“Oh, Mycah, thank you.” I kissed his neck over and over before pulling his lips to mine. I was so happy, I could burst.
Until I realized that it meant after this trip, I would never see Zaylie again.
Chapter Thirty-Five
~Naminé~
Rydan’s fingers interlaced with mine, and I closed my eyes to revel in his touch. My heart ached in the fiercest of ways, for I could not bear having to say good-bye to him. He was to depart for the Earthly realm the next day, and I was to remain here in Lassaira.
In the castle, Nariella stood before us as her sparkling violet eyes held mine in a very serious manner. “So, I’ve been thinking…”
“Oh, no. This can’t be good,” Rydan murmured. He dropped his face into his hand and sighed.
She crossed her arms and glared at him. “Oh, really? It can’t? Never mind then, just forget it.”
Her teasing tone did not escape any of us, and Rydan was quick to play along. “Alright, alright. I’m sorry. What is it?”
“Okay, well,” she started, excitement bubbling from her. “I think I’m going to stay with Mycah in Aselaira. But…as you know, I’m the Queen of Lassaira. I can’t exactly go living in another kingdom, ya know? So, what if I made Cathar king of Lassaira? I mean, like, abdicate the throne to him? I know, I know,” she held up her hands to stop us from speaking, “before you say anything, it sounds crazy. But wouldn’t that be cool? I totally think it would. He’s loyal, skilled, and…I don’t know. I could even appoint Naminé as someone important. Or he could. A princess, maybe? Or his advisor? I don’t know, something that would give her a fancy title so that you and she could finally be together!”
“I don’t know, that seems kind of…Well, what do you think about it?” Rydan said to me. My eyes found hers, but I was unable to speak before she continued again.
“Wait, I’m not done! So don’t answer yet.” She clasped her hands together and then placed them on her hips, then as she spoke they flew wildly in the air. “At first I thought I could just abdicate the throne to you and make you queen instead of me, but that wouldn’t work since I need Rydan with me in Aselaira. But if Cathar is king and Naminé just appointed someone important of Lassaira, but still free enough to live away from the castle, she could come to Aselaira, too! Right?”
Rydan pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. “But why do you have to abdicate the throne to Cathar again?”
Nariella sighed. “Well, because.” She held up a finger. “Number one, I think he deserves it for all he’s done for me and both our two kingdoms. He’s risked his life for me on more than one occasion, and he helped defeat Ohtar, which not even my grandfather was able to do.” She held up another finger. “Second, I can’t just appoint Naminé as something and not him! That’d be so mean.” And then another. “Third, I need someone I trust, and I don’t want it to be any old stranger out there. Cathar is like…the only one from Lassaira besides my grandparents that I’d even consider handing over such a responsibility to. And I know my grandparents would help him. He’d know more about ruling over an elf kingdom than I would, believe me. They’d be much better off this way.”
“You’ve really thought about this, haven’t you,” Rydan said in a way that was more like a statement than a question. I had a difficult time deciding how I felt about it. I was not entirely against the idea, and yet, I could not imagine my dear younger brother taking up the crown of Lassaira. It felt like a humorous dream I was sure to wake from soon.
“Of course I have. I can’t have my happily ever after and go riding off into the sunset with my king while you guys are left here like this in elf-tradition-hell and forced to be apart. I wouldn’t really be happy then.” She shrugged her shoulders and held the palm of her hand up toward the ceiling. “And I know Rydan would make me miserable with his miserableness.”
“So this is about you?” he chuckled.
“What? Nooo,” she stated over-dramatically as she waved a hand in the air. “Don’t be silly. This is all about you two, trust me.”
“We’ll think about it. Okay? And maybe you should talk to Cathar before springing this on him and he wakes up with a fresh neck tattoo that he didn’t ask for.” Rydan ruffled the top of Nari’s head.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was already planning on talking to him about it. I just wanted to feel you two out first, kind of get an idea on whether or not I should actually bring it up to him. How should I go about doing that, by the way?” She scrunched her nose and tapped her finger onto her chin as she stared at me for answers.
“Oh, no,” Rydan chimed in before I could. “You figure this out on your own. It’s your idea, so you handle it. You get to stay with Mycah when we all leave tomorrow, whereas Naminé and I need to say good-bye. So out.” He placed his hands on her back and pushed her body toward the exit.
“Ry! You are so freaking mean.” She crossed her arms and huffed as he continued to ensure her departure. King Remycah was tending to duties in Aselaira before their return to the Earthly realm, and I suspected Nariella was desperate to keep busy during their short separation, for she was tasked with taking care of her own kingdom here.
“No I’m not. Now go.” He opened the door for her and then shoved her out of it. “Go do your queen things. Cathar isn’t king yet. I’m sure there’s lots of people you can bother somewhere else.” Her mouth dropped in surprise as she turned around to face him, and he laughed light-heartedly. “I’m just kidding.” He poked her in the cheek and then closed the door with finality.
“There,” he stated as he spun around to meet his eyes with mine. A handsome smile lit up his face. “Alone at last.”
“Indeed,” I stated, then paused. “I am having great difficulty imaging my brother as king of Lassaira. Do you think it might truly happen?”
“I don’t know, but if I know Nari, probably.” He took my hands and sat next to me on a feathered divan. My heart sped to a rapid pace that I could not contain, despite our serene and relaxing surroundings. With open walls that let in the breeze, leaves littered the floor, but in a beautiful way. I tried to keep my focus on things that would ease my flipping stomach. “There’s actually something I wanted to tell you.”
“Oh?” I encouraged him to continue while I worked to catch my breath. His silver eyes bore into mine intently, as if trying to read my mind and soul with only one glance. “Tell me.”
“I obviously haven’t told Nari yet. Or anyone, actually. I wanted you to be the first to know.” He tucked my long hair behind my ear in a slow, seductive manner, and I lost my breath all over again.
“Rydan, please. You must tell me before I go mad,” I teased with a light laugh.
He chuckled to the floor before reconnecting his gaze with mine. “I spoke to my mom earlier. You’ve been released as servants. All of you. Cathar, your parents, none of you are servants of Aselaira anymore. I mean, obviously you weren’t because you’re here in Lassaira now, but I mean, you’ve been officially released from service.”
“Oh, Rydan, thank you.” I squeezed his hands. Lómë rubbed her head against my legs before lying down below where Calen was perched. “That was very sweet of you to do. Truly. My family is in your debt.”
“No, don’t even think like that. I hate that you were forced into slavery to begin with. At least now your family won’t have that to worry about and can live freely as regular citizens here while not fearing to visit Aselaira. Where you grew up and all.” He dipped his head closer to mine for a second to accentuate his point. “And there’s something else.”
“Something else?” I asked, feeling nervous suddenly, though I did not understand why. “I am listening.”
“With the toxic brainwashing of Ohtar’s now gone, my mom is open to our two kingdoms becoming allies rather than enemies. And since you’re no longer a servant, I asked her permission to be with you.” He grazed his thumb down the line of my jawbone, and my heart hammered violently in
my chest. “She said yes, Naminé.”
“She said yes?” I could not believe my ears. Rydan’s mother said yes? That could not be. It was impossible, was it not? “How? How can this be possible? Even if not a servant, I remain nobody of importance. Nobody of status. Have we fallen into one of our dreams with a false reality?”
He kept his gaze on our interlocked hands as he spoke, “My mom thinks it would be a sign of good faith to the kingdom of Lassaira that Ohtar’s evil has vanished if Aselaira’s prince united with a Tavas’Elda. It would show that Mycah is going to fulfill what Ender promised them when Nari became queen.”
“I see…” I was in shock, yes, but I also felt such unbearable happiness that I could combust in any moment.
“Look, I know you’re scared. And I admit, I am, too. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before in my life.” He placed his forehead along mine and closed his eyes. “My soul aches without your presence, Naminé.” His silver eyes found mine once again as he cupped my cheek with his warm palm. “With or without Nari’s fancy title, we can be together, if you want us to. It’s your choice. And it’s always been your choice.”
My choice? But what of his. I had to know. “Are you certain you want to do this? You could choose anyone in all of Luïnil, for you are a prince and I am nothing but a commoner.”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything. Naminé, without a single word spoken, I fell in love with you once upon a dream. And I will continue to love you throughout all the realities of this world. You are what brought me home, and as long as I’m with you, I’ll know I won’t ever stray far from it again. What do you say?”
I slid my fingers over the backs of his hands and up his forearms that hung in front of me until they found their way to his neck. The smoothness of his body, the scent of his skin, the touch of his fingers on mine had me going crazy inside. “Rydan, how do you not already know? Absolutely I want to. I have always wanted you.”
Without hesitation, I drew his mouth to mine by entangling my fingers through his hair, for I thought I would die right then if I did not have his lips locked with my own. He moaned softly in pleasure, and my heart reacted to the sound with an ache that needed more. He whispered against my lips, “I love you.”
My arms wrapped around his neck, and he pulled me closer, his possessive hands claiming my hips, and that gesture alone stoked the flames I had burning wildly within. As he kissed me feverishly, I knew then that every trial and tribulation I had endured in order to find myself here in this moment, with this magnificent elda, had been worth it. For I had been but a lowly servant with a fierce determination to save her dying kingdom, but through it all, I ended up finding my prince instead.
Chapter Thirty-Six
~Nari~
The heel of my boot hit the pavement with no sound. For the first time, I carried with me from Luïnil the act of silent walking to Kennebunkport. Granted, I knew it was because I had changed. Gracefulness had never been one of my natural qualities, but it became one. Strength, power, and assertiveness had been lacking from me most of my childhood, but ever since I crashed into Mycah Nightly one year ago, my life had begun. I was taken on a journey that led me to unimaginable wonders, nightmares, and love. Inside, it set in motion a brand new me. One that I hadn’t even realized budded that day.
Mycah Nightly awoke within me the person I had always wanted to be.
And it was okay to no longer be the timid, submissive little girl that Ray had forced me to be. That was never truly me, and I had learned how to overcome it. I had grown and matured into someone that would no longer stand being pushed around. I took control of my life, and I was finally worth having it. I had the strength to start a war and finish it. To give life and take it away. I was a full-blooded elf.
And I wouldn’t change that for anything.
Mycah lifted our laced fingers and kissed the back of my hand. I smiled up at him and thanked whoever watched over me for giving me this creature.
I took my first step toward the house I grew up in and held my breath, with Mycah on my right and Rydan on my left. After a quick knock, I finally exhaled and waited for the door to open. When it did, narrowed eyes met mine immediately.
“Hi, Ray,” I said firmly. “May I please have a moment?”
“What is this? What do you want?” He eyed both Mycah and Rydan with sharp skepticism and kept the door cracked firm in his grasp.
“Nothing, I just wanted to come here and tell you again how truly sorry I am for the pain I have caused you. It was my fault, and it’s something that I will always have to live with.” I placed my hand over his heart, and he flinched. Without him knowing, I quickly tried to heal the damaged, broken figurative heart I knew he had deep inside somewhere. It was just too bombarded with grief to keep working. I didn’t know if I could do it, since technically I was healing his brain that had been emotionally scarred, but I had to try it. I had eternity to live, and I didn’t want to spend another second of it being haunted by this man and what I did to him.
A soft glow emanated from our bodies, but it wasn’t too obvious during the natural light of day. He closed his eyes and shook his head, an indication that something was different and he was trying to shake it off. He stared at me gaping, and I could finally see a change in his eyes accompanied by his shock. “I…”
He was at a loss for words, and so I finished with the rest of what I came here for. “And I wanted you to know…that I forgive you.”
I turned around to leave with a huge load off my chest, feeling lighter than air. But not before noticing the sheen in his eyes—an emotion from him I didn’t think I had ever seen before.
My favorite brothers remained at my sides as we walked away, and I, not even for one second, spared a glance back. This would be the last time I ever stepped foot on this property for as long as I lived.
We drove to Zaylie’s house next, and I knocked on her door. She was going to be so surprised. The instant she answered, I threw my hands up in the air and yelled, “Surprise!”
I had sent a text to Desmond about us coming over so that he could make sure Zaylie was the one to open the door. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. But only for two seconds before she launched into a high-pitched squeal and wrapped me into a giant hug. “What are you doing here?!”
“Oh, ya know, they finally gave me the day off for good behavior,” I joked. “Just kidding. I came to spend some quality time with one of my best friends!”
“I can’t believe this! I’m so glad you’re here. Come in, come in!” She pulled me inside and then started jumping up and down while clapping her hands. “Mum! Nari’s here!”
It felt weird seeing her parents again, but it was another thing I had looming on my to-do list. They greeted me with awkward waves and smiles, and I could visibly tell Mr. Ryan was depressed. I felt so bad for the guy. I truly did. I understood what it was like to want something so badly, but even worse for him, it had to do with his health. Staring death in the face made people do crazy things all the time. I knew he wasn’t really a bad guy at heart. He fathered two amazing children—I had to give him some credit.
“Listen, darling,” Mycah bent to my ear, his fingers resting softly on the small of my back, “Rydan and I must pop out for a moment. Will you be alright?”
“Okay,” I answered sadly. “But yeah, I’ll be fine.” I didn’t ask where they were going, but it really was fine—girl time with Zaylie called my name.
Lachlan appeared around the corner with his arms crossed over his chest in that oh-so-hot-guy-way, a smirk hanging precariously on the edge of his lips.
“Hey.” I gave a small wave. He returned it and greeted me back. Zaylie tugged me into her room, so I quickly shot out to Lachlan as I passed, “Don’t go anywhere, I have something for you.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he confirmed, just as Zaylie closed her bedroom door behind her.
We jumped on her bed and rocketed right into girl talk. She told me all about w
hat it had been like coming back to the Earthly realm. Their house hadn’t sold while they were away, so it was easy for them to return as if they had never left. It had all been so last minute in the first place. She explained that she was having a hard time telling Liam how she felt. I didn’t know why, but I told her if I had to guess, it was because she was too afraid of ruining their friendship as well as his friendship with her brother. And I understood what held her back. I was also quick to explain that she shouldn’t let fear control her, or her life would end up passing her by.
She of course switched the subject to me and asked for all the juicy details concerning Mycah. I indulged her, not leaving anything out. All in all, we had an amazing chat while she braided my hair and did my makeup, just like before.
Eventually, when I had stayed far past the time I was supposed to, I mustered up the courage to do the other thing I had come for. First I tried it on Lachlan.
Taking his hands, I explained to him that any family member of Zaylie’s was basically one of mine as well. And no friend or family member of mine was going to suffer with a disease that I had the potential of erasing. Though Mycah wasn’t able to, I had a different ability than him. I was a Maite’Ona Healer. I drew souls away from death—that was my gift. And so I had to give this a try.
Lachlan’s eyes widened after a few moments and jerked away once we became bathed in light. It was bright, and I knew then that it had worked. I was so grateful that I had grown strong enough in my powers that I could continue to use them in the Earthly realm and not be cut off. Or maybe the High Eldar had altered the magic somehow, I wasn’t sure, but either way—Lachlan and I rejoiced at my success.
I did the same thing to Zaylie’s father. Mycah had admitted to me that he saw his true thoughts, and he honestly never meant for Nikolai to hurt Zaylie in any way. Nikolai was only supposed to trick us by thinking she was going to be harmed. Bait or not, I didn’t want to forgive him. But I had to, for Zaylie’s sake. She loved him, and it would break my heart if she lost her father while I was away in Luïnil and couldn’t be there to comfort her. I couldn’t let that happen, and I knew I probably wouldn’t ever be coming back after this.
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