. But neither Lashul nor Alania had accepted their roles.

As a family, they trailed down the stairs, mingling with the fae who came to celebrate the rumors. And those rumors had spread too quickly to have started after Alania’s death. Only a seer would have known the outcome, but even that could have changed with the smallest of decisions.

The knowledge begged me to find out if Lashul was really a seer or if she was a prophet.

Freya’s mates followed close behind her, the dragon alert and ready for attacks as the angel charmed and the mer smiled.

Novak had vanished from our group, but I found him shadowing Ruby, watching her back while she hugged a man with platinum blonde hair.

York and Briggs had taken a cue from my fae. The duo stood stoic over Tilly as she bashfully accepted handshakes and praise from the people.

Vaughn stood stoic at his parents’ side, stalking the crowd as I had been, waiting for the attacks to come. We’d turned into a paranoid bunch, though Atlas seemed confident in his assessment. No one here was lying about their motives for celebration.

They were simply happy to be free of the wicked queen.

“Why aren’t you down there?” Stone whispered in my ear.

“I’d rather stay out of the public eye here,” I admitted. “At least for a little while. They won’t trust me.”

My demon wrapped his arms around my waist. “Come with me.”

But he didn’t give me a choice. He dragged me into the shadows, bringing us back to the suite.

My mage was leaning against the doorframe, his shirt halfway unbuttoned as he smirked over my shoulder.

“What are you two planning?” I asked, turning my head to see Stone.

He gazed at me with mock-innocence. “Anti-social party?”