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That would be easier said than done, but I supposed I could handle letting go of all my pent-up anger for the time being, especially now that I knew the truth about Oberon’s past. Now I felt pity for him more than anything else.
The others left me alone in my bedchamber while I changed into a deep blue tunic and a pair of dark trousers, and then brushed through the tangles in my hair. I’d eat first, see Endir, and then I’d bathe. I was too hungry to wait.
When I was fully dressed, I found everyone except for my mother waiting for me in the corridor outside my room. She’d returned to her own quarters to rest. A lush emerald carpet stretched down the floor, leading to a grand staircase illuminated by a hundred flickering candles, held aloft in chandeliers. The stone walls bore portraits of past queens and kings, but there were also humans scattered amongst them, and fae I did not recognize from my books.
Kalen nodded at one of the human portraits as we passed. “This castle used to belong to a light fae called Lord Cyrus Englewood. He was an avid worshipper of the Druid ways, and he wished for harmony between fae, both common and elite, and humans. So he had his painters do portraits of some of Endir’s commoners, and he hung them proudly amongst the portraits of royalty.”
“Surprising. There aren’t many light fae like him.”
“Not anymore.”
“What happened to him?” Val asked.
Kalen rubbed a hand along his jaw. “He died when I took this city during the war against Oberon.”
Val’s eyes widened.
Kalen slowed to a stop at the top of the staircase. The bannisters were polished clean, the silver gleaming beneath the candlelight. “I’ll tell you what I told Tessa. I’m not the monster you were warned about, but I’m no savior, either. Many good men and many good fae died as a result of my war with your king. I killed far too many of them myself. Most of this land is left in ruin because of it. But I did not do it out of malicious cruelty. I just wanted to stop Oberon. Take that as you wish.”
Val seemed stunned senseless, so it was Nellie who held out her hand. “I’ve never had an introduction quite like that, but I like the blunt honesty. I’m Tessa’s sister, Nellie.”
“I know who you are.” His eyes softened in a way they rarely did.
“Maybe you aren’t a cannibal, but you do know you’re still pretty terrifying, right?” Val interjected.
A throaty laugh drifted toward us from the bottom of the stairs. We glanced down to find Alastair, Niamh, and Toryn all looking up at us, clearly eavesdropping on our conversation.
Alastair’s gaze caught mine first. As always, he wore black leather armor, and his dark hair was pulled back to show off the rings that dotted both ears. He grinned. “I’m glad to see you’re awake, little dove.”
“Good to see you didn’t get torn apart by pookas,” I said, smiling back.
We joined them at the bottom of the stairs, and then they led us toward an open set of looming oak doors. The smell of meat and butter drifted toward us. My stomach growled in eager expectation. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. It must have been days, what with the escape from the castle and our trip through the mists to Endir. I entered a room packed with humans and fae. Sapphire banners hung along the stone walls, embroidered with stars and crescent moons. A silver mask topped with a spiky crown filled the center of each banner. It reminded me of the mask that Kalen had always worn during our first dream meetings, when he hadn’t wanted me to know who he was. When he’d just been the captain to me.
“Is that your sigil?” I asked, realizing just how little I knew about the Kingdom of Shadow.
Kalen smiled. “Yes and no. It’s the sigil of Endir, to represent those who oppose King Oberon’s reign. Some of the residents here are light fae who got stuck on this side of the chasm when Oberon put up the barrier. They’ve long sought a way into Albyria so they could fight against him.”
“Rebels,” I said.
“That’s right. And I liked the sigil so much, I started using it for my banners.”
“So what will happen now? With the light fae? The barrier is gone, the city is destroyed, and Oberon has fled.”
“There are many decisions to be made in the coming days. What the light fae rebels do now is one of them.”
As I followed Kalen to the head table, past benches packed with humans, I asked him, “Is everyone from Teine staying here, in the castle?”
“I figured this was the best place for them. They were a little uneasy at first, but they seem to have realized we have no plans to harm them.”
In fact, this was the most vigor I’d seen from the residents of Teine in a long time. They were digging into their full plates with gusto, trading laughter and cheerful words. The noise of it all filled the space, making the lofted ceilings and towering walls seem closer than they actually were. It felt snug and safe and so much like home. It was that same feeling I’d had when I’d awoken to find Kalen beside me, reading near the hearth.
I settled into a chair beside Kalen at the head table. Nellie took the seat on my other side while Val perched across from me. Alastair, Toryn, and Niamh joined us, as well as two other fae dressed in all-black fighting leathers. I didn’t recognize either of them.
“Ah.” Kalen smiled toward them. “Tessa, I want you to meet Fenella and Gaven. Together, with Niamh, Alastair, and Toryn, they make up my Mist Guard. They keep Endir running smoothly when I’m not here.”
I held up my hand in a wave. Fenella leaned back in her chair and smirked. Horns that matched the color of Kalen’s eyes cut through ash blond hair that fell to her shoulders. A necklace of miniature daggers hung around her neck, glittering like the silver in her eyes.
“Tessa,” she said with a narrowed gaze that seemed to pierce right through me. “I heard you stabbed our king.”
