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I nodded. “Thanks.”
“Anytime. I like that you have the liberty to talk to me as a friend rather than as your king.”
I nodded again. I didn’t usually—I wasn’t good at expressing my emotions.
“I appreciate that I can,” I replied.
Ren stood with a heavy sigh, and I left the office first.
It was nice of Ren to offer me his opinion, and I didn’t doubt that he was right. He had experience to speak from, and he was a wise king. He knew what he was talking about.
The problem was, I didn’t know if Nylah was my fated mate. When we’d slept together, I hadn’t felt the mate bond. I wasn’t connected to her in the way fated mates usually were. I cared deeply for her, but fated…
Did that mean that we weren’t supposed to be together? How was that possible if we’d been so close for so long? I didn’t doubt what I felt for Nylah.
If she wasn’t my fated mate, could I still fight for her the way Ren suggested? Or should I let go because fate hadn’t decided we belonged together?
It seemed bizarre to me that a great power had to decide if we were meant to be together or not. What if we just loved each other? Wasn’t that enough?
When I thought of the word ‘love,’ it halted me in my steps, and I stood in the hallway, surrounded by intricate flowers laid with magic into the marble floors.
I missed a simpler time. I hadn’t known then what I felt for Nylah, but I’d known where I stood. Now, I knew what I felt, and I had no idea where I stood.
I had no way of getting answers, either.
5
NYLAH
The sun finally broke through the clouds a few days later, and the warmth was welcome. The earth was soaked through, with water stagnating in puddles.
“It’s so good to feel the sun again,” Ellie sighed, turning her face toward the sun and closing her eyes.
In his stroller, Deron squealed and blew spit bubbles, holding tightly onto one of his stuffed toys.
“I always say the rain is good, we need it,” I said. “But now I’m going to say we need the sun. I missed its warmth.”
Deron squealed as if in agreement, and I chuckled, reaching into the stroller to pinch his chubby cheeks.
“And you are the most handsome little guy the summer brought us,” I added.
“It’s hard to think how sick he was just a few days ago,” Ellie said, picking up a cloth and wiping the spit from Deron’s mouth with a practiced motion. “He was so sick, I didn’t think we would ever see the end of it.”
“I told you he would bounce back,” I said.
“I’m so grateful to you for healing him.”
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.”
Ellie nodded. “You told me it was because you and Dex were together. It’s strange how your power came together, isn’t it?”
“It is,” I said. “I’ve never felt something like that before. It scares me.”
“Why does it scare you?”
I hesitated. I wasn’t sure how much to tell Ellie and how much to leave between the lines. I needed advice, and if anyone could give it to me, it was her.
“Dex and I have always been close. Our power has never worked together, though. Not like that. We’ve never been anything more than just emotionally close, but the other day…” I glanced at Ellie, who stared at me with bright eyes. She hung onto my every word.
