28. Bittersweet Homecoming

Chapter 28

Bittersweet Homecoming

We were here.

We'd ridden from Stonewill Chateau as if demons had been chasing us back to Blackscar.

Once there, we discovered that we'd lucked out and Jasper had found a book with the poison and antidote recipes. He worked for three days with the healers, concocting the antidote for Orian.

New antidote in hand, we rode almost nonstop for two weeks to West Vale, where we now sat within sight of the southern gate. A full moon bathed us in cold, white light as we waited for Nylian's contact to escort us safely past the guards.

We'd constantly dodged patrols the entire journey. When necessary, Adeline and I would scurry into a small town for some basic supplies while Jasper and Nylian waited outside. We might have been confident that the king didn't actually think Nylian was a murderer, but appearances had to be maintained until the true culprit was found. As a result, any soldier or guard who spotted Nylian would arrest him at once, and we couldn't afford any delays.

"Do you know who our contact is?" I whispered. My horse huffed and stomped one of its hooves in the dirt. I reached down and patted its neck, trying to soothe anxious nerves. There was nothing I could do about my own.

"No. Uncle didn't say, but I have a hunch who it will be."

Yeah, that was still a festering wound. Nylian and his uncle had spoken briefly while we'd stayed in Blackscar, but the mood had remained tense the entire time. At least the duke had stopped trying to kill me, which I took as a step in the right direction.

Of course, if we survived this and saved Orian's life, there was no telling if Nylian's father wouldn't take the same stance and have me executed despite his son's wishes.

Sitting on my horse, several yards from the gate in some heavy shadows thrown by tall trees, I found a weight forming around my heart, threatening to pull me into swirling, dark thoughts. This was it. We were nearing the end of the book I had mapped out. My notes had been incredibly loose for the ending, but the idea was for Nylian to return to the royal capital of Wolfrest with the key to regaining his honor and place as a favored son of the king. Just a couple of battles more and it would be over. His life would return to normal.

But what about me? What would happen to me? The book was done, and the battle was won. If I'd been sent here to sort out the mess I'd created, didn't logic follow that I would return home again?

I didn't want to go back.

That wasn't home to me any longer.

This was home.

Nylian was my home now.

Fuck, after all this time, I could ride a horse. I was getting better with a sword. Life in this world didn't seem so daunting, though Nylian played a big part in my urge to acclimate to this world.

I didn't want to leave him, ever. There had to be more story after our happily ever after. I couldn't imagine what the fuck it would be, but I wanted to discover it with him.

The only problem was that I didn't think the magic that brought me here cared one bit about what I wanted.

Maybe after we healed Orian, there would be enough time for the healers to look at the coin. They could help me stay here.

The thought had barely formed in my mind when there was sudden movement among the guards. The handful we'd spotted outside the gate moved inside after a brief conversation with another guard. A second later, a cloaked figure rode out on a tall black horse and whistled once. We couldn't see the person's face or even any details of their form other than that they were rather short.

"That's the contact. Let's go. Stick close together." Nylian put his heels into the flanks of his horse and leaped forward, racing toward the gate. I followed while Adeline and Jasper brought up the rear. It was likely a safe bet that this contact had bribed the guards, allowing us to enter the city. We couldn't waste the opportunity.

As soon as our contact spotted us, they turned their horse and raced into the city, leading us down winding streets lit by warm, flickering lights that reminded me of fireflies in a mason jar. Even in the thick darkness of the middle of the night, my heart tripped to see West Vale for the first time. It was better than I could have ever imagined.

Where Ulmenor was elegant stone buildings poking at the sky, all of West Vale was made of trees. Every building was a living, growing tree that had been hollowed and shaped to contain shops and homes. In the darkness, I could still make out the browns and greens everywhere I looked. Even the air seemed fresher and sweeter here with the rich scent of greenery and blossoming flowers. West Vale was a living, breathing marvel. The only stones to be found were in the wall that surrounded the royal capital and the roads under the horses.

It was a struggle to keep my eyes on Nylian in front of me. All I wanted to do was slow my steed and take in the surrounding sights.

Our contact took us from the southernmost tip of the city to a quiet spot on the eastern side that was filled with elegant homes. A few had tall stone walls around them to keep people from getting too close and to add an air of privacy.

The cloaked figure reined in their horse and hopped down when a servant appeared out of the shadows to grab the horse's reins. Nylian did the same, only waiting long enough for my feet to touch the ground before he seized my arm and pulled me with him.

Beyond the walls were more glowing lamps, revealing the soft elegance of a simple home made of a tree with white bark and large, wide green leaves. The figure waited a distance away, hand at their hip as if they were holding on to the hilt of their sword.

"Saida." Nylian sighed, and the figure released their sword to pull aside the hood of their cloak, revealing a beautiful young woman with enormous blue eyes and gold hair the same as Nylian's.

"Xeran!" she squealed. She raced the short distance separating them to jump into his waiting arms, hugging him tightly.

Someone tugged on my cloak, and I turned to find Adeline standing beside me, her eyes wide as she stared at the two. "Who is that?" she hissed.

"Saida is one of Nylian's younger sisters, but from a different mother than his and Orian's," I whispered. Not that Nylian had told me that himself. The only member of his family that he ever spoke of was Orian. But I recalled naming some of Nylian's six siblings. "I'm sure Nylian will be happy to introduce you?—"

Adeline jumped away and frantically waved both hands at me. "Nope. That's okay. Completely unnecessary. I-I couldn't…she's just…no, that's a bad idea," she stammered. In the low lighting, it was hard to tell, but I thought she was blushing. I turned my head to gaze at Princess Saida again. She'd released her brother enough to look at him. She was rather lovely in a delicate way, with what I was sure was plenty of hidden strength. Had to be if she was the one to come out in the middle of the night to get us safely past the guards.

"Nylian?" Saida asked with a soft, breathy laugh. She looked at me and smiled. "I haven't heard that name in years."

Nylian shook his head and released his sister. "Don't start. There were complicated circumstances while I was on the road. It was safer if I didn't go by Prince Xeran."

Saida placed her hands on her hips and stared right at me. "Uncle mentioned you were traveling with Prince Victor Montcroix, and I thought he'd lost his mind, but you really are here."

"That is another strange and complicated circumstance," I replied, bowing deeply to Saida. "It is an honor to meet you, Princess Saida. Thank you for your help."

Nylian wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me into him, stealing the air from my lungs. "He's not a complication. He's my mate, and that's all that matters."

Saida blinked at him, her mouth hanging open, while a low chuckle jostled my shoulders.

"Going with the sledgehammer approach to introducing me to family, I see," I teased.

Nylian smirked. "There's nothing to be gained by doing it delicately. I don't want there to be any room for misunderstanding."

"Wow," Saida exhaled. "I can't wait to see how this goes over in the court."

"That won't matter until Orian is saved and my name restored," Nylian countered in a sharp voice.

"Princess Saida, please let me introduce our other companions," I interjected before the elf still clutching me tightly could begin growling. "This is Adeline Engleford, a mercenary who has been protecting us on the journey, and her younger brother, Jasper, a wizard in training. Oh, and the chipmunk in his hair is Master Binx, a wizard who met with an unfortunate accident."

Adeline sketched a quick, awkward bow, keeping her head down as if she were afraid to meet the princess's gaze. I couldn't recall her ever acting so reserved. She'd met the king's brother and had not had a problem being pulled together with him.

"A prince, a mercenary, a wizard, and a cursed chipmunk," Saida listed. "Yup, that sounds like you."

"All right. All right. Let's go inside and you can tell me what's been happening." Nylian placed his hands on his sister's shoulders and turned her around. Her giggles trickled out as Nylian frog-marched her into a dimly lit parlor with comfortable furniture.

"I told the servants to prepare rooms and then be scarce. They can't get in trouble if they never technically see you," Saida informed us.

"Thank you," Nylian murmured as he selected a spot on the sofa and pulled me to sit next to him. Heat burned my cheeks while Saida sighed.

"Breathe, Xeran. No one is going to steal him," she taunted.

"I'll believe it when I see it," the elf prince muttered, his hand tightening on my knee.

"Won't you get in trouble for helping us?" I asked, ignoring the grumpy elf.

The princess dismissively waved one hand. "Nothing I can't handle."

"How bad are things in the palace?" Nylian demanded, getting to the heart of the matter.

Saida dropped onto the other side of Nylian, her legs stretched out and her shoulders slumped. "Not good. Not good at all. No one has seen any sign of your queen mother since it was announced that Orian died. She's gone into seclusion in her palace and won't speak to anyone. My mother and one servant have been permitted to see her and care for her, but she refuses to tell me anything about the queen."

My heart broke for the woman. Told one son was dead, and the other was exiled for murder. It sounded as though the king hadn't revealed the truth to her yet. Maybe it was to keep up appearances to catch the actual killer, but it still struck me as unbearably coldhearted.

"The other consorts?" Nylian inquired in a stiff tone.

Saida's expression went from a frown to a scowl in the blink of an eye. "Consort Valindra and Consort Keya have been staking out new territory within the court, wasting no time bad-mouthing Queen Yaereene. They all know that King Dorwynn has always loved her best and now that both her reputation and power are in retreat, they are hoping to take advantage of it. I think that's part of the reason my mother is spending so much time with the queen. She wants to stay out of firing range of those two schemers."

Nylian scooped up her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Don't doubt your mother. Consort Celaena has always been a respected figure in the court and a fighter. I don't think it's about wanting to avoid a fight, but knowing it's not worth it to get in the mud with them. Besides, Consort Celaena has always been a good friend to my mother. She is probably genuinely worried and hoping to protect her."

I leaned forward to look around Nylian so I could meet Saida's gaze. "Do the consorts hold that much sway within the royal court?"

"Before all of this? No. Not really," she replied with a shake of her head. "They had some supporters and courtiers hanging on them because it was believed they could whisper things in the king's ear. Even my mother had some, but with Queen Yaereene holding the king's heart in her tight grip, everyone knew their influence was limited."

"But without her there to keep the other consorts under control, it's a totally new scheming cesspool," Nylian finished. "What about my siblings?"

"About what you'd expect. Our brothers, Jandar and Lorsan, have been fighting almost nonstop. Our king father has threatened to throw them both in the dungeon more than once, but even I knew it was just talk." She paused and scratched her chin with one neatly manicured nail. "It's almost like he wants them to kill each other." Her words hung heavy in the room for a moment as no one seemed to breathe.

And then she sighed and gave a shake, as if shedding the idea. "My mother sent Melarue away for her safety about a week after you were forced to leave. She was afraid things were going to get worse."

Nylian smirked at his younger sister. "I'm assuming she attempted to send you as well, but you refused."

Saida chortled. "Sneaked right out of the carriage and hid out here for a week before returning to the castle. She was so pissed, but I told her you needed me here and I was staying."

"What about Neia?"

"She's being her usual brooding, standoffish self. I don't know if she's plotting something or sticking around because she wants to see it all burn." This time, Saida leaned forward to look at me and said in an exaggerated whisper, "Our youngest sister is strange."

I turned my attention to Nylian and grinned. "Is that all of them?"

The elf bumped me with his shoulder, a small half smile lifting a corner of his mouth. "Other than Orian, two younger brothers and three younger sisters are enough. Besides, my father is still relatively young. He could still have more children."

"Gods, I hope not," Saida mumbled. Nylian had released her hand, but she grabbed his with both of hers. "I've heard a rumor that Jandar has won the support of the Eastern Dragon Army and they are marching on West Vale to force father to name him the crown prince now that you've been exiled."

"Is he the next in line?" Jasper asked, only to have Adeline frantically shush him for daring to speak when royals were talking.

Saida smiled warmly at the young wizard and Adeline. Her gaze seemed to linger on Adeline, causing the mercenary to blush. "In Wolfrest, the king chooses the heir to the throne. It's not determined by the order in which we were born. Prior to all this happening, everyone believed it would be Orian or Xeran?—"

"Orian," Nylian corrected her sharply, but Saida rolled her eyes at him.

"The king never made an official announcement as to who the crown prince was," she continued. "I'm out of the running because I've begun my apprenticeship as a healer."

"And being a healer means you can't be the queen?" I interjected.

Nylian's expression softened as he looked at me. "Not a healer, no, but a learned spell caster. It's part of our oldest laws that no one who can use magic may sit on the throne. Both healers and wizards are out."

Saida bounced a little on the sofa. "Apparently, thousands of years ago, there was this evil dark wizard who took control of the throne, and the people had a hell of a time getting rid of him. Ever since then, they outlawed any kind of spellcaster from being king or queen."

A snort escaped Nylian. "I feel like that's the only bit of our kingdom's history that you ever bothered to learn."

"Probably."

"So, with Prince Xeran and Prince Orian out of the way, the spot of heir to the throne is up for grabs," Adeline stated, finally finding her voice.

"That's the way it looks." Saida turned her head to Nylian and frowned. "When Uncle Thallan sent me word you were on your way, I really thought you'd be returning with the Western Dragon Army on your heels."

"Impossible. All our enemies have heard of what has happened, and they are plotting ways to take advantage of it. Uncle and the Western Dragon Army are the only thing standing between both Lockeheim and Galinaes and Wolfrest's complete demise. He can't make a move on West Vale."

And I had a feeling that Nylian's siblings were well aware of that. Particularly Jandar, since he was already making a play with the Eastern Dragon Army.

"The sooner we can get the antidote to Prince Orian, the better. It'll be the fastest way to settle all of this mess," I stated.

"You have it?" Saida squealed. "You actually got it?"

"Sort of," Jasper murmured, sagging in his chair. "Lady Covington refused to give us the antidote, but we got all the supplies from her as well as her poison recipe book. We made it ourselves, but I'm not a hundred percent sure it will work."

"It will," Nylian said in a hard, firm voice. "If we have time, we can have the royal healers look over it before we give it to him, but I'm confident it will work." He turned his attention to his sister. "You will remain here tonight. Tomorrow, Prince Montcroix and I will make our way to the castle to see Orian. I have the antidote. I want you to stay with Jasper and Adeline. They will remain behind. They have several of the Lockeheim Poison Maker's books, and they need to be protected at all costs."

"I promise to keep them safe," she replied with a broad smile. "And the books!" she tacked on with a little laugh. "Did you find out who bought the poison?"

Nylian shook his head. "There were complications, and we didn't get that information. However, I have a plan for that too. Tomorrow, this will all be settled one way or another. Peace will return to Wolfrest."

Even if it meant Nylian had to wash these streets in royal blood to get that peace.

My stomach twisted as I stared at my beautiful elf prince. His goal might be to save Orian and catch a killer, but mine was to make sure he got out of this battle alive. Keeping Nylian alive was the only thing that mattered to me.