Lucien let me sleep in! I felt a bit silly as I stepped into the dining hall for breakfast to see it full of kings and queens of nearly all the magical races.
Queen Kailani greeted me with a hug. “Epic wedding.”
Arwen nodded. “Way more fun than ours.” She looked to her husband.
He winced. “I had too much mead.”
I stepped closer to Arwen. “I’m Madelynn, I don’t think we’ve been officially introduced,” I told the dragon queen. She’d helped so much with the war and had taken charge when I was in shock, but I’d barely spoken a word to her. She was at the wedding, but off in the distance. There had been too many people and we hadn’t had a chance to get to know each other.
Arwen grinned. “The woman who thawed the winter king’s heart? I love you already.” She rushed forward and pulled me into hug. Laughter erupted from my chest and I hugged her back. When we pulled away, Lucien was there with a smile as he placed a kiss on my cheek.
“Morning,” he whispered.
I looked at the scene before me and tucked into breakfast. There was a war map of the realm with figurines smack dab in the middle of the table. Bowls and platters of food sat around the edges of the map, and everyone grabbed fruit and breads and meat as they all shouted random ideas. I expected the other wives to complain about having a war map on the dining table but they were pointing out weaknesses in the border and advantages. I realized that they too were not just decorations. These were warrior women I sat with, and was proud to host in our home.
Arwen’s twin girls were brought in and out of the room by their nursemaids, and it was so sweet to see the dragon king dote on them. He kissed their faces, their feet, and rubbed their little hands along his scruffy beard.
As Lucien and Raife were arguing over the Narrow Strait, a messenger came into the dining hall with a wounded warrior. The Winter Soldier was missing an arm. It was wrapped tightly in gauze with a tourniquet.
Lucien stood quickly and rushed to the man’s side. “Ardell,” Lucien greeted the soldier.
King Lightstone stood as well and went to the man’s side. “Do you need healing?”
Ardell shook his head. “Bleeding has stopped. Unless you can grow back an arm?”
King Lightstone frowned. “I cannot.”
Ardell nodded. “I bring news, my lord. Distressing news.” He looked at everyone in the room.
“Speak freely, these are my closest friends and allies,” Lucien told him.
Ardell took in a shuddering breath. “I’ve snuck into Nightfall like you asked. I spied on the queen’s soldiers for a full day before I was caught and then got free.”
We all steeled ourselves for the next thing he was going to say.
“What did you see?” Lucien placed a comforting hand on his good shoulder.
Ardell looked off at the far wall as if reliving a trauma. “Her men… some of them… they can shift forms like the wolves at Fallenmoore.”
I gasped, standing from my chair and walking closer to him to make sure I’d heard him correctly.
“What do you mean?” Lucien spoke slowly. “They’ve been bitten? They’re changed?”
Ardell shook his head. “They’re not as big as Fallenmoore wolves. And some of them can only partially shift, but it’s enough to do damage.” He held up his bloody stump of an arm for effect.
Lucien began to pace the dining hall as the elf king reached out and held his hand over the man’s wound. A purple light emanated from his palm and the man’s face relaxed. “Thank you, my lord.”
“Is there anything else you can tell us?” King Lightstone asked him.
Ardell inclined his head. “They have hundreds of the machines they use to strip us of power. They’re on wheels, and a person only need lie in it for a few moments before their power is sucked into an elixir.”
“An elixir!” Queen Kailani stood, and so did the dragon king and queen. It seemed no one could sit any longer. We’d collectively lost our appetite.
Ardell nodded. “The soldier drinks the elixir and then has the magical power.”
King Lightstone and Queen Kailani shared a look. “We must have missed that,” they said in unison.
I didn’t know what they were talking about. My mind was stuck on the fact that Nightfall soldiers, against all odds, were now imbued with every creature’s power in Avalier.
“Thank you, Ardell. You may retire from service. You will receive full soldier’s benefits for the rest of your life,” Lucien told him.
Ardell dipped his chin. “Permission to stay on and fight? My magic still works with one arm.”
Lucien grinned. “Permission granted. Go rest up.”
Ardell bowed to all of us and left, and then the room exploded into dialog.
“They have the power of wolves now!”
“How long has she had these machines!?”
“An elixir!”
“I need her head on a spike!”
Lucien whistled and the room quieted. Everyone turned to him and he spoke calmly but directly. “Between Embergate and our lands, we have Zaphira surrounded,” Lucien said, pointing to the map. “But we need to get word to Axil. He’s reclusive, and only ever bothered with his own kind. I doubt he knows she’s been stealing his people’s power and that war is afoot.”
King Lightstone nodded. “He’s always been closer with you. Could you go to him, since your power isn’t working?”
The room was plunged into a frigid chill suddenly and our breath came out in a fog.
“Actually, it’s back full bore. I tried early this morning,” he said with a grin. I smiled at Lucien, incredibly happy for him.
Queen Arwen rubbed her hands up her arms. “Okay, no need to show off,” she teased.
“Sorry,” Lucien muttered, and the temperature raised again.
I felt such relief that his power was fully back I nearly collapsed into my seat. A thought struck me then. “I can go,” I blurted out. “The war has begun and Lucien is powerful. He needs to stay here and protect our people.”
“No way,” Lucien said quickly.
Kailani cleared her throat. “Actually… maybe we could do a girls’ trip kind of idea. Queen Arwen will fly Queen Madelynn and me. That way, you men can hold down the front while we are gone. We can bring back Axil and his army.”
A girls’ trip to find the wolf king? I quite liked that idea, and from the grin on Kailani’s face, she did too.
“With all due respect, my love,” King Lightstone looked at his wife, “I’m not sending you into Fallenmoore unprotected.”
Kailani scowled at her husband. “I don’t need a guard! I can steal a person’s life with one breath,” she snapped, and the elf king fell silent.
Whoa, I had heard she was powerful, but her magic was slightly unknown. It was all rumors. She brought back the dead, she sucked a person’s soul from their body, she could read your mind. Rumors circled over the past few weeks, making it all the way to Fall Court that she’d singlehandedly run off the Nightfall queen with the elvin army while her husband was out of town. I didn’t know how much of it was true though.
“So can I,” I told her, and she shot me a grin.
The dragon king opened his mouth to speak, and Arwen put up a hand to stop him. “Don’t even bother. I’m going. I’ll be back in two days’ time. The girls have a wet nurse. They will be fine.”
Drae’s mouth clamped shut and his jaw grit, but he said nothing.
“So it’s settled,” I said. “We will go and get Axil and bring his wolves back to the front and finish off Zaphira.”
The men all shared a look, one that said they wished they could speak alone but knew they couldn’t.
“Flying to Fallenmoore is safer than being here right now,” Lucien offered the other kings.
Drae let out a relenting sigh. “But when have you last heard from Axil?”
“He sent a letter last spring,” Lucien said. “It was generic: he was having issues with his brother, and would be taking a wife soon.”
“Do we even know if he would help?” the dragon king doubled down. “The wolves are so secluded. They don’t like to bother with outsiders’ problems.”
The elf king nodded. “But we now have proof Zaphira is taking his people’s power. That’s a wolf problem.”
Lucien cleared his throat. “Axil has never met our wives. What will make him believe they really come with our wishes and can act with our authority?”
The dragon and elf king both shared a mischievous grin, then Drae walked to the door. “Be right back,” he uttered mysteriously.
He returned a moment later holding a small box. It was metal and the corners were rusted. Drae brushed it off and held it up for Lucien to inspect.
Lucien’s entire face fell, and he went a little pale. “You dug it up,” he breathed, his voice full of emotion.
“I did,” Drae said, and brought it to the dining table.
Arwen slipped her hand into Drae’s as Kailani walked over to be held by Raife, and I moved towards Lucien.
“What is it?” I asked, clearly the only one who didn’t know.
Lucien looked at me, his eyes misty. “A memory box. We were eight or nine years old and we all buried something—Raife, Drae, Axil, and I.”
That was so sweet. We could bring the box and Axil would for sure believe that we were the wives of these kings.
Kailani peered forward to look at the box. “So are you going to open it?”
Drae glanced at Lucien. “Raife and I were going to bring it to you to open.”
Lucien sighed, looking slightly sad. “Let’s wait for Axil. We’ll open it all together after we win the war.”
My heart sank a little. I was sort of dying to know what nine-year-old Lucien buried as a memory. But from the look on his face, he wasn’t ready to dig that up.
There was a knock at the door and Piper peeked her head inside. “Can I speak to you for a moment?” she asked me, and I nodded, excusing myself while they planned our trip up north.
When I closed the door behind me, Piper walked down the hall quickly, and I ran to catch up. “What’s up?” I asked her.
She turned the corner into the library and I followed, coming face to face with Lucien’s father.
I recoiled at the stench of urine and wine. Lucien’s father stood there with red-rimmed eyes and a shaking foot. He was in quite a state, and I shared a nervous look with Piper, who stayed beside me for moral support.
Vincent peered at Piper, and when she didn’t leave he cleared his throat. “I missed the wedding,” he said to me.
That’s what this was about? “You did,” I told him, wondering why he was here. He knew my rule.
His hands balled into fists as he seemed to be at a loss for words. “I was never a great father… but maybe I could be a decent grandfather? I… want to get better,” he finally said, and my heart grew wings. “I haven’t had a drink in twenty-four hours and I’m ready to go to that elvin healing place you mentioned.”
I sighed in relief, and even though I was still mad at him for all of the abuse he’d dished out on Lucien, I pulled him into a hug. The moment my arms went around him, he stiffened as if he’d never been hugged in his life.
Then he relaxed, his arms coming around me as sobs wracked his body.
Piper slipped out of the room then and I knew without asking that she was readying a carriage to take him to the elvin treatment center for healing, which I hoped would one day also heal my husband and the part of him that probably, deep down, still loved this mess of a man.
When we finally pulled away, I knew I probably had his stink on me.
He wiped at his eyes. “Sorry about that. What an idiot I am,” he muttered.
I frowned, wondering who taught him to talk about himself like that. Probably his father. “I look forward to seeing you sober, Vincent.”
He nodded. “I’m… scared. It’s only been one day without the wine and I’m feeling things I don’t want to feel.”
“I think that’s normal,” I told him, but really I couldn’t imagine what it was like to be scared to feel your own feelings. I wasn’t him.
I didn’t realize Lucien was behind me in the open doorway until he spoke. “Your carriage is ready, Father.” His voice was clipped and I froze.
Vincent glanced at his son and wiped the last remnant of a tear from his face. He gave me a curt nod and then walked past me, stopping in the doorway to look up at his son, who was a few inches taller than him. “Your mom would be proud of the man you have become. A much better one than me.” His dad reached up and lightly cupped his cheek. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, and then walked out of the room.
I stood there frozen, unsure what to do to support Lucien in this moment.
“Holy fae,” Lucien said, and I stared at him wide-eyed.
“What?” I asked.
“I didn’t know he knew the words ‘I’m sorry’ existed,” he joked.
I relaxed a little, knowing we were going the joking route with this. Stepping over to him, I grasped the place his father had touched on his cheek. “He’s right. You are a better man than him, and nothing like him.” I kissed his lips and was rewarded with a smile, which turned to a wince.
“You stink, sugar plum.” Lucien looked down at my dress.
“I’ll go change for the journey.” I chuckled.
