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“We also thought nymphs were legend, and here we are.” Flint stopped a few feet in. “Arden, can you clear a path?”
I took a deep breath. I shifted the plants, roots and all, creating a way to get through the forest. A cute cottage was at the far end of the path, practically screaming for me to go there.
“We have to be near where we were,” I said. “The weather feels the same.”
The Royals backed up toward me, ready to fight, but a petite female came outside, her hands in front of her in a sign of peace. Her white-blonde hair was long, reaching her hip in its long braid, and she was dressed as if she was in the middle of baking.
“You finally made it, Arden,” she said, a smile putting dimples in her cheek. “And with your mates.”
She waved a hand, and the almost imperceptible sheen of magic on everything disappeared. I was still so stunned that my feet were glued into place. Out of all the things I’d experienced in my life, especially since I’d met the Royals, this was the strangest. I’d rarely ever felt a sense of being home, aside from the one I shared with Jagger and now Lex, but this place had that feeling.
“Who are you?” I finally asked. “How did you know my name?”
“I’m Raine. I have so much to tell you.” She smiled and looked at the Royals behind me. “And you as well, Your Highnesses. Come in.”
I went inside first, with my guys trailing behind me. The strong pull of magic was Raine, not the house itself. Being close to her felt like falling into harmony with someone. Not quite like a mate bond, but something different.
Her house was just as adorable inside as it was outside. It smelled like freshly baked bread, and every surface had a knickknack on it. Raine waved us into her living room and sat us on the couch, with me sandwiched between Jagger and Lex, Flint in an armchair next to us.
“Would you like something to eat?” Raine asked, bustling around in the kitchen one room over.
“We’re fine,” Flint said. “We’re more curious about who you are and why you’re here.”
“Of course.” She came back moments later with a pot of tea on a tray. “Here’s some tea, anyway.”
She poured some for each of us and herself. My guys watched her take a sip first before tasting it.
“Like I said, I’m Raine. I’m a distant cousin of yours. I knew your mother.” Her warm smile turned sympathetic.
“You did?” My heart leaped into my throat, and Lex put his hand on my knee. “We’re related?”
“We are. The family tree is pretty big, but you’ll find me on there.”
The revelation hit me harder than I thought it would. I’d never met anyone in my family before and never thought I would. Tears sprang up in my eyes, but I held them back and nodded for her to continue.
“I was tasked with being the keeper of the Aridunn family,” Raine said. “To maintain our history, keep us hidden from the Order, and ensure that the prophecy comes to fruition.”
My heart was pounding so quickly that all I heard was the rushing of blood in my ears. Raine had a lot to unpack, so I didn’t interrupt. She let out a long sigh, cupping her tea.
“So, the first thing. Our history. I’m guessing that if you found me, you found the Aridunn family journal?” I nodded. “The copy you read was the redacted version. Lots of gaps, especially around the time we were purged. I have the real version here.”
She went to a bookshelf in the corner and plucked a book off the bottom shelf.
“But why was a copy with Luthor Meade?” Flint asked, his frown deepening. “If it was that important.”
“Mostly to throw the Order off our scent.” Raine handed me the heavy tome, which looked exactly the same as the one the historian had gotten from Luthor Meade. “They’re always on the lookout for our books. They’re the only records left that we ever existed as a Royal bloodline. We’ve created copies, some sealed and some not, and given them to various collectors to send the Order on false paths to where we’re hiding. All the copies have missing information, so they can’t get much out of them. If you’re of Aridunn blood, the books should reveal more details. Just enough to lead you here.”
The fact that Tommy, my contact from the Forsaken Lunars who was now deceased, had been able to find copies of books on the Aridunns made sense now. He’d gotten black market copies.
“Not all of the information?” I ran my hand over the cover of the book.
“No. Just to be safe. Something could always go wrong.” Her expression darkened for the first time since we’d been there. “And something did go wrong, when the Order caught up with your mother.”
Jagger took my other hand. I was reeling. This was so much, but I needed to know.
“What happened to her?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “How did she die?”
“The backstory is long, but I’ll keep it short for you. This is a lot, I know,” she said, her gentle gaze calming my stomach. “The Aridunns went into hiding after they were ousted and mostly lived in the shadows. We constantly wore glamours that went down to our bones, didn’t draw attention to ourselves, and always remained vigilant since the Order was out to get us.
