“I hope so.”
“Where’s the healer? I’d like to say thank you.”
Nora’s large, brown eyes turned somber. “Once I told both guards that my father could no longer control them, they happily shackled him. I asked him to tell the army leaders he’s stepping down. I made it clear his imprisonment will be a lot more enjoyable if he cooperates. He and the guards are in the emissary’s office. I gave him twenty minutes to think about it.” She glanced at a clock on the back wall. “I wish I hadn’t given him so long. Every minute we wait, people are injured or dying. But the army may not follow me unless my father abdicates.”
The door to the hallway opened, and the guard who’d stabbed Krey entered. “The king’s made his decision.”
Nora stood and turned. “What did he say?”
“He kept mumbling to himself—kept his eyes on the floor, and we couldn’t understand anything he was saying. When we told him time was almost up, he finally looked at us and said, ‘Nora can have my crown.’ ”
Nora drew in a sharp breath. “Did he tell you why?”
The guard gave her a sad smile. “He said, ‘It’s what Ambrel would want.’ ”
Nora’s back was to Krey, but he saw her go still, her shoulders stiffening. He stood, drawing air through his teeth as his aching chest protested the movement. Nora turned toward him. He held both her hands, looking into her tear-filled eyes. “Your mother would be proud of you and your father right now.” Still holding her hands, he lowered his head in a bow. “Your Majesty.”
A small smile broke through her grief.
Nora gave her father two more bites of shield fuel. He grimaced as he ate it, but he didn’t argue.
With her help, he stood. He was hunched over, barely taller than her now. Every line of his face and slump of his body spoke of his brokenness. She took one of his shackled arms and helped him shuffle out of the office.
Ovrun, Krey, and the guards waited in the hallway. Krey was wearing an undershirt one of the guards must’ve loaned him. Ovrun was still wrapped in a tablecloth, and Nora caught a glimpse of the blanket-wrapped stone he was carrying underneath. She’d instructed him to hide it somewhere safe as soon as he got the chance.
“Chin up, darling.” The king’s voice was as weak as his body. “Smile big.”
Hearing his old mantra, she nearly burst into tears. The words reminded her of the days when she’d had him on a pedestal taller and more solid than the one in the chapel. She took his advice to raise her chin. But there was no way she could smile.
She’d hardly dared hope her father would abdicate. But as she listened to the scuff of his slow footsteps and felt his weight as he leaned on her, a realization slammed into her: somewhere along the way, Ulmin’s physical strength had become inextricably linked to his magic. With shield fuel blocking all the magic in his body, he was terribly feeble.
Clearly, he’d been keeping himself perpetually influenced by the stone’s power or his magical fuel or both. It might’ve been months or years since his body had been completely free of magic. And recently, he’d become undernourished and weak, aging far more quickly than Nora would’ve thought possible. What had caused that? Was it his addiction to magic? Or had cruelty itself finally sunk its claws so deep into his heart, it was killing him?
Whatever the explanation, Ulmin Abrios had lost even the strength to hold onto his crown. That should make Nora happy—she’d finally taken him down. But pain gripped her chest and throat as the old man at her side gently patted her arm with a hand scarred by dragon fire.
By the stone, she missed her strong father.
A guard opened the door. Nora and her father exited.
Gasps and murmurs greeted the frail king. Nora fixed her gaze on a random soldier and commanded him to fetch the general.
“The battle is over!” General Etal cried from his position in front of Nora on Osmius’s back. “We have made peace! Gather in the street!”
Nora listened to him call out the same words, over and over. Before long, combatants were streaming into the street south of Deep Forest. Osmius landed, and Nora and the general spoke with Hatlin and an army captain.
The battle, they learned, had been even at the start. The army was better armed, but the unicorns’ illusions protected the inhabitants of Deep Forest. Some of the king’s soldiers had defected, joining the rebels they’d already been secretly supporting. However, in the chaos of the dawn attack, some of Nora’s people hadn’t eaten their shield fuel. The fight turned in the army’s favor as two Overseers brought some of the rebels onto their side, forcing them to attack their own comrades.
Then, at the same moment Nora’s father swallowed shield fuel, the Overseers lost the power to control more than one or two people at a time. The tide had turned toward the rebels.
Throughout the battle, both sides had been hesitant to kill their fellow citizens, often injuring or capturing each other instead. Still, dozens had lost their lives. Nora scanned the faces of the army and her rebels, seeing horror and relief in their wide eyes.
Her actions were efficient and simple. By her request, Vin and Gild had already flown into the city with several soldiers from the palace. The soldiers would seek out the city’s blood lysters, and the dragons would fly the healers to the four battlefields.
Next, she gave the Overseers shield fuel. After quietly assuring them she’d support them as they recovered from their dark addiction, she instructed a captain to bring them to the palace.
Nora and the general commanded the other combatants to hand in their firearms and return to their homes or wait for healing. They left it to Hatlin and a trusted army captain to enforce their commands.
Osmius took Nora and General Etal to the other camps the army had invaded to share the same messages. One battle had gotten particularly violent, and nausea filled Nora’s gut when she heard about the hundreds who died there. Her nation had suffered grievous wounds today. Its healing would be as hard-fought as the battles had been.
By the time they finished, Nora was mentally and physically drained. She couldn’t come close to anticipating all the tasks awaiting her at the palace. However, she’d told Krey that, before returning to the palace, she’d visit the clearing where they’d left Zeisha. She had to see how her friend was doing.
After dropping off the general in front of the palace, Osmius took Nora to the clearing.
As she watched him soar away, the tragedies of the day weighed down her heart like bags of wet sand. Dead Cellerinians. A fragile, broken father. And a friend who might not have survived the poison of a unicorn’s horn. Heart pounding with hope and dread, she walked toward the trees where Zeisha’s tent was hidden.
Before she reached it, Kebi stepped out of the trees. Zeisha was leaning on her arm.
A laugh burst from Nora as she ran up and drew Zeisha into a hug she hoped was gentle enough. “Are you okay?”
Zeisha’s voice was quiet but steady. “I will be.”
When Nora stepped back, her smile widened. Ovrun and Krey had emerged from the trees too. They were both wearing shirts they must’ve borrowed from palace staff. Krey walked up and took her hand, dropping a kiss on her cheek. “I thought you might want a few quiet minutes with friends before you go back to the palace. Joli is still helping the healer. But we got a couple of other people to walk with us over here. Deep breath, okay?”
She shot him a funny look as she inhaled deeply. Her exhale turned into a squeal when Sarza exited the trees. Then she saw the second person, and she fell apart.
“Dani!” There were only a few mets between them, but Nora’s feet couldn’t eat up the space quickly enough. Her aunt looked tired and thin, but by the sky, she was here, with open arms and a gentle smile. Her tight hug, full of acceptance and security, covered Nora in a warmth she didn’t realize she’d been missing for the last nine months.
At last, Nora’s crying calmed. Her friends gathered in a circle to discuss their next steps. Nora asked Dani to find Zeisha and Kebi a place to stay
in the city until Zeisha recovered. She would’ve preferred for the two women to stay in the palace, but the stale air under the dome couldn’t be good for Zeisha’s recovery.
Ovrun offered to let them stay at his house instead. He insisted his mother loved hosting guests and that her cooking would have Zeisha back to full strength in no time. Zeisha and Kebi agreed.
Nora looked at Ovrun. “I’m going to make sure Joli and her parents have a comfortable place to stay while they rebuild.” Seeing his relieved grin, she winked at him.
Sarza was shuffling from one foot to the other when Dani quietly turned to her. “I’m sure Nora would be willing to move a bed into my sitting room if you’d like to stay there.”
Nora’s eyes flitted between the two women. They’d clearly made some sort of connection. “That sounds perfect,” Nora said, “if it’s where you want to be.”
“Thank you.” Sarza’s face softened in a genuine, joyful smile, an expression Nora hadn’t seen on her before.
“Zeisha and Kebi, I’ll send Osmius to escort you to the city,” Nora said. “Ovrun, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind carrying you too. I guess the rest of us should get back to the palace.”
Sarza’s smile faltered. “Just so you know, the batteries used for electricity are, uh . . . destroyed. Totally.”
Nora let out a laugh. “Was that you?” When Sarza nodded, she said, “You saved our lives. Thank you. And I have a plan for bringing a whole lot more light to the place again.” A few inquisitive looks came her way. She just smiled, took Krey’s hand, and headed for the trees.
Somehow, Dani and Sarza had ended up way ahead of Nora and Krey as they walked through the woods. He certainly wasn’t complaining. They probably wouldn’t get many moments alone in the coming days.
His gaze drifted to her, taking in the thoughtfulness of her deep-brown eyes, the shoulders she’d squared against whatever was coming, the way her clothes clung to her curves. “Nora,” he said, halting his steps.
She stopped too, turning to face him. “Yes?”
“I love you.” The words flowed from his mouth, as refreshing and life giving as cool water. Saying it out loud felt amazing . . . until he took in Nora’s wide eyes and the frown that twisted her mouth. Silence sat between them, thick and tense.
“Damn it, Krey!” she said at last.
He blinked, barely able to breathe. “Too soon?”
“No! It’s just that I wanted to say it first. I was trying to decide what the best time was”—by now, she couldn’t hold back a smile—“and you slid right in there and won the race.”
Relief brought a giddy grin to his face. He released her hand and grabbed her waist, pulling her close. “What’s the prize?”
Her lips brushed his as she spoke. “The prize is, you get to wait.” She gave him the tiniest of kisses. “I’ll say it back when I want to, and you’ll have no idea when it’s coming.” Her lips moved up his jaw, dropping soft kisses along the way. Then they found his ear, and she whispered, “The other prize is, I might kiss you. A good kiss. But I haven’t decided yet.” She nibbled his earlobe, laughing when he shivered.
“Anything I can do to make it more likely?” he asked, his voice low.
Her mouth was still on his ear, doing things that heated him from the inside out. “I’m sure you could figure something out.”
In a flash, his hands were on her face, guiding her to look at him, firm, but not forceful. She licked her lips and shot him a sinful smile, arching one brow.
He pressed his lips to hers. Part of him wanted to devour her, but instead, he took his time, exploring her mouth with his own, drinking her up like a dehydrated man at a spring. He let his hands run over her face, her back, her waist, her hips. His injured heart ached as it pounded against her chest, but he just held her tighter.
Panting, she broke the kiss and pulled back just far enough to look in his eyes. “Krey . . . by the sky, I love you.”
He laughed, cupping her neck with his hand, her pulse racing against his thumb. “I thought you wanted to wait to say it.”
“I’ve waited long enough. We both have, don’t you think?”
He grinned, then gave her a soft kiss. Holding her in a tight hug, he murmured in her ear, “Want to stay in the forest? Live off the land, sleep in a tent, hide ourselves away for the next year or two or ten?”
She slipped her hand beneath the edge of his too-large shirt, rubbing his back, leaving tingling warmth everywhere she touched. “That’s exactly what I want.”
He gave her a lazy wink before taking her hand and leading her toward her palace.
The Stone Eater: 11
Ulmin Abrios, former king of Cellerin, lay on his side on a soft bed, staring at the wall. Images floated through his mind.
Milled rocks swirling in a cup of water.
A dragon gliding on air currents.
Tiny, curved layers of a navy-blue substance, smooth on the fingers and the tongue.
He became aware of voices talking softly behind him. He let the words waft in and out of his mind, like the images had.
“ . . . hasn’t asked for it . . . ?”
“ . . . doesn’t seem to remember . . .”
“ . . . haven’t let anyone see him? . . . told anyone . . .”
“No, Your Majesty.”
Those words struck Ulmin as important, and he flipped over in his bed. Your Majesty. Was that him? Was someone speaking to him?
The question dissolved as he squinted past a barrier made of bars. Warm sunlight shone through a window at the front of the little room, illuminating a young woman with glossy, black hair. His mouth curved into a smile. “Hello.”
“Hello, Father.”
Father. He liked the sound of that.
“Lunch is in an hour,” she said softly. “Is there anything I can ask the chef to bring you?”
One of those images from a moment ago returned. Something navy blue, delicious and bitter and smooth. But he couldn’t recall what it was, and the thought smeared into nothingness, like an ink-written letter caught in the rain. “No, ma’am.” He gave the lovely girl another smile, before flipping over to face the wall again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.
He thought perhaps he should respond, but then he forgot, because delightful pictures were flitting through his imagination again.
Rays of warmth reaching through the chapel’s skylights.
The nudge of a caynin’s nose against his hand.
Ambrel’s eyelashes, heavy with sleepiness and love.
37
Dani, you’re asleep next to me as I pen this. It feels silly to write you letters when we’ve been talking constantly since you arrived, but writing calms me. And what woman doesn’t need some calming the day before her wedding?
I need to sleep, but I keep thinking of what my life was like three months ago, compared to what it’s about to become. I can’t stop wondering what tomorrow will be like. What tomorrow night will be like, when the festivities are over and it’s only my husband and me.
I even wonder about these letters I’ve written you. Will you keep them, to remind yourself what a silly, lovesick girl I was?
-Letter from Ambrel Kaulder to Dani Kaulder
Dated Lalan 5, 180 PD
On the 201st anniversary of The Day, Nora woke to the light of a pink-and-orange sunrise streaming through her bedroom window. Thanks to Osmius, Vin, and Gild, who’d used stone-enhanced magic to burn away Ulmin’s dome, the palace was a place of light again.
She dressed in a soft shirt and tailored pants she’d bought over a year ago. While she loved her fine clothes, she’d vowed to curb her spending on clothing. Her months away from the palace had revolutionized her views on many things, including how taxes should be spent.
On her second day as Queen of Cellerin, the royal bankers had shown her the balances in the monarchy’s accounts. Due to her father’s neglect of his nation’s needs, she now had over a billion quins at her disposal. It sounded
like a lot, yet she was quickly spending it—not on clothes, but on her people and land. The farms her father had burned were, even now, being rebuilt. The monarchy had sent payments to families of combatants who’d died—whichever side they’d been on. And the entire nation needed upgraded roads, irrigation, sewers, and electricity.
Nora couldn’t handle even a fraction of such projects herself. She’d chosen ministers, consulted with them, and made decisions with their help. Today, however, would be different. Her schedule was empty but for one commitment.
Her coronation.
She was already the queen, but her people wanted to celebrate that fact. Hundreds of her supporters—those previously known as rebels—were once again camped around Cellerin City. Many of the residents of the capital were just as enthusiastic. They’d suffered under the army’s occupation and were sorely in need of some fun.
It would be hours before it all began, and Nora was determined to enjoy her morning. She finished getting ready, then opened her window to air out the room. The bedrooms along this hallway needed renovating due to the fire, but that could wait.
Today, Nora would actually sit down for breakfast, instead of taking it to her office. Sarza and Dani were already in the kitchen, drinking coffee, while their new chef prepared breakfast. Nora hadn’t had a choice but to replace Chef Pryn, the man who’d provided her father with his dark fuel.
She poured herself coffee, then sat across from Sarza and Dani. “Did you sleep well?”
“I did,” Dani said with a wide smile. Every day, she looked more like herself, her face filling out again.
“And you, Sarza?”
Instead of answering Nora’s question, Sarza said, “I need to tell you something.” Her eyes flitted to Dani, who gave her an encouraging nod.
“What is it?” Nora asked.
The Stone Eater (The Magic Eaters Trilogy Book 3) Page 39