“Henri—wait.”
He skidded to a stop, looking back at me, then at the spot where Vance had gone. Conflict simmered in his gaze.
“Don’t,” I warned, but my words were ripped away as my fiancé shot me an apologetic look and disappeared into the forest.
Chapter
Thirty-Four
Shrieks of laughter filled the skies as a blur of golden fur and black scales went whizzing past.
“Sorae, if they get hurt, your hide is going to make a beautiful rug for the library floor.”
The gryvern snorted in amusement, undeterred by my threat, and spiraled into a roll. The downdraft of her wings sent my hair whipping around my face, leaving the echo of Teller and Lily’s giggles in her wake.
Eleanor yelped and lunged forward to hold down the fluttering blankets. In an effort to cheer me up, she had organized a spread of cakes, berries, and sweet wine on a grassy knoll in the palace gardens. Although winter had fully arrived and it was too brisk to comfortably picnic, we had cuddled together under the warmth of the spelled cloak gifted from Montios at the ball. She had even arranged for some musicians to play nearby. I suspected it was no coincidence they only seemed to have the cheeriest songs in their repertoire.
Nearly two weeks had passed since my father’s funeral, and the Period of Challenging was nearing its end. My mood had not improved—every day I woke up feeling more hardened, more numb, and more isolated than ever—but Eleanor was trying so hard, her kind heart so obviously hurting for me, that I had forced myself to at least pretend.
Teller and Lily had joined us, scarfing down as much sugar as they could eat, then begging to take a ride on Sorae. It was the first glimpse of happiness I’d seen in my brother since our father’s death, so I’d had no choice but to swallow my overprotective instincts and agree.
Teller had taken the brunt of Luther’s efforts to atone, and a small army of guards followed him everywhere he went. While it made him perhaps the safest person in the realm, maybe even the continent, it also made spending time alone with Lily next to impossible.
Unfortunately for him, his pleas for me to convince Luther to relax went unanswered. I was both too grateful for Teller’s safety and too unwilling to have any conversation with Luther that wasn’t strictly necessary.
But today, they’d been momentarily spared, and Sorae was giving them the ride of their lives. Although my pulse went soaring at each death-defying maneuver, the sound of my brother’s laughter slowly chipped away at the glacier that had formed around my heart.
“The House Receptions are going well,” Eleanor said brightly. “You haven’t had to give your I’m-going-to-be-a-fair-and-righteous-Queen-whether-you-like-it-or-not speech in at least a week.”
I huffed an empty laugh. “Are they, or are the smaller Houses just more afraid of Remis than they are of me?”
She didn’t answer, turning her eyes instead to the gryvern twirling through the air, but I saw the truth of it in the tight press of her lips.
“At least we’re almost finished.” I folded my arms beneath my head and closed my eyes as the sun and wind took turns warming and chilling my face. “Only four more days and this will all be over.”
“Five,” she corrected. “Only four until the Challenging, but don’t forget about the Rite of Coronation.”
I held my tongue. I hadn’t forgotten. And I hadn’t misspoken.
“How is your training going?” she asked. “I hope those three haven’t been too hard on you.”
My jaw clenched. “You don’t have to pretend like you don’t know. I’m sure Taran told you I still haven’t been able to use my magic.”
“Taran and I don’t talk about that,” she said defensively. I cracked an eye open. She was propped up on her elbows, frowning at me.
“It’s fine if you do.”
“But we don’t,” she insisted. “What you and I discuss stays between us. And Luther, Taran, and Alixe made a bonded bargain not to tell anyone about your training.”
My lips parted as I blinked at her, speechless at the idea that they had been willing to put their magic on the line to protect my secret.
“You still don’t think you can trust us, do you?” she asked. “When we pledged ourselves to you, we really meant it, you know.”
The hurt woven into her features needled at my guilt, which had become my constant companion as of late. “I do trust you, I just…” I winced, knowing I wasn’t being entirely honest. “You four are family. And as kind as you all have been, I know I’ll never fully be a part of that.”
She looked at me for a long moment, her features creased thoughtfully. “Have I ever told you about my parents?”
I shook my head, and Eleanor reclined onto the blankets, snuggling at my side.
“Both of them were very powerful. They never wanted children, but Garath and Remis said they owed it to the House to pass along their strong magic. In House Corbois, if you’re told to get married or have a child, you obey.”
“But Ulther was the most powerful Corbois, and he never had children,” I said.
“Once his mate died, he refused to consider it, and he was King. No one could force him. My parents had no titles, so they made a deal with Remis. They gave birth to me in exchange for a prestigious appointment to the army.”
I scrunched my nose. “You make it sound so transactional.”
“It was. As soon as I was born, they handed me over to Remis and left for Fortos. They visited a few times, but once my powers manifested and everyone realized I wasn’t strong like them, they stopped coming back to see me.”
“They abandoned you? Because of your magic?”
She leaned her head against my shoulder. “Descended Houses aren’t like mortal families. Unless you’re in the direct line of the House leaders like Luther and Taran, or unless your magic is powerful like Alixe, then you’re just one of many cousins. You live together, eat together, go to school together. A few remain close with their parents or siblings, but it’s not common.”
My heart ached for her as I imagined growing up in that way, surrounded by kin yet lacking any family. I had never considered the Descended’s view of half-mortal offspring as expendable commodities might extend to their own children, as well.
“I don’t tell you this to earn your pity,” Eleanor said. “Luther and Taran looked out for me, and I had luxuries many would kill for. I only want you to understand that the bond you have with Teller… it’s not like that here. We protect each other because it keeps the House strong, and without the House, we would have nothing. But family in the way you see it, full of loyalty and unconditional love—we make those bonds by choice, not by blood.” She took my hand and held our joined palms to her chest. “You’ve shown more faith in me than anyone ever has. You are as much my family as any Corbois could ever be.”
Something clicked in my heart—a lock opening, or perhaps a door creaking ajar. I sat upright and pulled a blade from the small arsenal I’d taken to wearing, and I cut a shallow line across my palm. When I reached for Eleanor’s hand, her eyes gleamed with understanding. She sat up and gave me a nod, and I dragged the blade as gently as I could across her flawless, uncalloused skin.