Chapter
Thirty-Eight
on’t you think this is a little bit... much?”“D I eyed my reflection in the mirror, desperately clamping my lips together to keep from laughing.
“You’re a Queen,” Eleanor said, draping another heavy collar of jewels around my neck. “There’s no such thing as too much.”
Lily nodded in aggressive agreement and fussed with the diamond-encrusted sash at my waist. “You need to embrace the Crown, and if you want to feel the part, you have to look the part.”
“But I don’t even have anywhere special to go,” I protested.
“You’re a Queen,” Eleanor said again. “Everywhere you go is special.”
“Found it,” Taran shouted, striding in with a colossal heap of fabric in his hands.
Lily squealed and ran over to help him unfurl his discovery: deep marine blue velvet, covered with silver embroidery from end to end, its edges trimmed in snow-white fur with flecks of black.
I groaned. “Is that...?”
“A cape!” Lily and Taran said together. They walked toward me holding the monstrosity. It was outrageously long, stretching halfway across the room, with two oversized bejeweled clasps at the lapels.
“A cape? Really?”
They ignored my protests and settled the thick fabric over my shoulders. I shot a pleading look at my brother and Alixe, who sat together on my bed, arms crossed and grinning as they watched the spectacle play out.
I sighed and ran my palm over the soft fur. A rainbow of gemstones glittered on the rings that adorned every finger and the stack of gaudy necklaces that lay at my throat.
“At least if it’s my last full day alive, I’m going out with pizzazz,” I joked.
“Diem,” my brother warned, his expression turning solemn. “No more talking like that. You promised.”
I shot him an apologetic smile. “Bad habit.”
“You look beautiful,” Eleanor gushed. She had chosen the most elaborate dress in my wardrobe, a flowing strapless gown of black chiffon covered in a mosaic of tiny glass beads that shimmered with every movement. “I wish the whole realm could see you like this.”
She gave me a hopeful look and I couldn’t help but grin. Eleanor had set her heart on me showing up to the Challenging tomorrow in the kind of jaw-dropping outfit I should have worn to the funeral.
“In time,” I assured her. “Today, we dress up and celebrate, but tomorrow...” I caught my brother’s eye in the mirror’s
reflection. “Tomorrow, we fight.”
He smiled in response.
I took a final look at the Crown over my head, the glowing circlet of star-flecked vines. Such a beautiful, ethereal object— one that many had died to wear, and so many more had died to defend.
I turned to face the room, where the others had gathered in a group to watch me. Taran had his arm around my brother’s shoulder. Perthe stood guard at the door, dipping his chin in respect when I caught his eyes. Eleanor and Lily were clutching each other and beaming, while Alixe gave me a slow, approving nod.
Family.
This small but powerful cadre had become my family. I would lay down my life for any one of them, and I knew without doubt they would do the same for me.
My eyes met my brother’s, and I could see an echo of the same thought on his mind. I was determined to keep my word to him tomorrow and fight with everything I had—but if my best wasn’t enough, I was now certain he would be loved and cared for after I was gone. I suspected the mortals of Lumnos might have found themselves a few new Descended allies, as well.
Suddenly the weight on my shoulders didn’t feel quite so heavy.
“I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go,” I laughed as I swallowed away the burning in my throat. “What now?”
“We organized a lunch with all the cousins in the formal dining room,” Lily announced eagerly.
“With better seating arrangements this time,” Taran said, winking.
“But first you have your final training session,” Alixe cut in.
“Training? Like this?” Baubles tinkled like bells as I lifted my arms. “I can barely move.”
She shrugged. “You don’t have to move. No physical fighting this time. Just magic.”
“And we’re all coming,” Teller added. “You promised to show me your magic. Time to pay up.”
I clenched my jaw into a false smile. “Wonderful. Can’t wait.”
Teller and Taran shared a look and grinned. Eleanor and Lily flocked to my side to help me maneuver the cartload of material draped around me. As we headed for the corridor, I grabbed an object I’d tucked behind my bedchamber door and secured it to my waist with a simple leather band.
We made our way through the palace as a group, the laughter and chatter reverberating off the walls as we walked. My chest warmed at the sound and the cautious optimism that cocooned me. For the first time in a long time, I felt... lucky.
Hopeful.
As we noisily paraded into the dungeon, the cacophony fell to a dull hum when we realized we weren’t alone.
Leaning against a pillar in the center of the expansive stone chamber, his arms folded over his chest and one leg propped against the wall, was a raven-haired man with a jagged scar and a piercing stare that locked instantly with mine.
“Luther,” I said softly.
I hadn’t seen him since the fight with Remis. The first morning that he hadn’t shown up for our daily breakfast, my heart had sunk, and I’d realized how deeply I had come to rely on his constant, steady presence, even when I had gone out of my way to ignore it.
The others tensed and looked between us. I nudged my way to the front and down the stairs with as much grace as I could manage, given the yards of fabric dragging behind me.
Luther straightened as I approached, his hands dropping to his side. He bent at the waist in a deferential bow. Though I knew he meant it as a show of respect, the stiff formality of the gesture, and the distance between us that it implied, sent a pang
of regret through my chest.
“You’re back,” I said.
He nodded. His eyes traveled over my jewels, my cape, my dress. “You’re... a sight to behold.”
A blush rose to my cheeks. “Eleanor and Lily thought it would be good for me to feel like a true Queen today.”
“And do you?”
The corner of my lips twitched up. “I’m getting there.”
His intense gaze burned with words unsaid. I knew from the flare of hope I saw within them that my own expression was giving me away.
“You dropped something.” I pulled my cape back and unclasped the Sword of Corbois from the leather band at my waist. I held it out in offering, the gilded hilt and gleaming blade resting on my outstretched palms.
He stared down at the sword and started to reach for it, then paused. “You should keep it. It’s meant to be worn by a person sworn to protect House Corbois. My loyalty is now...” His eyes returned to mine. “...elsewhere.”
My stomach fluttered. “I’m a bit preoccupied trying to keep several thousand mortals alive at the moment. Maybe you could do me a favor and take House Corbois off my hands?” I fought, and failed, to keep my smile away. “Besides, I know better than to take a man’s jewelry away. They do get so fussy about such things.”
His smirk won out, as well. “As you wish, my Queen.” He took the sword, his hands brushing not-quite-accidentally over mine. “My father is going to want it back.”
“Then give it to him,” I said sweetly. “Pointy end first.”
His meaningful look said he was strongly considering it. He slipped the sword into the empty sheath at his back, and something about seeing the jeweled handle rising once again over his shoulder set my soul at ease.
“I heard what Remis did with your titles. Luther, I'm so sorry—”
“Don’t,” he said. “That was not your fault.”
“It was. I shouldn’t have put you between me and your family.”
“This goes much deeper than your arrival here. That confrontation has been a long time coming.”
I hesitated, then took a few steps closer. I set my hand on his chest and dropped my voice to a whisper. “He did this, didn’t he? It was an attack from your father that gave you this scar?”
He nodded, a muscle feathering along his jaw.
“Why?” I breathed. “You were just a child—how could he do that to his own son?”
For a moment, it looked like he might respond, but just as he had done so many times before, his steely mask settled in place, and his mouth pressed closed. All my hurt and anger began to resurface. I moved to pull away.
“Wait.” His hand shot to mine. “I want to tell you...”
“But?”
“But… that story is long and difficult, and not one I wish for many to know. And if you haven’t noticed, we have a rather
eager audience.”
I glanced to the dungeon stairs. There was a flurry of shuffling and sudden chatter as the others scrambled to pretend they hadn’t been scrutinizing our every move.
I stifled a laugh. “Fair enough. Another time, then.”
He let out a long exhale, the tension relaxing from his posture. “I’m sick of keeping things from you. I want you to know everything. Every secret I have is yours.”
I struggled to hold his gaze as I thought of the Guardians and the role I’d played in helping them. “I’ve kept things from you, too. Things that might make you look at me differently.”
Luther crooked a finger under my chin and gently nudged it up until my eyes returned to his. “There’s nothing you could reveal that would change how I feel about you.”
My heart thundered.
“No more secrets, then. After the Challenging, we come clean about everything. Brutal honesty.”
“Brutal honesty,” he agreed.
Slowly, so slowly, as if he dreaded letting me go, he took his hand off mine and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a
letter.
“This arrived for you this morning.”
My brows drew together as I pulled a folded note from the envelope and instantly recognized the simple, blocky lettering.
My frown deepened as I read.
D,
Good luck tomorrow. I’ll see you soon. Remember, whatever it may look like, we are on the
same side.
-H
“Is something wrong?” Luther asked, craning his head to peer down at me.
I sighed. “It’s from Henri.” I winced before continuing. “He came to the palace again. Just after my father’s funeral.”
“I know.”
I looked up in surprise.
“A guard saw you fleeing the canal leading to the royal dock.”
My eyes went wide. “Did he see Henri?”
“No, only you, but I had my suspicions as to why.” Luther smiled, though it was tainted with sadness. “The canal is how all the Corbois sneak their lovers in without being spotted. The bloodlocks shifting to your family line has put a significant dent in all the cousins’ love lives.”
Not all of them, I thought with a secret smile as I remembered my brother’s earlier visits to Lily.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I asked.
It was a pointless question. I already knew a thousand explanations he could provide.
Because you weren’t speaking to me.
Because I was trying to win your forgiveness, and you would only have yelled at me.
Because you were meeting with the man you’ve chosen over me.
“Because it wasn’t my place,” he answered.
I read the letter again, my mind tumbling over the lines, then folded it up and tucked it away. I had let the situation with Henri spiral too far out of control. He deserved honesty from me, too—and soon, I intended to give it to him.
“I heard you were meeting with the Houses,” I said.
Weariness settled over his features. “I’ve done all I can. I made every promise I can keep and offered everything that’s mine to give. I pray it will be enough.”
“What did you promise them?”
He worked his jaw and looked away. The ominous cloud that hung over us seemed to thicken, darkening his expression.
“Luther, I told you, I don’t want to sell off preferential treatment just to—”
“It’s nothing like that.”
He still wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“Tell me.” I stepped closer, his body so close that his woodsy musk filled my nose. “Brutal honesty, remember?”
He closed his eyes, and I watched as his features slowly hardened. His armor of indomitable resolve took hold, and when he finally returned my gaze, it was not Luther who stood before me but the cold, brutal Prince. He glanced briefly to the others, then his voice dropped low, meant only for my ears.
“House Hanoverre agreed not to come after you if I make a bonded bargain to marry Iléana.”
My hands flew out on reflex, latching to his forearms to steady my spinning head. “Luther. No.”
“House Hanoverre is your greatest threat. If I have a chance to keep you safe from them, I have to take it.”
I shook my head frantically and grappled for words. My vision blurred at the corners, the world sharpening in on him and him alone. “Luther—please—please, tell me you didn’t enter that bargain.”
He fixed me with his penetrating stare, and I thought my fractured heart might explode and level the world to ashes all over
again.
“Luther, no,” I choked out.
“I told them I would give them an answer by sundown—”
“Thank the gods,” I groaned, slumping against him.
“—but I’ve already made up my mind to accept.”
I blinked up at him. “You can’t be serious.”
“I promised you I would not let you die at the Challenging.” His expression turned pained. “I know you no longer have faith in my promises—”
“I do,” I insisted. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. I was angry and grieving, and I took it out on you. I’m so sorry, Luther. I know you did everything you could. You don’t have to sign your life away to that witch to earn my faith—you have it already.
You never truly lost it.”
His mask flickered, and a blinding ray of brilliant, soul-warming happiness shone through, then quickly disappeared. “If I deny them, they may Challenge you out of spite alone.”
“Then let them Challenge me.”
“If you had more time to master your magic, I would have no doubt you could defeat anyone, but—”
“The godhood came to me when I needed it in the past.” I shrugged. “Maybe it will do so again.”
“And if it doesn’t?” His voice began to rise, his tone growing hot as the air rippled with his aura. “You expect me to watch Jean Hanoverre take your life? I would marry every person in that entire wretched House before I’d let that happen. You cannot ask me to stand back and do nothing.” His hands gripped at my waist. “I will not let you die.”
“I’m not asking you to do nothing. I’m asking you not to do this.”
He glared at me, gaze swirling with the stars and shadows of his mighty power. His fury was a fearsome sight, the kind that could make even the bravest of warriors weak-kneed and wary, but I did not wither. This deadly, uncompromising rage was not at me, but for me.
“Marry her if you love her,” I said, the words almost too painful to speak aloud.
“I don’t,” he growled. “I l—”
I gently placed a finger on his lips to silence him. His features tensed at the gesture, then softened.
“Marry her if you care for her,” I went on, still keeping my voice low, “or if you want to raise a family with her and grow old with her. Marry her if she is who your heart desires. But don’t marry her for me. I could not bear it.” I gave him a rueful smile. “I would rather die in the Challenging than live knowing I was to blame for that.”
He watched me, saying nothing. I could see the words forming in his throat—the protests, the promises, the guilt, the weight of my life on his shoulders.
Finally, his hand rose to mine, curling around my fingers and pulling them from his lips. “Show me you can use your magic.
Prove to me you can defend yourself, and I’ll reject the bargain.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Is this another one of your attempts to bribe me into surviving?”
He leaned in closer. “If that’s what it takes.”
I looked over at the others. Alixe and Teller talked quietly between the occasional glance, while Eleanor and Lily were cuddled into Taran’s hips, the three of them no longer bothering to pretend they weren’t watching. The ladies were all but swooning, eyes practically glowing with hope, but Taran’s expression was more reserved. His hard stare simmered with the confrontation we’d had at my last training. A request, and a warning, not to be careless with his best friend’s heart.
“Let’s get started then,” I said. “Can’t be late for my fancy Corbois lunch.” I backed away from Luther and swore as I nearly toppled over the pool of fabric at my feet. I fumbled with the cape fastenings at my chest. “What am I learning today?”
“Shielding.” Luther took the clasps from my struggling hands, unsnapping them with ease. I shivered at the graze of his rough hands over my bare shoulders as he slid the cape off me and set it aside. “If you can’t shield, you’ll be dead in minutes.
If you can, you can wear them down and buy yourself time to plan.”
“Survive first,” Teller called out. “Father would approve.”
I nodded. “I think I might have accidentally shielded once before. A Descended man attacked me in Mortal City, and he—”
“What?” Luther’s face darkened. His magic pulsed across the dungeon like a shockwave, sending our friends staggering back a few steps and coaxing my own godhood to lift its head. “When did this happen?”
“It’s nothing.” I shrugged it off, though the memory of the gruesome murder provoked a wave of fresh regret. If only I had known then what I was, what I was capable of, I could have saved the mortal woman and her half-mortal son from their brutal
deaths. “It happened before the Crown, when I was a mortal.”
“You were never a mortal,” Taran shouted.
“I’m as much mortal as I am Descended,” I shot back. “And unlike the rest of Lumnos City, I have no intention of ignoring the mortal blood that runs in my veins.”
Taran grinned. “There’s the spitfire I’ve been missing.”
“Who was he?” Luther snapped, still looking furious. “Why did he attack you?”
“I don’t know his name. He discovered a child he had fathered with a mortal woman there. He came to...” I trailed off, and Luther’s face fell as he pieced together the rest. “I was too late.”
I knew Luther would blame himself for it as surely as I did. He had made himself the champion of the half-mortal children, and every death he could not prevent sat heavy on his shoulders.
Perhaps Lily was right—perhaps Luther and I did have more in common than I realized.
“And you were able to shield yourself from his magic?” Alixe asked.
“I think so. He was only a few feet away when he attacked, but somehow I wasn’t hurt. I must have shielded myself without realizing.”
Taran barked a loud laugh. “And that didn’t tip you off that you were Descended? How deeply in denial were you?”
“You have no idea,” Luther muttered.
Alixe strode forward, focusing her attention on me. “Normally, when we use our magic to attack, we shape it into weapons, like taking a lump of ore and crafting it into a blade. When we use it to shield, we simply rely on the raw magic itself. We pull it around us in its purest form.”
I thought back to when my magic first manifested years ago, when I believed it to be a wild hallucination. Whenever I was scared or sad, I would curl up into a blanket of shadow. My family would spend hours searching for me, calling my name from inches away where I appeared to be nothing more than a dark, empty corner.
How strange that it was in the darkness I had felt the safest. Perhaps the dark had not loomed quite so ominously when I believed the light was mine to wield, never more than a thought away.
“Try it,” Alixe urged. “Imagine drawing your magic out without trying to shape it. Allow it to simply exist outside of your body.”
I closed my eyes and took a few centering breaths. I willed my mind to turn inward in search of my elusive godhood. Come out to play, I begged it. Show me what you can do.
Something within me stirred, a tingling sensation deep in my chest, but each time I reached for it, I swiped through empty air. It seemed to be stalling, lying in wait for me to say or do something more.
I huffed out a frustrated breath. “It’s still not answering me. I can feel it in there, but it won’t do anything.”
“Keep trying,” Alixe pushed.
I looked over at Luther, rattled by the disquiet on his face as he watched. If I failed now, my life would be at risk—but his would be ruined.
A life bound to a woman who wanted to use him for his titles and his power, a woman who believed his scars made him weak.
Anger boiled in my veins. If I failed, I would condemn him to a lifetime with a Queen Consort who, even after years at his side, did not really see him.
And you will lose him forever, my mind whispered.
“Help me,” I said to him. “At the King’s funeral, you drew the magic out. You made it react.”
He shook his head. “I did nothing. You did it then, and you can do it again now.”
I held my hand out. “Help me, Luther.”
He stared at it for a long beat. His muscles bunched, but he held himself back.
I cleared my throat. “Do you want to marry Iléana or not?” I asked loudly.
“Wait—what?” Taran barked.
Eleanor blinked. “Did she say—”
“Oh, no,” Lily gasped.
Alixe looked amused.
Teller said nothing, though he studied me curiously.
Luther’s eyes narrowed at me, and I bit my lip to mask my smile. “I know how to find ways to motivate you, too, Prince.”
He leaned in close. “Truly devious, Your Majesty.”
I grinned, and he grinned back, and for a heartbeat, the sun seemed to swoop down from the sky and fill the dungeon with
its fiery, jubilant glow.
“Help me,” I said again.
His back straightened, his smile falling away as his broad jaw slowly rose. A new expression settled over his face— dominant, steadfast, dark with threat in a way that sent heat rushing to my skin. It wasn’t the Prince—but it wasn’t quite the
Luther I was used to, either. In fact, I’d only ever seen this look on him once before...
He took my extended arm by the wrist and prowled to my side, pressing his thumb against my pulse. “If I try to help you, are you going to fight me?” His grip tightened as he leaned down to my ear, his gravelly voice dropping low. “Or will you be a good girl for me again and obey?”
My breath hitched. Suddenly, I could feel every piece of clothing on my body, all at once too tight and too loose, its friction maddening against my tingling skin.
“Depends,” I said, a little huskily. “I seem to recall you enjoying yourself the last time I had a knife to your throat.” My eyes drifted to his. “So which do you really prefer?”
A rumbling tempest of want brewed in his gaze, and just like that, Luther and I were back to our dangerous game. Only this time, I was no longer afraid to play.
“Close your eyes,” he growled—an order, not a request. I let my stare linger defiantly for a moment before giving in.
He continued to circle his thumb across the sensitive skin of my wrist as a warm sensation grew at my chest, and I realized his other hand was hovering just over my skin.
“May I touch you?” he murmured with a featherlight brush just above the low neckline of my dress. “Here?”
I squeezed my thighs together and nodded my consent. A moment later, his large, warm hand pressed firmly against my heart —the mirror to the smooth patch of skin on his own chest that had been spared from his scar’s path. “This is where you’re strongest. Imagine your magic gathering here first.”
It was a struggle to think beyond his touch—the skim of his fingertips over the scar on my collarbone, the curve of my breast swelling into his palm as I breathed, and that thumb, that cursed thumb, still taunting me at my wrist—but, in a way, it seemed to help. All my burdens and fears dimmed and disappeared behind a heady, sinful haze that left my mind thinking only of his grip, his mouth, his body. His smile, his heart, his devotion. Everything he had come to mean to me.
And what I stood to lose if I let him walk away.
Please, I begged my godhood. Abandon me if you must, but not him. We have to save him.
A tingling sensation formed under Luther’s hand, and power buzzed beneath my skin as my magic moved to meet it. It crawled at first, then circled and swarmed, its pace growing increasingly intense.
“Do you feel it?” he asked, his breath tickling my neck, and I nodded again. “Good. Now imagine it expanding beyond your body. Let it surround you completely.”
The godhood pulsed eagerly at his words, a hunger to escape that reminded me of the first night I’d unleashed—how it had nearly consumed him. “What if I lose control and hurt someone?”
“You won’t.”
“You were worried I might at the ball.”
“The ball was different. There were strangers there, people there you had no fondness for. You care about everyone here, and your magic will not hurt those you love.” A long beat of silence passed. When he spoke again, his voice was rough. “It’s why I was able to come to your side after your father died. Even when you’d lost control, at your power’s most destructive, I dropped my shield, and it did me no harm.”
My eyes flew open. “Luther, you could have died.”
“A small price.”
“Your life is not a small price,” I hissed. “Not to me.”
His gaze seared into mine with equal passion. “I would have walked into the flaming heart of the sun itself,” he shot back.
“If you are suffering, nothing will keep me from coming to your aid. Least of all something as trivial as death.”
I clenched my teeth. “Don’t you ever r—”
The hand on my chest slid up my throat and cupped beneath my jaw. “Look,” he demanded, turning my face forward.
My eyes finally broke from his and grew large at what I saw. A shimmering dome had formed around us, nearly invisible save for the translucent swirls that danced along its edge like silvery rainbows on a bubble of soap.
“Test it,” Luther commanded to Taran and Alixe.
They both flicked a hand toward us, conjuring a volley of barbs that crashed against the shield’s border and dissolved harmlessly into mist.
A quiet, pestering thought in the back of my mind noted that this looked and felt nothing like when I’d survived the Descended man’s attack in the alley, though it was quickly drowned out by my excitement.
“You’re not doing this?” I said incredulously.
Luther shook his head, his face shining with pride. “You and you alone, my Queen.”
To prove his point, he dropped his hands from me and took a step back, and to my surprise, the shield held firm.
He continued to retreat until he reached its edge. As he tried to move through it, the dome thickened and turned opaque where it connected with his body, halting him in place. His muscles pulled taut as he fought, and he failed, to break through.
“Having some trouble, cousin?” Taran teased.
I smirked. “Is this enough to convince you not to do anything rash, like marrying an awful person who doesn’t deserve
you?”
Luther lowered his chin, his smoldering stare firing back the response I knew he wanted to say aloud. He let it go, his features smoothing instead into amusement. “I knew all it would take is the right incentive.”
“Hold on, you can’t take all the credit,” Taran interjected. “I’m the one who told her what was holding her back.”
“Technically, that was Teller.” I winked at my brother, who grinned back. “You know, I asked Teller and Lily to be my advisors when they’re done with school.” I eyed Luther and Taran with a disapproving shake of my head. “You two really need to work harder if you want to make the cut.”
Taran pouted. “What about Alixe?”
“Good point.” I cocked my head at Alixe. “You’ve been a de facto advisor for some time, but I suppose we should
formalize it.”
“Oh, come on,” Taran moaned.
Alixe gave a low, respectful nod. “I’m here to serve however you need me, Your Majesty.”
I dropped my shield and walked to stand in front of her. “Alixe Corbois, do you agree to serve as a loyal advisor to me on all matters related to the defense of this realm and its people—all its people?”
She beat a fist to her chest and bowed. “It would be my honor.”
“Fantastic! Welcome to my Council.”
“I can advise,” Taran muttered. “I know things.”
“You’ll get there,” Lily soothed, giving Taran an encouraging pat on the arm. “I believe in you.”
“Thanks, Lil.” She squeaked as Taran hauled her into his side for a hug.
“Well?” I asked, turning to Luther. “Have you seen enough?”
He crossed his arms and looked me over. “I’d be happier if I could see you attack. Your shield is strong, but shielding drains your power quickly.”
Lily groaned. “We’re hungry, brother. Let the Queen and her subjects eat.” She gave a savage, entirely un-Lily-like grin.
“You can let Diem overpower you again later, if you really insist.”
Taran threw his head back and roared a laugh, and even Luther cracked an affectionate smile in his sister’s direction.
“Fine,” he agreed. “That’s enough.”
“You’ll decline the Hanoverres’ bargain?” I asked.
“I’ll decline the bargain.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You promise?”
He nodded, and I swore I saw relief wash over his features and strip away some small measure of the burden he carried.
Whether it was relief to no longer be bound to Iléana, or at the knowledge that I still valued his promises, I couldn’t tell, but both were a balm for my soul.
“Lunch!” Eleanor cheered. She looped her arm in mine and yanked me toward the stairs.
I snagged Alixe in my other arm, pulling both women in close at my hips. The rest of the group fell in step behind us, marching in a boisterous parade up the steps.
“I hope this good mood you’re all in means none of you are planning to Challenge me tomorrow,” I joked.
“If any Corbois tries to raise a Challenge, I suspect they’ll have a sword in their side before they can get the words out,”
Alixe said.
Luther growled in agreement.
I laughed. “At least if I do get betrayed, Remis goes down, too. He and I sealed our arrangement with a bonded bargain, so if any Corbois Challenges me, he loses his magic.”
Luther stopped still. “You did?”
“Diem,” Eleanor interrupted, “would you like me to arrange a dinner this evening? Something simple, just for the seven of us?”
My heart felt suddenly heavy. Tonight very well could be my final night alive, and if it was, spending it with my newfound family was exactly where I wanted to be.
But there was something else I needed to do. Something I could not rightly go to my grave without seeing through.
“Thank you, but I have some unfinished business I need to take care of this evening.”
Eleanor forced a smile, though shades of disappointment marred her lovely features.
I gently nudged her side. “Will you plan a victory dinner for tomorrow night instead?”
“That’s the spirit!” Taran yelled.
Eleanor lit up. “Nothing would make me happier.”
We paraded through the palace to the glass-walled dining room, where my entourage abandoned me the moment they laid eyes on the mouth-watering buffet.
Only Luther remained at my side, taking a private moment to settle my cape back onto my shoulders and secure the clasps over my chest. “This unfinished business you spoke of... do you need any help?”
I pulled out the letter he had delivered to me and studied it, running my fingers over the creases, thinking of the words scrawled inside and the man who had written them. When I met Luther’s eyes again, I saw a gleam of understanding—and of hope.
“No,” I said softly. “This is something I need to do alone.”
