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The boys remind me of the children who once played in the streets of Astrari. Children make a community wholesome, and they keep us honest. These boys plaster smiles across the faces of everyone they encounter, and I can’t wait to see their growth over the years here.
Razvan scrapes chalk along the cobblestone, drawing squares in a pattern they’ll hop through on one or two legs depending on how many squares there are. It’s amusing watching three fae boys play hopscotch with a human boy as confident and sure of himself as Razvan.
“Lady Adeena,” a voice shakes behind me, and I recognize it as Edlynne’s.
I take my eyes away from the boys playing in the street, turning to meet her frightened eyes, and I’m immediately concerned. “What’s wrong?”
She glances around the busy street, her hands shaking as her sides as she whispers, “Can we talk… in private?”
I jump to my feet, grabbing her arm as I lead her inside the small coffee shop I worked on all day. I found unopened bags of coffee grounds, and I’ve been wanting to use the coffee press.
I point toward a wooden chair as we walk inside. “Sit,” I order as I make my way over to the press to make us some coffee while Edlynne has a chance to collect herself.
She’s quiet as I warm the water, and I watch her from the corner of my eye the entire time. Her dainty thumbs twiddle in her lap, swirling around as she nervously taps her foot against the white tile.
As soon as the coffee is done I pour it into two white mugs, then offer her one as I take a seat beside her. She looks stressed taking the coffee from my hand, like she’s been trying to find words for more than a few minutes. Her hands wrap around the warm mug.
“What’s wrong?” I ask again, taking a long sip of hot coffee.
She leans forward with tears in her eyes. “My memory has returned, and others are having theirs return as well.”
My lips part as I inhale a shocked breath.
Before I can say anything, she continues, “We were locked in a realm amongst the stars, but there’s so much more to it than that.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
DREYDEN
After receiving an urgent message from Izan this afternoon I had to portal back to Fire Court. Some of the villagers are pissed off that they haven’t been compensated for items stolen by the lost fae, but we’ve been working to take account for what happened and properly distribute funds where appropriate. Several of them refused to talk to Izan, demanding they “speak to the high lord himself.”
To be honest, I’m really pissed off I’m even here right now. Adeena had just called a meeting with the entire village, summoning every single lost fae to the manor. She caught me up on her conversation with Edlynne, but I have more questions and I want to be there to support her during her first address to the Sky Court people.
Instead, I’m sitting in my throne room, listening to people bitch and moan about a few gold coins while there are literally people starving to death on the other side of the continent. I’m so sick of dealing with the petty shit when all I want to do it make a difference in the bigger picture.
“You’re distracted,” Izan laughs as the last person exits the throne room, leaving the two of us alone.
“I wish I was in Sky Court with Adeena. I hate being this far away from her,” I sigh as I run my hands through my hair. “I’m fucking stressed.”
Izan licks his finger, then thumbs through a thick stack of papers he pulled from his binder earlier. He’s so much more organized than I’ve ever been, and I swear he knows the ins and outs of the court better than I do.
“Let’s talk about it then,” Izan says as he looks up from his notes.
I shrug my shoulders as I drop my head between my hands, rubbing the back of my neck as I lean forward and close my eyes. "I'm so torn. The people of Tartarus grew on me. The starving children, the regulars at supply drops, Alaric’s family… All of them. I even enjoyed hunting down the bad guys if it meant I was keeping the people safe. I felt like I had so much more purpose there. I’ve spent so much time there, fighting for those people, and coming back here to these whiny villagers makes me nauseas.”
I’m on autopilot here. The Fire Court people don’t need me, they just want someone to complain to. Izan handles absolutely everything else while I’m away.
Izan tucks his papers back into the binder, then closes it as he looks up at me. “Well,” he starts. “Why don’t you move to Sky Court? Adeena is your mate, and you need to be with her as badly as she needs to be with you.”
I laugh as I shake my head, throwing my hands toward the ceiling and all around me. “Can I just step away from all of this? My home for the last four hundred years? The place I grew up, and the place I know best?”
His tone does not waiver from absolute sincerity when he says, “The choice is yours. I’ve got it from here if you’re done.”
And suddenly, everything became clear.
Chapter Twenty-Three
ADEENA
