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The one I had nearly killed stood before them, only he was completely healed.
His eyes locked on mine, and a grin spread across his face. “Hello again, my queen.”
Malachi stepped forward and placed a hand on the fae’s chest, pushing him back a step. “Adonis,” he said without looking away from the fae. “Tell me what’s happening.”
“They were messing with Tessa again,” was all he said.
I wrapped my arms tighter around my sister and watched as Malachi smiled. “Is that so?” he asked. His black wings flared from beneath his robe. “Am I correct to hear that this is the second time you have disturbed Lady Farrow?”
The fae’s jaw clenched.
“My wife dealt with you last time. If I see you talking to either Jade or Tessa again, I’ll kill you myself.”
Everyone froze, including the small crowd gathering around us. The fae shot me one last look before sliding his eyes over to Tessa. I could have sworn I heard Adonis growl.
“Get out of here,” Malachi interrupted. “You’re no longer welcome at this celebration.”
As soon as they walked away, I grabbed Tessa’s shoulders. “Are you alright?” I asked. “Did they hurt you?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m okay. They just wanted to start trouble.”
I pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry, Tessa. Nobody should be bothering you here.”
Adonis stepped forward. “They won’t bother her again,” he hissed.
Tessa pulled away from my grasp and took a long breath. “Get back to your party,” she said. “I’ll be okay now.”
“This is Malachi’s party,” I reminded her. “Not mine. If you want me to leave and–”
“No,” she interrupted. “This is your party, too, Jade.” A small smile tugged on her lips. “Let's at least try to have some fun.”
And so we did. The air buzzed with joy and excitement of the new king. When the music started again, I pulled Tessa into the crowd and spun her around. At first, she tensed up. But after a few minutes, her and her beautiful blue dress were spinning through the night.
It wasn’t until hours later that I noticed the crowd had nearly dwindled down to half. For a group of fae, leaving a party early was unheard of.
“What’s going on?” I asked Serefin as I reached for a cup of water. “Where’s everybody going?” Serefin paused for a moment and rolled his shoulders back, as if he were debating whether or not to tell me the truth. “Tell me,” I demanded.
“It’s the war,” he whispered. “Citizens have been leaving all week. They’re relocating to the outskirts, where they can stay hidden in case the castle is attacked.”
I shook my head. “That’s ridiculous. Who will protect them if they leave?”
It didn’t make any sense. Citizens were leaving because of the war that approached? What if the outskirts were attacked first? There would be no army to protect them. No walls. Noking.
“Malachi left the decision up to them,” Ser explained. “If they want to leave so badly, they are free to.”
A sense of dread built in my stomach. “It’s because of me, isn’t it? They know I’m the target.”
Serefin’s dark eyes met mine. “Who cares what they think, Jade? You’re Malachi’s wife, and you are their new queen. Malachi will protect you along with this kingdom, even if others don’t see that.”
My eyes found Malachi in the crowd, who was now in deep conversation with a few court members.
“He’s giving up a lot for me,” I whispered.
Serefin placed a warm hand on my shoulder. “Just as any of us would.”
CHAPTER27
Jade
