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“What do you want to do about it?” Lily asked, concern furrowing her brow.
“I don’t know. I like him too. I think. I guess I want to spend more time with him?”
“Then that’s all you need to do. Nothing needs to be decided today,” Bianca advised. “We’ve got Alicorns to ride. Battles to be won. Rituals to be enacted. Somewhere, in all that, I suspect the two of you will sort yourselves out.”
“You’ll find a path together,” Lily promised.
“Or not,” Bianca added, and Lily glared at her. Bianca laughed. “What? Raven needs to know it will be okay whatever choice she makes. Date the hot Fae ruler. Don’t date the hot Fae ruler. Either way, we’ll be here to listen.”
Raven looked between the two women who had very quickly become the closest thing she’d had to friends.No,theyaremy friends. She was allowed to have friendships with people. These two wouldn’t drop her at a moment’s notice.
“Thank you. Truly. It means a lot to me,” Raven admitted, feeling a weird knot form in her chest like she wanted to cry. But she wasn’t much for crying, as it never solved anything, so instead she just stood there with her hand at her chest and looked helplessly at the two women.
“Shall we go ride some Alicorns?” Bianca asked, seeming to understand that Raven was incapable of communicating her feelings in that moment.
“Did you see the babies? They’re super chubby, feisty little things.”
Lily sucked in a breath.
“Chubby Alicorn babies?”
“Indeed.”
“I’m dead. I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
They chattered about the Alicorn babies all the way to the stables where they found Kellen and Callum standing in the pasture with several Alicorns milling about.
“Just look at this handsome lot.” Bianca grinned at the men. “Pretty as a picture you are.”
“Why is everyone calling me pretty all the time?” Kellen groused, but his eyes were on Raven. She hadn’t seen him since they’d parted in the early hours of the morning, and a shiver danced across her skin at his look. Awareness filled her, making her limbs feel heavy, and heat pooled low in her gut. Was this what wanting a man was like? No wonder people got in such a fuss over sex all the time. She was reminded of her ride from Galway, pressed tightly between his muscular thighs, and how his size easily dwarfed hers. She was still strong, Raven reminded herself, as they crossed the pasture. Riker trotted forward, letting out a soft whinny of delight, and a wide grin split her face. It was silly, really, to be this excited that an animal remembered her. Was this how people with pets felt? And, yet. Riker was more than just an animal, wasn’t he?
“Hi, friend,” Raven whispered softly to him, stroking the side of his neck. Look at her adding all these new friends to her roster. She positively didn’t recognize herself. Who knew that personal growth had only been one Fae realm away?
An image of her riding Riker while he shot fire from his horn flashed into Raven’s head.
“I don’t know if I want you to go into battle, Riker. I’m worried about you,” Raven whispered, as she pressed her forehead to the side of his neck. “What if you get hurt? Shouldn’t you stay here? Protect the babies?”
Riker stomped a hoof, and Raven took that to mean he disagreed with her.
“He wants to go,” Kellen said from behind her, the warm timbre of his voice sending a thrill of excitement down her body. Raven was unaccountably nervous, not wanting to turn around and look at him. What if he regretted their kiss? Then, annoyed at herself with such silly thoughts when they were in the middle of training for a battle, she forced herself to turn.
“That is what he seems to be telling me. I worry for them.” Raven took a deep breath for courage and finished her thought. Being vulnerable took more guts than she’d realized. “And for you, Kellen.”
“Ah, Raven.” Kellen stepped forward, a smile hovering at his lips, and he reached out to touch her, pausing mid-air before he did. He paid attention, Raven realized. He’d known that she was uncomfortable being close to people, and even now, after they’d cuddled all night, he waited for her permission.Screw it. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Kellen’s waist like she’d seen Bianca do with Seamus. It had looked so lovely and sweet, and she’d realized that maybe she wanted something like that too. A surprised laugh came from Kellen’s chest. She could hear it rumble through him. “I’ll be just fine. It’s you I’m worried about. Well, you and the other women. Try as I might, I couldn’t convince the men to tell them to stay home.”
Kellen’s arms tightened around her, and they stood like that for a moment, with Riker making a happy humming noise behind them.
“I think he’s happy with us hugging,” Raven said, eyeing the Alicorn.
“He’s never liked that I’m lonely. The Alicorns are herd animals. Riker seems to think I need my own herd.”
“Are you lonely?” Raven looked up, caught on his words. She’d always been lonely, but it had morphed over the years from loneliness to a staunch sense of independence.
“More so now that Alistair is gone. It’s not easy making friends as a leader.”
More than anything, Raven could understand the stark sense of loss that came when people left. Be it through death or choice, a loss was a loss. It was funny how she was already feeling a touch protective of him. She tightened her arms around his waist for a big squeeze, before forcing herself to step back. Feelings of guilt momentarily raced through her. She’d stolen Alistair’s coin, something that she normally wouldn’t worry about. She had to live. But now she knew of the man as someone’s friend, and that bit at her conscience. When the time was right, she’d return it to Kellen. There wasn’t much she could do about Alistair being gone, but she would do everything in her power to prepare for this upcoming battle so Kellen didn’t experience more loss. Was that the way of it when people liked each other?
“Let’s fly!” Bianca crowed, drawing Raven’s attention away from Kellen, and she looked up to see her already mounted on an Alicorn.
