by Cait Marie
Phillip shook his head before rounding the bed. He pulled her into a tight hug, a shudder running through them both as he let out a breath. When he leaned back, he put a hand on each of the siblings’ shoulders. He kissed the top of Ada’s head and then Shane’s before saying, “You’re both going to be fine.”
“How?” Ada didn’t understand. “How am I alive?”
“We don’t know,” Shane said. “After it happened, the painting on the wall… the color restored as if coming back to life. The Heulwen shimmering around the rose like it was healing it.”
“Then, you were back,” Phillip whispered.
Ada couldn’t rid herself of the nagging in the back of her mind. “Where’s Lee?”
Shane and Phillip shared a look.
Her stomach twisted. Had she been wrong? Had breaking the curse forced all their lived years on them at once? So many questions tangled in her head. “Tell me.”
“As soon as we saw you were alive, he left. You broke the curse, but in doing so, you snapped something inside him,” Shane started. He told her how Lee brought the flower and Phillip got him to drink it just in time. He explained the dream he had and the visions leading up to everything.
Then, he told her of the fight—of how out of control Lee became. How he changed into the feared immortal warrior from the legends right before their eyes. It had been like another person entirely.
Ada held her breath as Phillip took over. “Ren stepped in front of Brienne.”
She could see it unfold in her mind. The anger followed by despair. Lee would not recover from all that happened. He would not be the man who’d held her in bed that morning. The sweet, stubborn man whose heart was too big for his chest. Tears filled her eyes as she imagined the guilt he no doubt felt.
“I have to find him,” she said when they finished the story.
“You need to rest,” Shane said.
“Hypocrite,” Phillip mumbled under his breath.
Shane went to argue, but another voice cut in. “Just give Lee some time.”
Ada shifted to see Brienne walking toward them with Gwyn at her side. Brienne climbed up on the bed and pulled Ada into a hug.
“I’m glad you’re alive, Princess,” she said against her hair.
Holding her tighter, the realization that Ren was truly gone struck her. “I’m so sorry.”
Brienne nodded and leaned back. “He died honorably, which is all he ever wanted. After his past… dying to protect someone…”
Ada squeezed her friend’s hands. Ren had briefly told her the story one night while training in a faraway warehouse. The story of a man forced to watch his family killed by a cruel man without a way to stop him. Of the man becoming a soldier to fight injustices only to be dishonorably discharged for falling in love with the wrong woman.
“He’s not going to be all right,” Ada whispered, thinking of Lee’s grief.
Brienne looked down at their hands. “I know.”
As Adalina finished telling them what happened with Michel after Phillip left, Shane felt his breath leave his lungs. The King and Queen of Rayerna were dead. Saundra was dead. He might not have loved her romantically, but he’d cared for her a great deal.
“I still can’t believe Michel did all this,” Shane said. “We’ve known him since we were children. I never imagined him capable of something like this.”
Adalina hugged her knees to her chest as she turned her head to lay against them. Shane, Phillip, and Gwyn had pulled chairs over, and Brienne still sat beside Ada on the bed. They didn’t know how Adalina was alive, but he was grateful. He had no doubt she’d search for those answers soon. She’d told him of Nayani’s words of the girl made of rose and finding the medallion—how she’d figured out she was that girl and what the payment needed to be. A payment their ancestors likely thought none in their line would be willing to make for the cursed ones. But she’d sacrificed herself to break their curse. An act of true love.
As they talked, Phillip’s hand had drifted over, close enough for their fingers to just touch. They needed to have a private conversation. And soon. He needed to know the full truth and where they stood.
“So, Loxley has the magic of the Heulwen in him?” Brienne asked.
“Yes,” Gwyn said. “And we’re assuming a small part of its power passed onto his sister, Willa too.”
“Your ancestor?” Phillip asked.
She nodded. “We couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t getting as sick with the Kald until we found out about Loxley. That’s the only explanation we could come up with.”
“Wait, how do you know you were infected then?” Brienne asked.
Gwyn shrugged. “I kissed Shane.”
Beside him, Phillip stilled. “You kissed him?”
She explained how Viktor claimed to have a cure and that she knew Shane couldn’t test it or ask anyone else to. “I volunteered. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same thing.”
Shane moved his hand to cover his friend’s, and Phillip chuckled. “Why didn’t you just drink after him or something?”
The tension left Shane’s shoulders at his friend’s lighter tone.
“I needed to test something else too,” Gwyn said with a wink.
They both laughed and continued to talk about the past few weeks. Shane’s attention moved to his quiet sister. She hadn’t said a word since they took over the conversation, and her eyes stayed on the window behind them. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and make things better.
But he knew that’s not what she needed.
“Adalina,” he whispered. The rest of the chatter died out around them, and her tear-filled eyes met his. His heart ached at the sight of his sister in so much pain. “Go.”
She lifted her head, lines forming between her brows.
“You know where to find him,” Shane said, keeping his voice soft.
She stared at him for a long moment before getting to her feet.
Floorboards creaked beneath her feet as Ada made her way down the aisle. Candles flickered around the dark room, giving it a warm and inviting atmosphere. She stopped in front of the large stained-glass window behind the pulpit. The colorful glass almost took her breath away. It told a story—the story she knew by heart. Reaching up, she trailed a finger along the familiar characters.
She turned and walked back toward the lone figure sitting in the church. She had never been in O’ Chwedlau, but she knew that’s where he’d go. Neither spoke as she slid into the pew next to him. The quiet room was peaceful, and Ada didn’t want to disrupt that but knew she had to.
Lacing her fingers through his, she laid her head against his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
Her whispered statement held more meaning than just the two simple words. There was so much guilt between them both. She knew he’d never forgive himself for killing Ren, but she also knew that it was her fault. It was her actions that brought on his anger. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I’m so sorry,” she choked out.
Lee let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her. He still didn’t say a word as his own tears fell. They sat in silence, holding onto one another. When they stopped crying, he let out a groan and rubbed his eyes with one hand.
“Lee, I—”
“Do not apologize again,” he cut her off, grabbing her chin to tilt her face up. “You sacrificed yourself to break the curse for us. Don’t you dare apologize for my actions.”
She nodded and watched as he lifted her dagger from the bench beside him. Only then did she notice the bandage around his hand.
“I had to see,” he whispered. “I had to feel it.”
The curse. “It really worked.”
But he shook his head. He handed the dagger over before unwrapping his hand. A faint pink line lingered on his palm. Despite the bloody bandage suggesting otherwise, the cut had almost completely healed.
“So, the flower is still healing you?”
“No.” He shoved the ban
dage into a pocket. “I don’t think the curse fully broke. I mean, I know it did. Ren’s… but I can still feel it. I’m still immortal.”
Ada swallowed past the lump forming in her throat. “How?”
“I don’t know.” When he met her gaze, he let out a breath. “Maybe the same reason you’re alive?”
She set the dagger aside and took his hand. “We’ll figure it out.”
It was his turn to nod. He took a deep breath then kissed her once before letting go and standing. “Come on, I want to show you something.”
She grabbed her dagger and stood, following as he led her back outside. Hanging lanterns dimly lit the streets. A couple walked past them, talking and laughing with a small child between them. They tilted their heads in greeting. Ada smiled and shook her head. It was like a different world on this closed-off, hidden street.
“What?” Lee asked after they turned a corner.
“They had no idea I’m the princess.” She paused to grin up at him. “Or that you’re a king.”
He froze, completely tense. Ada turned to stand directly in front of him. The street was empty, and she was grateful Gwyn told her how to get out of the castle unnoticed. She didn’t need guards around, not in this part of the kingdom or with Lee. Though, she had a dagger strapped to her waist and no doubts about her own capabilities.
With a hand on his cheek, she told Lee, “You’re the rightful King of Rayerna.”
He let out a breath. Mischief filled his eyes as he slid his hands around her sides to her back. “Think your brother can teach me how to be a good royal?”
“Hey!” She smacked him in the arm with a laugh.
Lee pulled her closer, and she leaned into him. She relaxed into the embrace, smiling as he whispered, “I love you, Adalina.” Before she could reply, he squeezed her tighter and added, “Please don’t ever do that again. I… I can’t lose you. Not like that.”
“I love you too.” If it meant saving the people she loved, she would do whatever it took. Leaning back, she met his gaze before his lips brushed her own. It was a sweet kiss—full of longing.
When they broke apart, he continued leading her down the street. They entered one of the long buildings that made up the hidden square. As they made their way to the second floor, families could barely be heard behind closed doors. At the end of the hall, Lee pulled out a key and opened the door.
Inside, he lit a few lanterns, illuminating the small living space. A bed and bookshelf took up one side of the room, and a kitchen area occupied the opposite corner. In the low light, Ada could see a small bathing room through the single door off the main room. She closed the door to the hall behind her and looked around. Small portraits lined the shelf with only a few books remaining. The bed was made, and the place looked clean but unlived in.
“What is this?” she asked, already suspecting the answer.
“My home.”
The door opened, but Shane didn’t move. Though he felt better, the events of the day had caught up to him. Exhaustion weighed down his bones. He sat on the edge of his bed, his face buried in his hands.
When the footsteps stopped in front of him, Shane finally lifted his head. He met his best friend's eyes. With everything that had happened, he forgot there was still one thing he needed to deal with. He pushed himself to his feet and nearly stumbled.
Phillip caught him by the shoulders. “Why are you so stubborn?”
The corner of Shane’s mouth quirked up. It hadn’t escaped his notice that Phillip didn’t let go. As Shane moved closer, Phillip’s grip tightened. His hands moved down the king’s arms at a glacial speed.
“Phillip,” Shane started, “you’re my best friend.”
Phillip froze. He let go, and Shane winced.
“No.” Shane shook his head. His heart raced. “I just… I didn’t know. All these years, and I had no idea.”
Phillip raised one shoulder. “I didn’t want you to.”
“Why?”
“Because.” Phillip sighed and raked a hand through his blond hair. “I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I didn’t think you…”
“Felt the same?” Shane whispered.
Phillip nodded. “And even if by some miracle you did, then what? You’re the king.”
Shane thought about that. He’d thought about it a lot the past few weeks. He hadn’t wanted to hope because he didn’t think he’d make it, but a plan had started to form. That afternoon, he’d decided.
Taking a step forward, he lifted shaky fingers to Phillip’s chest. “As king, I have the authority to change laws.”
His words were barely more than a whisper, but Phillip’s eyes widened. “But your family line needs to continue. You have to have children to carry on—”
“I don’t have to have children for our family line to continue.” The corner of Shane’s mouth tugged up. “I’m not the only royal sibling, if you recall.”
“She is going to kill you,” Phillip said with his own smile. “She’s never wanted the crown.”
“I’m not giving it to her. But if she has children, I can name them my heirs,” Shane said. “I think she’ll end up with a crown anyway though.”
Phillip’s grin widened for a second before faltering. “If they can get past this guilt, maybe. They have a lot to work through.”
Shane took another small step closer, erasing the remaining gap between them. He suppressed a laugh as Phillip’s breath hitched. Inch by inch, Shane moved his hand from its spot over his friend’s heart to his jaw.
“My point is that we will figure it out. There’s no rush. We have time now.”
A smile lit up Phillip’s eyes as he placed a hand on the king’s side. His other hand quickly went to the back of Shane’s neck, and he leaned forward, closing the distance between them. His mouth met Shane’s, and it felt as natural as breathing. Phillip held him tight for a long moment before they broke apart.
Putting his forehead against Phillip’s, Shane took a deep, ragged breath.
Phillip gripped his side tighter with a soft chuckle. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” He leaned back a little. “We’ll figure it out?”
With a nod, Shane said, “We’ll figure it out along with everything else, and we’ll do it together. Just as we always do.”
Michel’s actions had broken the treaty—both the real one and the false one. He held Adalina prisoner, killed Shane’s betrothed and his own parents, and denied aid in their fight against the Kald. Regardless of not having the power to give the flower over, he outright refused.
Loxley was the rightful King of Rayerna. And Shane planned to do everything in his power to help get the man on his throne.
A war was coming. There would soon be more deaths and heartbreak.
Shane needed to rest and regain his strength. He’d have a proper coronation soon to gain complete control over his kingdom. Then, he would fight for his people. Starting with wiping the Kald from their world. He’d build up his home, helping those who needed it.
But he couldn’t do anything that night. It would have to wait until the following days.
So, he let the worry ease from his mind as much as he could. And then, he kissed his best friend again.
A hand gently went to Ada’s lower back as he stood beside her, looking at the people in the paintings. He pointed to a woman with a striking resemblance. “That was my sister, Willa.”
“Your home?” Ada asked, turning around, her mind still on those impossible words.
“Well, this was my home before the curse.”
Ada’s head snapped toward him. “You’re serious… This was your home?”
He tilted his head to the window. “Ruby Street lies just on the outside of the hidden square. Growing up, we lived on the opposite side of the street, unaware of this secret area until I was older.”
She looked around in wonder.
“Do you know what O’ Chwedlau means?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Wh
en she shook her head, he held out a hand. She took it and stepped closer until she stood between his knees.
“It translates to ‘of legends.’ My sister’s idea. The people here knew the truth of what my crew did. It started as stealing for them, and they hid and protected us in return. My sister took over when we left.”
“Willa became a thief?” she asked, a smile forming.
His eyes lit up with pride. “When we were cursed, they left our things untouched—certain we would one day return. News traveled about us being left on Cyfrin, but they passed on the true stories. Willa never gave up. She had them keep our apartments empty and clean, waiting for us to come back. By the time we did, most were elderly. Some had already died of old age. My sister was near death.”
Ada placed a hand on his cheek.
“But they knew, and we were welcomed back. Because of her, they kept our secret, continuing about their business. We helped them however we could, but we never stayed more than a day or two. Sometimes, we’d be gone years at a time.”
Sliding her hand down to his chest, Ada leaned forward, burying her face in the crook of his neck. They knew him—knew he wasn’t the villain the stories made him out to be.
“I wasn’t the only one,” she whispered.
He didn’t need her to explain. In response, he rubbed her back and brushed his lips against her head. “I knew your mother.”
Ada barely caught the words. She stood back to ask what he meant.
“Before she became the queen,” he explained softly. “She moved here from Rayerna. I hadn’t seen her since she was a young teenager but…”
The world tilted beneath Ada. Her head spun, and she placed a hand on either temple to try a steady herself. She covered her mouth, shaking her head.
“Ada, what?” Concern filled his eyes as he gently pulled her wrists away from her face and the hair she had gripped in one fist. “Love, talk to me.”
“She knew,” Ada whispered. His brow wrinkled, and she took a deep breath. “She knew you. She knew it was real. All of it—the storybook, the cards, Rose Street—she figured it out.”