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Three days had passed since we first arrived at the cottage. They passed in a blur of mind-numbing lessons and constant arguments. If I had to stay another night, I felt I’d go mad.
My Grace, orGracesseemed only to present themselves when one of the twins was touching me. I could summon ice without issue when Finn laid a hand on my shoulder, and I could conjure fire with a flick of my finger when Kade did the same. But the moment they released me, I would lose all control over the abilities. It made no sense, and though Tiernan had been tirelessly searching the archives for more information, the males told me he had found nothing to explain it.
“The Solstice Ball is tomorrow night,” I shouted in exasperation at Alaric. “I don’t care if Ronan is to blame for all the attacks or not, Imustreturn to court. I’ve been away too long already, and you said yourself, the nobles are starting to wonder. And Thana is probably sick with worry.”
Alaric itched at the stubble on his jaw, lost in thought.
“Alaric!” I shouted louder to get his attention.
“Hmmm—oh… right. Yes, I know it’s tomorrow. Darius brought your gown to your chambers last night before I left.”
“So?” I asked, drawing out the word.
Alaric took another drink of his mulled wine, setting the empty goblet down onto the table, “We’ll all stay here tonight,” he declared, “Rest. And tomorrow at dawn we’ll return to the palace.”
I sighed in relief, eager to return to my bed, to see Thana and to present a Grace to my court, though I hadn’t decided which one. It would have to be large enough of a spectacle that everyone could see. Kade suggested setting my gown on fire and letting it burn off me—not surprising.And Finn suggested turning the entire floor to ice and watching all the nobles fall on their backsides. The latter sounded more appealing than I cared to admit, but either way, one of the Draconian warriors would have to be in contact with me for me to do anything.
The lines on Alaric’s beautiful face had deepened with worry over the last few days. And it pained me to see him that way even though I was still angry with him for more than one reason. I moved into the seat next to him, and pulled his hands into my lap, “Hey,” I said, “It’ll be alright. We’ll figure this out. Together.”
He gazed into my ever-changing eyes, his tensed shoulders relaxing, “I hope so.”
“I know so,” I said, giving his hands a tight squeeze. “I’ve been hard on you, but I know you’re doing all you can to keep me safe. And—well I want to thank you.”
I kissed him on the cheek and his lips tipped up into a sad smile before he rose and went into the bedchamber alone, closing the door behind him.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
We snuck onto the terrace of my bedchamber the next morning just before sunrise. Alaric sent Kade to meet the sentries he had sent to the Wastes. We saw them returning to the palace from the northern road as we flew overhead. And now Alaric was using my bathing room to get himself cleaned up—having refused to go back to his own quarters. Once finished, he would fetch Thana to ready me for the ball.
Finn leaned against the wall, studiously picking something from under his fingernails. He had been suspiciously quiet since returning to the cottage after I set the bed ablaze. I had an inkling I knew what he thought had happened, and though he wasn’t far off, he was wrong. “Kade and I—” I began, “We didn’t—well we didn’t do what you think we did.”
“It’s not that, Liana. I’m worried about you is all. It isn’t possible for Fae to have two Graces. One is enough to control. Kade nearly burned our entire village to the ground when he was learning to control his.”
“I can’t even access mine without help, so I doubt that will be an issue.”
He sighed, readjusting his wings behind him, “Which makes this all even more confusing.” He pushed off from the wall, and the stone splintered—the outline of a doorway materialized where he had stood.
A doorway?
I ran toward it, pulling on the edge of the clean-cut stone.
A passageway lay behind it, dark, and seeming to go on forever. Finn cursed from behind me, and took hold of my wrist, “Step back,” he warned.
But the familiar pull in my chest began again—the same one that drew me towards the Great Hall all those nights ago. I was thinking I had imagined it.
Liana…the ominous voice called.
“Did you hear that?” I asked Finn, pulling my wrist out of his grasp.
“Hear what?”
“I’m going inside.”
“No, you aren’t.” Finn said, stepping in front of me to block the passageway. “We have no idea where this leads. Go get Alaric.”
Come…the voice said, and the pull in my chest intensified, becoming almost painful. I winced.
Alaric would only drag me from the palace again at the discovery of a hidden passageway leading right to my bedchamber. No, I wouldn’t go get Alaric. The force expanded in my chest, and I curled inward, gasping.
