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“Yes!” Juniper hisses, elated.
“Wonderful. A night of Vanorian women,” Rowan cheers, raising his drink in the air. “What a night it shall be!”
Killian just folds his arms, and Maeve yawns before taking a small sip of wine. Juniper refills her wine, and asks, “Alora, may I borrow clothes from your wardrobe?”
“Of course, you can.”
“I sleep with my guns,” I tell Alora, going back to the topic.
“Well, tonight will be the exception if you plan on staying here,” Alora says, rising from the table. “You know the rules.”
I pull my eyes away. I can’t argue with her. Not here. This is her territory, so her ruling goes. Still, I have a hard time trusting her. Well, I take that back. Out of all territory monarchs, she’s the one I put my faith in most. But this treaty she has with the Rippies grates on my nerves. She settled with them two months ago, making trades with them, swapping gold and steel. She knows I hate them, yet she tolerates them. It drives me mad.
“Luzian and Clara will show you all to your chambers for the night,” Alora announces as two women dressed in sleek gold gowns approach. “If there is anything you need, just call for them and they’ll assist you.”
Alora looks between me and Willow. “Will you two be sharing a room?”
“Hell no!” “Not on my life.”
I glare at her. She glares back at me. I feel a dull aching in the middle of my chest, not painful, but irritating.
Alora’s laughter swims through the dining hall as she turns to leave. “You two have the most stubborn Tether I’ve ever encountered.”
Twenty
WILLOW
I standin the garden room, where one of the walls is made of crystal-clear glass, the other white walls covered in vines and various colored flowers. I wandered through the castle and found this room down the stairs, where Alora said it would be. Outside one of the windows is a waterfall pouring into the ocean. The water is still surprisingly blue at night, the moon bold and bright, nearly burning like the sun. She was right. It is relaxing here.
“Your energy is serene.” Alora’s voice slices through my thoughts and I gasp, turning to find her. She’s changed into a sleek, copper night gown. All her jewelry is off, she’s not even wearing lipstick, and she’s still so freaking pretty. It seems so natural for her to be that way, whereas for me, I have to put in the work to make sure I’m somewhat appealing.
“You scared the hell out of me,” I breathe, pressing a hand to my chest. A glass goblet is in my other hand, half-full of wine. The wine here is much stronger and more delicious. Sweet, not too bitter. The perfect combination. And I admit, it’s making metipsy. “I’m sorry for wandering,” I tell her as she stands next to me. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Is your bedding not comfortable? If not, I can have that fixed straight away.”
“No, no. It’s not that. The room you gave me is perfect.” And it truly is—overlooking the city, the glittering lights and infinite number of stars in the indigo sky. The bed is comfortable, the feathery duvet plush and cool. I showered in the bathroom before coming down here, which was an experience. Everything I could think of was there, from robes to towels, wash cloths, loofahs. There was even a selection of soaps, perfumes, and lotions to choose from. All of them smelled divine.
“After the shower, I tried lying down, but couldn’t close my eyes,” I go on. “It was weird being in that room, surrounded by so much luxury. Then I remembered I’m not home—that I’m in some other world where everything is new and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. None of this feels real, and I can’t help thinking I’ve lost my damn mind. That wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to consider, honestly. My mother lost her mind and became suicidal when I was three.” At my last sentence, I cup my mouth and stare at Alora. “Oh my God. Why did I just tell you that?”
“Could be the wine. It has that effect on people. You’re new to it, so perhaps you shouldn’t drink too much more of it tonight.”
“Yeah.” I set the glass down on the nearest surface.
“Do you know why?” she asks.
“Know why what?”
“Your mother lost her mind.”
“Oh.” I rub the tip of my nose, getting rid of an itch. “She kept saying someone was following her—that she had a stalker who wanted to take her children. Her psychiatrists would say it was because she had a hard time conceiving me and my brother. So, when shedidget pregnant with us and gave birth, they think shemay have suffered a psychotic break.” I shake my head. I hate getting into that topic. It’s one I still can’t fully wrap my head around. I can’t believe I’m even telling Alora about it. It’s not something I discuss much with others.
“And what about your father? Was he around when this happened to her?”
“Yeah. He’s actually still alive, but he’s hard to catch on the phone and he hardly ever visits me, so…”
“So, other than having incapable parents, what’s the matter?” Alora asks, looking into my eyes.
“I just…” I pause. “I guess I realize that I don’t belong in this place.”
