Page 140 of The Stolen Crown

Rougher, harder, it felt as though we were competing to break the other.

Tait’s brow twisted. My body went slack. Together, release joined us as one. I slumped forward, fire and pleasure rolling through my veins. Tait let his head fall back, his palms gliding up and down my spine, as his heat flooded inside me.

“Mira.”

“Hmm.” I nuzzled against his neck.

“You are the dream life I saw all those turns ago.”

Skadi and the alver princes returned to the Royal City at dawn, accompanied by Lady Avaline from the House of Tides. Avaline was named the voice for the House of Tides after the battle of the Ever ended. Her father, Joron, had yet to show his face in the Royal City since, and rumor was he still secretly refused to call Livia queen.

If it was true, it was no wonder the sod did not come near the Ever King. Erik allowed Joron to live once before after not addressing Livia properly. There would not be a second time.

What did it matter? Avaline Mindtaker was a great deal more fun than her father.

I embraced her when she entered the hall after I bid hello to my fellow royals.

“By the gods.” Avaline clasped my hands in hers. “It is such a relief to see you. I did not know how to possibly help in the search, other than to provide ships.”

“And they were much appreciated. I am told you allowed my mother and father to sail upon your vessels and your borders.”

“Oh, Mira, it was nothing. I wish I could have done much more.”

Avaline was a nervous sort of woman. She’d lived a sheltered existence, with her father convincing many in the Ever that she suffered from fits of delirium. Only after Erik gave her the power in her house did she prove her prowess in leadership.

She was wise, a little odd, but just and kind.

“Let us speak of more interesting things.” I hooked my arm through hers. “Sander tells me you’ve caught the eye of a certain siren.”

Avaline’s pale cheeks heated, and she tucked a lock of her moonlight pale hair behind one ear. “Oh, well, I don’t know. Father doesn’t approve—”

“We don’t care if Father approves or does not approve,” I said. “You are the Lady of the House of Tides.”

Avaline’s dark eyes were a contrast to the rest of her, but she nodded. “Yes. Right. Prince Sander says the same.”

A solitary life had led Avaline to be a woman of curiosity and study. Always trying to discover new findings through books and lost things that washed upon her shorelines from the Far Seas, she and Sander had become fast friends.

“Well”—I nudged her ribs—“you must tell me all about her.”

At long last, the woman relented and, with a shy grin, rambled on about the sultry siren who’d come with a missive from the Lady of Witches a month prior and had yet to find a reason to leave the House of Tides.

“We’ve learned more about the Veri Ikuinen.” Sander’s voice caused me and Avaline to cease our gossip and join the others.

Jonas helped his twin line the long table with parchment and old tomes. Daj stood next to the alver princes, scanning the sheets as they went.

Sander pointed to an old painting on one of the scrolls. “This was the break.”

The image told me nothing. A primitive figure—either a man or woman—sat on a stone and held a golden sphere in their palm.

Tait and I shared a glance across the table.

“This says, ‘gudbringare,’ ” Daj said.

“Right.” Sander nodded. “But Veri Ikuinen is the Old-World tongue.” The prince pulled out another scroll with words more faded than the last were writ. “The translations are close enough that I’m confident they mean the same being. While ‘gudbringare’ is described as a ‘bringer of life,’ this more ancient text describes how a Veri uses blood to ‘create’ a god’s life.”

“A god’s what?” Erik leaned forward from the high seat of the table.

“A god’s life, but it’s not describing the god; it’s describing the life.” Sander’s rich green eyes seemed to find each of us at the table before he went on. “Do you understand?”