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A laugh escaped my lips and it felt good. “You’ll have a gazillion of them. I plan to have a ton as well.”
Ember’s head cocked to the side and her eyes grew teary. “Queen of the Blossom Court. I can only imagine how beautiful our new home will be.”
My heart fluttered just thinking about it. The Land of the Fae was growing and evolving. It was my turn to make a difference, only I didn’t know what that difference was yet.
Ember rubbed a hand over the cute green top covering her swollen belly, swiping at the croissant crumbs. “Has your brother decided what his court will be named?” she asked.
I laughed. “Not yet. You know how Kale is. He’s a spur-of-the-moment kind of guy. He plans on deciding when he sees his land.”
Since my twin brother and I had been connected since birth, we decided to take this next step together before the Equinox Ball. In my mind, I had an idea of what I wanted my kingdom to look like. But in the end, it was up to the Land of the Fae; it knew what was in my heart.
Reaching for Ember’s hand, I clasped it and smiled. “What excites me more than anything is knowing your daughter will be the first fae born intomycourt. So, I’m officially appointing myself her faerie godmother.”
A tear slipped out the corner of Ember’s eye and she gasped. “Oh, Lia. I’d be honored to have you as Korra’s godmother. I would’ve asked you sooner, but I know you have a lot going on.”
I waved her off. “You’re practically my family, Ember. I’ve always considered you a sister.”
Her mother, Naida, was my mom’s servant and also a close friend. We were born on the same day, just two years apart. After that, we were inseparable.
Ember swiped her tears away and smiled. “I love you, Lia. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.” She sucked in a breath and peered over at the Eiffel Tower. “I wouldn’t be this happy if it wasn’t for you. My family isn’t royal, but you included me in everything, and gave me opportunities I wouldn’t have ever had.”
“Hey,” I said, squeezing her hand so she’d look at me. When she did, I peered into her beautiful green eyes. “You’re my best friend. I would do anything and everything for you.”
Our waitress, who had bright red glasses and cropped brown hair, came over and beamed at us. “Puis-je vous apporter autre chose?”
I smiled back. “Non, merci. Je pense que nous sommes sur le point de partir.” She nodded and grinned again before moving to one of her other tables. “All right, Ember, we need to get home,” I pressed, letting her hand go so I could reach into my pocket and set some euros down on the table. “I have to get ready for this afternoon.”
Taking her hand again, I helped her up and she groaned as she stood. “Hopefully, I’ll still fit in my dress. I think I gained ten pounds eating all those croissants and cookies.”
We laughed as we headed away from the café to the bustling sidewalk. All I had to do was summon a portal to the Land of the Fae, but I couldn’t do that with so many people around. I had to find a quiet, hidden place where no one would see us.
Arm in arm, we strolled down the walkway toward the Eiffel Tower. The warmth across my skin was still there, which meant Bayleon and Bastian were still around. I glanced over my shoulder to see if I could see them, but they were nowhere to be found.
Ember sighed and clutched me tighter. “It’s sad to think I won’t be coming back here for a while. We’ll have to take Korra to the café when she gets older. Maybe when you have a daughter, they’ll be best friends like we are.”
I snorted. “It’s not looking like I’ll be having kids anytime soon.”
Ember bumped me with her shoulder. “You never know.”
I wanted to enjoy a few more minutes of our time in Paris, but that swiftly stopped when my skin broke out in chills. Quickly, I pulled Ember behind me so I could see where the magic was coming from.
Ember gasped and held onto my arm. “Lia, what’s going on?” I could feel magic all around me, but it couldn’t touch me. It was strange, something I’d never felt. “Lia?”
I looked up and down the street, but nothing seemed unusual. “I don’t know what it is. I feel magic, but it’s not our kind.”
“Could it be shifters?”
I shook my head. “No. This is different.”
As I scanned our surroundings, I saw him: a young man around his late twenties with a blank stare, walking unsteadily down the middle of the busy road. Horns honked and people yelled, but the man kept walking toward the river. The magic swirled around him, but I knew no one else could see it, not even Ember.
“He’s going to get hurt walking between the cars,” Ember cried. “What if he gets hit?”
A few seconds later, that was precisely what happened. We watched him fly in the air and land on the concrete with a sickening thud. Ember slapped a hand over her mouth and screamed just as Ren appeared around the corner, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, not his warrior gear.
“What happened?” he demanded, wrapping Ember in his arms.
I didn’t have time to explain. “Take her home,” I shouted as I ran into the street toward the injured man.
