“Then we must be prepared to protect those people,” Krete replied with a new strength in his voice. “King Drohan was right. We do have a lot more responsibility for the future of the realm than we thought.”
Finriel swallowed the last bit of her cider, allowing for Lorian and Krete’s words to settle into her skin. Krete was right. She was responsible for more lives than just her own now, and yet the thought did not bother her. It filled her with a strange sense of calm that she hadn’t experienced before, as if she had been waiting for this to happen her entire life. Finriel glanced out of the dust-smeared window to the moonlit streets beyond. It was likely the first hours of the morning by now.
“We should get going then,” Finriel said finally. “You can release Suzunne and get to Creonid before the town wakes.”
The companions stepped out of the musty booth and flipped the hoods of their cloaks over their heads in a meager attempt hide their bloodied and bruised appearances. Lorian retrieved a gold coin from his pocket and placed it on their table, giving Finriel a wink as she frowned up at him. She had forgotten about him stealing from the old woman in Proveria. To Finriel’s great surprise, she found herself feeling grateful for his misdeed, if only for the fact that they wouldn’t get in trouble for being unable to pay for their meal. She had dealt with enough fighting for one night.
They filed out of the pub, and Finriel’s nose was finally rid of the smell of old cider and sweat as fresh winter air brushed across her face. Lorian remained at her side as the three of them walked silently out of the pub and came to stand in the shadow of a neighboring building. Krete turned to face them with a shiver as a gust of cold wind blew through the street.
“You would do well to release your beasts once you get to the Witch Isles if what Egharis said is true,” Krete said through chattering teeth.
Finriel couldn’t blame him for being cold, as he had only his vest and bloodstained tunic to protect him. She dared to press herself closer to Lorian’s side, and his warmth radiated into her shivering bones.
“We will,” Lorian reassured the gnome with a tired smile.
“Good,” Krete said, and gave them a sad smile. “I will portal to meet you two so that we can make further plans once I’ve given King Drohan the news.”
“And please make sure that Nora stays safe and out of trouble,” Finriel added, unable to ignore the pang in her chest.
“Of course,” Krete replied. “I can bring her with me when I come to the Witch Isles, if you’d like.”
Finriel gave him a nod. “Yes, I would like that.”
“I will miss you two,” Krete said after a moment with a small sniffle.
“Don’t cry for me,” Lorian chuckled jokingly. “We’ll see each other again soon.”
“Yes, well, I should get going and release Suzunne before people begin to wake up,” Krete said with another sniff. “I look forward to our next meeting.”
And with that, Krete turned on his heel and began down the street toward a rocky hill beyond. Finriel and Lorian stood in silence for a few minutes as they watched Krete’s form grow smaller and smaller until he was nothing more than a speck at the crest of the hill.
“You’ve been quiet about what you are going to do now,” Finriel said finally, turning to face Lorian. She couldn’t fight the small jolt of nervousness that ran through her as his icy blue eyes met hers.
“What do you mean?” he murmured, and Finriel shrugged.
“You haven’t said where you’ll go next.”
Lorian frowned. “I’m going with you, of course.”
She shoved down a smile and her stomach gave a nervous flop. She couldn’t deny that she was hoping for him to say those words, but it felt so much better to hear them come directly from his lips.
“I won’t leave your side again, not even if someone tries to tear me from you by force,” Lorian promised, and Finriel knew that he meant every single word.
He wouldn’t leave her, not anymore. She could trust him, or at least continue to mend their once broken friendship. The ghost of his embrace rushed against her skin, and Finriel offered him a shaky smile. He returned it and stretched out a bloodstained hand toward her. She took it without thinking, and stepped forward to close the space between them. She let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his chest. She didn’t care that it was caked in dried fairy blood and crystal dust, she only cared about the warmth that radiated from him and the steady yet slightly quickened beat of his heart against her ear. He stiffened for a split second before his arms wrapped around her back in a comforting embrace.
They were a team once again, and in a way that was more than Finriel had ever dreamed of. She would never leave his side either, not even if someone tried to separate them. Lorian planted a soft kiss on top of her head and then spat, making Finriel look up at him with a frown.
“What?”
“You need to bathe,” Lorian said, rubbing his lips together in disgust.
Finriel’s smile widened, but Lorian’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“As lovely as this is, I think we’d better find our way out. The Red King will likely have set the Ten on our trail by now.”
The smile died from her lips, and Finriel let out a small sigh. That also likely meant that the Red King would eventually think of looking for her at the Witch Isles, if he hadn’t already somehow blocked the the sea pass.
“Okay,” Finriel said.
Lorian took a step back and smiled once more, though his half-shrouded gaze sent a shiver down her spine.
“Are you ready?” he asked, and Finriel nodded.
She took in a steadying breath and brushed a hand against the pocket of her cloak, knowing that her page was safely tucked away within the folds. She looked up at the now cloudless sky, taking in the beauty of the changing shades of purples and oranges as the sun began to rise. Though a heavy responsibility now rested upon her shoulders, Finriel found that she felt more confident and content than she had in her entire life. She would reunite with Krete again, and they would rescue Tedric. Together, she knew that they would find a way to save the realm from the Red King.
Finriel took a steadying breath, and to her own surprise, gave Lorian a true smile.
“I’m ready.”
Acknowledgments
It is an absolute dream come true that this book is a reality and out in the world.
I first want to thank Lorian, Finriel, Tedric, Krete, and Aeden for growing and evolving with me throughout these years. Thank you for allowing yourselves to change and be part of my healing, as well as the intense transition from teenager to adult.
Now, onto thanking non-fictitious people.
Mama, Papa, and Doug: thank you so much for raising me in a way that made following my chosen path a possibility. Thank you for your endless support and belief in my dreams. I feel forever grateful to be your daughter, and I know that none of this would have been possible without you guys.
Max Regan, writing mentor and friend. Thank you so much for your passion for this craft, and for helping me develop and turn this story into what it is today. I have learned so much from your bootcamps and our discussions, and I look forward to learning so much more!
Lisa Birman: Thank you for your eagle-eyed editing skills! I am so grateful to have been able to work with you.
To Travis Hasenour, who created the BEAUTIFUL map of Raymara. You are so talented and this map is an absolute dream come true. It was truly a delight to work with you!
Thank you Damonza for the amazing cover. I was blown away by how quickly each change was made and the ease of working with you.
Thank you to the amazingly talented Gabrielle Ragusi, who illustrated Lorian at a time where my confidence in this story was at an all-time low. You truly captured the essence of my favorite thief, and it was so much fun to work with you and experience the process of your art!
To Raven, my adorable, silly, loud, and awkward dog. I know you will ne
ver read this because the only thing you know about books is that they make excellent chew toys, but just know that your presence was so important during the process of writing the last two drafts of this book. Your doe eyes and silly noises truly helped me feel loved and excited to keep going at times where it felt impossible to do so. I love you.
To Maggie Stancu: You seriously are the most supportive human being in the entire world, and I’m so glad that I stumbled across your Instagram writing challenge during NaNoWriMo 2020. You have been such a steady shoulder to lean on during the publication stage of this process, and I’m forever grateful for you. Your excitement and openness about how much you loved this world when I shared it with you truly means so much to me, so thank you.
To Madison and Connor: Thank you both for being so willing to talk about possible plot lines, plot twists, and strange names. I’m so grateful for your support and love throughout this entire process. I’m so grateful to be friends with two giant fantasy nerds who keep me feeling inspired and excited about being part of the writing world.
To my beautiful, amazing sister Iohanna, who pushed me to keep going and do what was right for me, not for anyone else. Thank you so much for sitting with me through countless mental breakdowns, and for helping me stand back up every time I fell. This book would not have been published without your guidance and endless words of affirmation. I am forever grateful for you and our ravishing conversations about new book ideas and grumpy fae men.
Pronunciation Guide
Characters and Goddesses
Lorian Grey: LOR-ee-in Grey
Finriel Caligari: FEN-ree-el Ca-lee-GAR-ee
Tedric Drazak: Ted-rick DRAH-zah-ck
Aeden Siltra: Ay-den Sill-Trah
Krete: Creet
Egharis: Eg-GAR-iss
Agonur: Ah-GO-noor
Sorren: Soh-ren
Naret: Nah-ret
King Drohan: Droh-han
Kittia: Kit-ee-ah
Adustio: Ah-DOO-stee-oh
Anima: Ah-NEE-mah
Tellas: Tell-ah-s
Noctiluca: Noc-tee-loo-cah
Places
Keadora: Key-AH-dora
Proveria: Pro-very-ah
Farrador: Fair-AH-door
Crubia: Crew-BEE-ah
Drolatis: Drow-LAH-tis
Creonid: Crey-OH-nid
Lake Lagdranule: Lag-drah-nool
Naebatis: Nay-bah-tees
Anemoi: Anne-emm-mwah
Mitonir: Mee-THO-neer
Clelac Crags: Clay-lack Crag
Nivalis: Nee-vah-lis
Xeles: Sell-iss
Tiltha: Till-tha
Fortula: Fort-ooh-la
Things/creatures
Mogwa: Mow-gwah
Chimera: Kai-mare-ah
Sythril: See-thrill
Nian: Nee-on
Youl: Yool
Rakshasa: Rack-SHAH-sah
Veloria: Vel-oh-ree-ah
Meridiem: Mer-id-ee-am
Viure: Vee-oor-ay
About the Author
Gabriela has been writing and telling stories since she was a young girl. Perhaps it was inevitable that she would call grappling with words and making writing-related videos on YouTube a career—and love every moment.
When not writing or filming, you can find Gabriela reading, cuddling her dog Raven (better known as "Wiggleworm", dubbed by her doggy grandparents), or riding and training horses.
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