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I tried to take a calming breath as I sank back onto my throne, gripping the armrests tight so I didn’t fiddle nervously with my shirt. I didn’t want to be here anymore, and the horrible memories were joined by frustrated anger when Morrin didn’t continue.
“What?” I snapped, hoping that the sweat dampening my hairline wasn’t obvious. Don’t show weakness. Don’t show them.
“It’s less to do with the unseelie threat, but still… strange.”
“Yes?” I prompted, growing even more impatient and desperate to get away. To get back to my rooms and be with Lonan. To forget everything else.
“The forest is growing warm.”
I stared at him blankly when he didn’t elaborate. At least the ridiculousness of his statement chased away some of the panic tightening my chest. “What?”
“The Woods of Orna are growing very warm. Warmer than they ever have before.”
Was he kidding? It was already past dinnertime, which meant Lonan might have eaten without me. I didn’t have fucking time for this.
“And?” I said impatiently, tamping down my irritated scowl.
“My job is to report anything and everything unusual in the woods, Luad,” Morrin said flatly. “And this is unusual. The forest is too warm.”
I let out a bark of laughter, giving Nua an incredulous look. “How am I meant to do anything about that?”
But Nua was staring at Morrin, a worried frown creasing his brow. “It’s coming from here?”
“Huh?” I glanced between Nua and Morrin. The latter shifted on his feet, gaze flitting to me then back to my brother.
“It would seem that way, Prince Nua. It is warmest at the seelie border, and cools down the further you go. But it is penetrating the woods deeper every day.”
“I don’t understand,” I snapped impatiently. “It’s summer. Of course it’s going to be warmer. It’s not like the forest is unaffected by the seasons. It was colder when we were there, Nua. After I left unseelie.”
“It isn’t unaffected, no.” Nua gazed at me, green eyes filled with worry. “But for Morrin to notice how warm the forest is getting means that it is getting unusually warm, Ash. Morrin knows the forest better than any other fae in this land.”
“Okay, so Morrin can tell us why it’s getting warmer.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I gave the spy an expectant look.
He gazed back impassively. “I believe it’s you, Luad.”
My spine snapped straight. “Excuse me?”
“It’s coming from seelie. Which means it is you.”
I spluttered indignantly. “Okay, so… so what? So I’m making the forest a bit warmer. I’m not doing it on purpose. And how am I even doing it?”
“Because you’re stronger than the Carlin,” Nua murmured. “The balance is wrong.”
“What balance?” I frowned at him and Morrin.
The latter answered. “The balance of everything. Nature. Life for all of us.”
Sweat beaded on my brow once more as I glanced between them again, panic making my heart rate increase. “What? But I’m not doing anything. I’m not… How can it be that bad?”
On top of everything else I was dealing with, now I was being told that I was literally affecting the balance of nature? What the fuck?
My heart started to pound. “I don’t understand what that means.”
“It means your power is stronger than the Carlin’s, and it is creeping into the forest. Towards unseelie.”
I tried to laugh, but it came out weak. “How the hell can I be stronger than her?”
“It is not up to us to question the Higher Spirits.”
