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“Speak with me for a moment.” He reached for her hand and exhaled when she didn’t take it. “You want to protect your people. We will form a court. Invite every Anarian you wish to protect, and the same retribution system that stops the dark courts from attacking each other will protect them.”
Faye’s brow lowered. “I don’t understand.”
“Your court will be made up of your people. They will not be attacked or mistreated because I will be the consequence for striking against our court. We will protect Anaria.”
Faye’s lips parted, and tears pricked her eyes. She grasped for words as her mind blanked. “You would do that for me?”
“I would do anything for you.” Rune stood, stepping closer to her.
Faye looked at his hand and all it offered. He saw her. Finally understood her. Her hand closed over his, and Rune helped her to her feet. Faye leaned into him, breathing in his scent. Clinging to the man she’d missed and longed for. Her eyes slid closed as his arms encircled her.
He embraced her lightly, stroking her hair as he whispered, “I will be a better man for you.”
Tears pricking her eyes as she nodded against his chest. Leaning into the connection that ran between them, binding them to one another.
They stood together for long moments before he muttered, “You need to eat.”
Faye reluctantly stepped back, letting him go. “What I need is a shower and some clean clothes.”
“Would you like me to get Sparrow?” The back of his fingers slipped down her arm in a gentle caress.
“No. I’m okay.” Faye collected her robe and opened her door, crossing the hall to the bathroom.
She showered quickly, scrubbing what felt like a week of grime off her face. Faye stilled when Sparrow’s power moved, heading toward the kitchen. Vashien followed soon after.
Faye dried off and stood in front of the mirror. She didn’t look different. Envisioning her wings, Faye stared at her reflection, concentrating.
Nothing happened.
Faye pushed harder and hopped in place. Still nothing. Faye dropped her hands to her side. Her gaze fell to her bare index finger, and for the first time, the sight sent a thrill of excitement through her. She had a shard. Somewhere.
Faye dressed quickly, pulling on beige trousers and a gray sweater. She stepped into the hall and found Sparrow, Vashien, and Rune sitting at the small wooden table. Platters covered the tabletop with cubed meats, cheeses, and sliced fruit. Her gaze lifted to Rune as she tilted her head in question.
“Your sister is tolerable when she is fed.” Rune grinned as Sparrow snorted at him.
Faye joined them making a plate. “Do you have my shard?”
Rune’s lips thinned in response. “You should see it in private.”
“I’ve seen her naked more times than you have. Whip it out.” Sparrow said, patting the table between her and Faye.
At Faye’s nod, Rune removed a folded cloth out of the inside pocket of his jacket, handing the neatly folded square to her. She took it, gingerly holding the cloth to squeeze the contents. They shifted, clicking together.
“I have never seen the shards you carry,” Rune said, concern lacing his voice.
Sparrow rolled her eyes, announcing, “You carry the Darkness. Nobody cares.”
Faye unfolded the cloth to find a mass of swirling black mist. She couldn’t tell how many were there, the mist obscured the shard within it. But these weren’t shards of Darkness. They both had the swirling black mist, but the edges of each curling tendril lit with a glowing purple light. They looked like pieces of the Darkness itself.
Her shores.
These shards were more than just hers. They were a part of her. “I can feel them,” Faye said, floating her shards around her as she turned to glance at Rune.
Sparrow’s brow furrowed together as she studied Faye’s strange shards. “You couldn’t just be normal. Had to make up all your own new shit,” Sparrow said, glancing from shard to shard, nodding to herself.
Counting, Faye realized.
“Ten,” Sparrow said, glancing at Rune. She looked him up and down with a smirk. “You have no chance when she wants to tie you up now.”
