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Dreyden’s eyes harden as he glares at me. “You’d leave with them? You’d choose the lost travelers over me?”
I shake my head as he puts words in my mouth. “No, I wouldn’tchoosethem over you. You’re in Tartarus all the time anyway, and you agreed that Tartarus needs a leader.”
Something deep within Dreyden breaks, and I can feel the pain leaking from his heart.
Izan lets out a hysterical laugh, filling the entire room with his amusement. “Youare going to take on Tartarus?” He wipes a tear from his waterline as his laughter calms. “Yeah, right.”
“Why can’t she?” Lyra says dryly toward Izan, speaking for the first time since we sat down for this meeting. “Adeena crumpled the Tartarus monarchy. Why shouldn’t she be the one to rule?” She reaches for my hand resting on the table, grabbing hold of it as she looks into my eyes. “I’ll go with you.”
Now both Izan and Dreyden look hurt, bleeding internally as we make plans to leave them. I can’t help but tear up as I watch my friend stand up for me. I grip tightly around her hand, holding onto it like my life depends on it.
“You’d leave Fire Court to go backthere?You can’t be serious.” Izan asks, painful sadness seeping from his voice.
“I am serious,” she nods. “Wherever Adeena goes, I go. We’ve been through it all together, and I refuse to stop now.”
I smile at my beautiful, confident, and supportive friend. The best friend I’ve always wanted but never had.
Until now.
She’s my ride-or-die, and she’s a fucking queen.
I straighten, glancing around the table of mixed emotions. I avoid Dreyden’s gaze, already knowing how broken he’s feeling. “Then it’s settled. We’ll take the lost fae to Tartarus.”
Chapter Seventeen
DREYDEN
My world feels like it’s crashing. My heart feels like it’s tired of beating. I feel like I’m dying.
Adeena’s face is lit up, radiating confidence as she makes plans with Lyra to leave Fire Court and take on Tartarus. Izan and I are sitting here in deadly silence.
Absolute shock. Numb.
There’s no other way to describe what I’m feeling right now. My mate has just declared her wish to part from our home and take on a new life in the world’s most dangerous place with twelve thousand strangers.
Perhaps she’s not in her right mind… Maybe I was right about her mental instability and this is her big breakdown.
The tidal wave I was waiting for.
She said I was smothering her, so I have taken a step back, but clearly, it hasn’t been enough. What if… this is what she needs? What if this is how I can get her back?
She’ll take one step into Tartarus and she’ll be overwhelmed. She’ll come running back to me after she realizes how horrible the conditions are over there. I just must keep her safe while she figures that out.
I owe it to her to let her try, but if this plan fails I don’t know what I’ll do. I don’t know how I could live a life without her. My life is here in Fire Court. I have a duty to lead Fire Court. How would we ever make it work if she’s on the other side of the continent?
I close my eyes, breathing in and out slowly to keep myself from panicking. Adeena’s voice continues flowing around me, and I finally come back to reality, focusing on what she’s saying.
I’ll help her get the lost fae out of my court, and then I’ll escort her home to safety when she realizes how difficult it will be to take control of Tartarus without the support of the other Archai courts.
* * *
Preparations to leaveFire Court have been going on for two days. Adeena has taken charge while I’ve stepped back, allowing her to have full control of the situation.
It’s hard, but I know it’s what I need to do if this plan is going to work.
Tomorrow morning the Fire Court legion will escort the lost fae to Tartarus. They’ll be taken to Northford, where Alaric resides with his family. Most of the houses are empty there and the village is large enough to take on twelve thousand fae.
Surrounding villages are vacant as well, and they’ll be easy to spread into if Northford becomes too crowded. The lost fae can’t possibly make Tartarus any worse than it already is, but I don’t know how Adeena plans on handling the food shortage. Twelve thousand mouths will not be easy to feed, and the supply drops can’t handle that many people. The supply drops already can’t handle the small number of people residing in Northford.
