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Levi and I head out the front door and travel toward the river. A light breeze rustles the leaves in the canopy above, where sunlight pokes through and illuminates the forest floor. Birds hop along the ground looking for a noontime meal. In Avren, people described the wilderness as a terrifying place where monsters lurked around every corner—and at night, they do. But at this time of day, it holds a magic I never imagined, like if things were different, the world could be at peace.
With hands in his pockets, Levi remains quiet beside me, but I’m not sure if he’s taking in the nature or working out what to say.
“I’m sorry about what happened in Mafekadi.” As much as I’m enjoying the forest, I can’t stand the silence between us. Levi’s too important. “If I never talked with Quinn or realized he was a danger or listened to you when you tried to warn me…” I swallow, my heart heavy. “I’m sorry about your friend.”
Levi stops to face me as he signs, “Avo’s death was not your fault. The blame lies solely on the fae who killed him.”
I wrap my arms around him, laying my head on his chest for a second before pulling back so he can read my lips. “When you fell to the ground, I thought you were dead. I can’t imagine a world without you in it.”
He brushes back a stray wisp of my hair with his fingers. “It goes both ways. Before you showed up, life was pretty boring. You’ve brought a new purpose into all our lives… even Evie’s.” His green eyes assess me behind his glasses, but he must not find what he’s looking for. He drops his arms to release me. “We better get to the waterfall. Bastian cut into too much of my time.”
It only takes us five more minutes to reach Nevil Falls, the majestic cascade rushing over a cliff and into a swirling pool below. Magic fills the air, widening my heart to all the possibilities this new life offers. It’s no wonder lovers come here to pass the time. Did Levi pick this spot to train or for other reasons?
He lays a blanket on the ground, and we both sit as the mist from the waterfall sparkles in the sunlight, adding to the magic. “I thought we’d talk first, so I can tell you what I know, and you can ask questions. If we have time today, we’ll practice.”
Deep down, I’m nervous. Quinn’s glamour was difficult to resist. No one prepared me. “Teach me everything you know.”
His finger trails along the rudimentary pattern in the blanket. “This isn’t easy for me—giving away the secrets of my people. But I’m only a quarter fae, so that means I’m three-quarters human. And the Kindred Few holds my allegiance.” His forehead wrinkles as his eyebrows draw in. “I didn’t tell you the truth before. I have told no one the truth. My parents never lived in Avren. I only use that story to drum up anger against the city’s rejection of people living with disabilities. The truth is, my mother lived in Frostacre until she met my father. Because she took him as a husband and not a lover, the Unseelie Court cursed both of them. They were not only forced to leave but Cirrus took away their ability to hear, along with their entire lineage.” He lifts his hands and pats the air at his waist three times. “If I have children, they’ll have the same fate.”
“That’s terrible.” I put my thumb and index finger together and flick up my hands in a sign I’ve seen the others perform. “But wonderful at the same time. Not only will they inherit your green eyes, but they’ll also see the world from your perspective.”
A wide smile crosses his lips at my efforts. “It is. I know you’ve wondered how I accepted you with open arms when you first arrived. Gray naturally accepts you because he identifies with your plight. For me, accepting orphans into the Kindred Few is my charge. Although we’re only two years apart, I can treat you with the kindness of a father or an uncle. The pain of losing Tanner hit me hard.”
“I never knew that.” I lift a small stick from the ground beside the blanket, running my fingers along the bark. “You didn’t know him.”
“It was clear when you arrived that you fulfilled the prophecy, but I planned to take you both under my wing. Evie and Bastian didn’t want more than four in the Kindred Few, but I’d take forty and change our name if needed. This is my purpose. You are my purpose, Mari.” He takes the stick from my hand, drawing my eyes up to his. All along, our connection was a brotherly or even fatherly one.
“You’d make an amazing father.” I don’t want to hurt him, but he needs to know how much his acceptance has meant to me. “And someday, you’ll make the best uncle. Surely Grayson and Evie want children.”
“Not in this world as it stands.” He snaps the stick in half, startling me. “Until the First City and Avren’s chokehold on the wilderness are broken, bringing new life into this world is dangerous.”
“And the first step is to find the other savior.” I hate the sound of the word. A pampered seamstress from Avren has no right walking around the wilderness declaring herself as their savior.
“Exactly. We need the other part of the prophecy.” Levi rests his back against a nearby tree, ready to set in for the long haul. “And to do that, we need to travel to Frostacre. Uncle Bracken is my mother’s half-brother—the one not born to a human father. They grew up together because my grandfather had plenty of his own human lovers. Bracken’s father took my mother in as his own child, so she grew up in Frostacre.”
“Until she met your father.” The story is romantic and tragic at the same time. I can’t help being drawn in. His mother was torn between her two natures, similar to how I am torn between Avren and the wilderness. “Was it love at first sight?”
He laughs. “Not at all. The fae wanted to expand their realm into the land where my father’s family farm was located. Because of her humanness, the king sent my mother as a liaison, using her fae nature to trick his parents. With no land to work, my father was essentially homeless, and my mother took pity on him. She had a cabin built on a new piece of land for his family and paid regular visits. It was a slow-burn romance.”
“The same cabin you grew up in?” Violent images of his parents’ deaths and Levi hiding beneath the bed from the Miscretes resurface.
“Same one.” He gazes over my shoulder, lost in thought.
The sound of voices fills the woods behind us. I scramble to my feet and mouth, “Get off.”
Levi snatches the blanket and follows me into a stand of bushes, crouching beside me. The mingling of our heavy breaths rages in my ears as I strain to hear.
Without a word, I poke my head out. Three soldiers of Avren stroll along the trail, appearing to be more on a wayward adventure than official business. They laugh and joke with each other, one puffing on a rolled-up paper before handing it to his friend. The third is all too familiar to me.
Flynn Baxter.
The last time I saw him, he admitted that he still loved me. And he’s a soldier now, tasked with killing Undesirables or dragging them back to their work duties. My heart is in my throat. I sink back into the bush and take Levi’s hand in mine before mouthing, “Soldiers.”
As the savior of the wilderness, I don’t think this will be the last time we cross paths, but I desperately hope it is.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
We wait in our hiding spot until the voices are long gone. The sun’s angle tells us it’s not safe to stay any longer, so Levi holds the blanket over his arm and takes my hand.
