Fated Crown by Eva Chase
Chapter Twenty-Two
Talia
The forest along the fringes of the Mists is so desolate that the last thing I expect is to run into another fae the moment we step through the portal. Holding me, August jerks to a halt. We both stare at Kesral, who’s poised as if he was about to walk through the portal we just came through, staring back at us.
“What are you doing here?” I blurt out with a lurch of my heart. Did Laoni send someone to kidnap Jamie after all?
He backs up a couple of steps, raising his hands in a peace-making gesture at August’s instinctive flexing of his muscles. “My apologies for surprising you. Arch-Lord Laoni heard that you’d set off for the human world without any Unseelie accompaniment. She asked me to determine what you were doing.”
I guess she really didn’t have any plans for Jamie if it hadn’t even occurred to her why I’d be checking on him.
Is everything all right, Talia?Corwin asks through our bond, having picked up on my initial reaction. I’ve been keeping a barrier up against our connection so I don’t distract him while he’s concentrating on finding counterarguments to Laoni’s claims, but I was so startled they fell away.
It seems so, I tell him. I was just surprised. Don’t let me disturb you.
I give him a moment to take stock of my well-being and then imagine the wall of light rising inside me again so I don’t intrude on his work. Relaxing in August’s arms, I nudge him to set me down.
“I was worried about my brother,” I tell Kesral as I straighten out my dress. “I just wanted to look in on him. With tensions being so high right now… it was hard not to be concerned.”
His jaw tightens at my reference to the arch-lords’ threat. “I had no hand in any of the demands regarding your new castle. I won’t speak against my lady, but—I have no wish to oppose you or your mates.”
The fact that he’s willing to call all my men “mates” even though only one of them officially is at the moment eases any lingering uneasiness I might have had about his presence. “I’m glad to hear that. We were going to be heading back now too. I assume you’ll do the same.”
He nods. “I’ll tell my lady that you were simply taking a little comfort in being near to your family.”
That’s true enough, and doesn’t outright give any ideas about the way Laoni might use my family. I hope I haven’t drawn too much of her attention in Jamie’s direction by checking up on him.
Kesral’s small winter-style carriage sits next to ours. A glimmer around the wooden structure we arrived in suggests it’s encased in some kind of spell. Kesral dismisses the magic with an apologetic air and glances at us again. “It’ll be best if I escort you to Arch-Lord Laoni myself so she can see that you have returned—and much the same as you were before.”
“All right.” I don’t want to get him in trouble.
“I’m staying with her,” August says with a hint of a growl in his voice.
Kesral gives him a slight smile. “That would probably be preferable. She isn’t all that trusting of the Seelie still either.”
He turns to climb into his carriage, but a question bubbles up inside me—the one that’s been stewing ever since I spoke to Laoni’s kitchen manager. “Kesral… Is it true that you and Laoni used to be close friends when you were a lot younger, before she became an arch-lord?”
He swivels back around, his shoulders stiffening a bit. “Who did you hear that from?”
I shrug, trying to keep the atmosphere casual. “When I visited her castle to see about the human servants there, Serev in the kitchen mentioned it.”
Kesral dips his head awkwardly. “Well, we did spend a lot of time together as children. But of course she had many responsibilities to prepare for and which she then had to take on far earlier than she should have needed to. She’s had to face a great deal, mostly on her own… It’s been my honor to continue supporting her however I can.”
However much she even lets him these days. But clear affection rings through his voice, so unmistakeable it jars against my memories of the way she speaks to him.
I grapple with my next question and finally just spit it out. “She seems to be the opposite of friendly with you these days. She’s always been cold and sometimes even harsh when I’ve heard her talking to you. And a couple of the other guards were hassling you about the human part of your heritage—she obviously doesn’t intervene to speak up for you with your colleagues.”
Kesral is silent for a long moment, his expression somber enough that my gut starts to twist. “I’m sorry,” I add. “This is probably an uncomfortable subject. I shouldn’t have pried.”
“I suppose it’s fair,” he says with a rough chuckle. “Here I am chasing you down on your private business. All you’re doing is asking questions.” He runs his hand back over his hair, which is in its usual short ponytail. “I can’t speak for her, of course. And I promise you she wasn’t always so strict with me. When she could be more carefree, she was a good friend. But circumstances change…”
I wait patiently as he seems to consider his next words. He inhales slowly and continues. “I’m not sure how much you know about her family’s history, but after my lady’s mother died, her father who was arch-lord at the time became much more hostile toward humans and anyone associated with them. They’d brought a few human servants along on the trip where she died, and I think somehow he blamed them for not trying to save her, even though they would inevitably have drowned.”
Yes, if the whirlpool Corwin mentioned was so strong a true-blooded fae could be overwhelmed by it in seconds, a human wouldn’t stand a chance. And having seen the state of most human servants in this world, I’m not sure it’d even occur to them to spring to anyone’s rescue, they’re so dazed with the drugs the fae feed them.
But grief can warp people’s minds in unfair ways. Look at what it’s done to Corwin’s mother, who’s practically insane with it.
“And Laoni picked up the same attitude?” I venture.
“Not all at once, but over time, especially as her training intensified, she started keeping her distance and becoming more critical of my failings.” Kesral makes a dismissive gesture. “I can’t complain. It was unlikely we’d continue as we were once we grew up anyway.”
His gaze flicks away from me for a second, and I get the sense he’s suppressing more sadness than he’s letting himself show. “I’m sorry,” I say. “It’s still got to be hard.”
He meets my eyes again, something softening in his expression. “I consider myself lucky to have had her companionship as much as I did for as long as I did. I can still remember—” A gentle smile touches his lips. “I was there with her when she mastered her first true name, for silver. She was so pleased, and her first thought was that she wanted to help me master it too…”
He pauses and inclines his head. “I know she hasn’t been the easiest on you either, but there’s a good heart underneath. I’m sure that hasn’t changed. And I’ll be here for her as long as she needs me in whatever capacity.”
As he speaks, a different impression takes a hold of me. Kesral isn’t just talking fondly about a friendship of the past. He sounds like he’s… in love with her.
A sharp pang shoots through my heart on his behalf. That’s so much worse than facing insults from an old friend. Does Laoni have any idea how much she’s hurting him, how devoted to her he is despite her harshness?
I don’t want to bring Kesral any more pain by harping on the subject. “That’s very admirable,” I say after a brief fumble for words. “Thank you for putting up with my curiosity.”
He gives me a small bow. “I serve my lady, but I can recognize that you’ve done impressive things for our people—including her and the rest of my flock—as well.”
August rests his hand on my head. “My lady is hoping to get back to her pack and her flock quickly. I hope you won’t mind if we make the trip back a speedy one.”
“Not at all,” Kesral says. “Let us be off.”
I nestle myself on a couple of cushions in the base of our carriage to escape the wind generated by our swift flight. With the warbling of the rushing air passing over us and the wavering shapes of leaves and clouds whipping past overhead, the whole world seems to have gone into fast-forward.
The rocking of the carriage starts to lull me. I didn’t sleep all that well last night with my wound aching and my head full of worries about the Murk and the humans living among the fae. Even with all the new worries added to that heap, at some point I drift off with August watching over me.
I wake up at the slowing of the carriage and a sudden shift in temperature. The chilly breeze that touches my cheek tells me we’ve passed into the winter realm. I sit up in time to see Laoni’s iridium castle looming closer.
August stops outside it next to Kesral’s vehicle. “Let’s make this quick.”
The Unseelie guard nods and beckons for us to follow him.
Laoni must have been alerted to our approach, because she strides into the entrance room just as we enter. “Well?” she says imperiously, looking at Kesral.
He bobs low with more respect than I think he really owes her. “There was no cause for concern. Lady Talia and her mate were simply making a routine check on her brother. They were in the human realm for less than an hour, and they readily agreed to present themselves to you to confirm it.”
Her gaze darts over us, and her mouth pinches. “In the past, we’ve agreed to an Unseelie escort accompanying you on such trips. Why did you shirk that agreement this time?”
“I thought that condition was only for while we were still deciding what was going to happen with Jamie,” I say. “Nothing important was happening today. And frankly, I didn’t think your flock or either of the other arch-lords you trust would want to be bothered with the trip.”
Laoni bristles. “I’ll decide what’s a bother and what’s not. It’s this sort of impertinence that makes trust difficult to come by.”
“Talia’s simply answering your question,” August breaks in.
“It’s the tone of her answer I object to.”
Oh, she’s one to talk about tone.
But before I can say as much, Kesral speaks up again in a more tender voice than I’ve heard from him before. Maybe our conversation has stirred up so many memories of the past that they’ve clouded his perception of the present. “My lady, from what I’ve seen of Lady Talia and her companions, they have no ill intentions toward us. I understand your leaning toward caution, and it’s as commendable as always, but in this case—”
Laoni spins toward him, cutting him off with a snap. “It’s not for you to commend me or not. I haven’t asked for your opinion, and you should know better than to offer it as if it’s wanted.”
Kesral can’t quite restrain a flinch. My hackles rise, but in the same moment, Laoni’s face twitches, as if she’s controlling some further reaction she didn’t want to let out. As I pause, studying her, she raises her chin haughtily.
Kesral dips into an even lower bow this time. “I apologize for overstepping, my lady.” He makes a movement toward her and halts when Laoni jerks a step backward, away from him. You’d think he had the plague from the way she recoiled. His mouth slants downward. “I’ll take my leave.”
As he slips away, his spine rigid but his shoulders just slightly slumped, Laoni’s gaze follows him for a second. Her jaw flexes, and in that instant, I could swear I catch a hint of pain… or maybe regret.
The trace of emotion smooths away an instant later. I might have thought I’d imagined it if her hand didn’t rise just then to the side of her neck.
To the true-name mark etched against her tan skin, the one I know from Corwin’s teachings is for silver. The first one she earned, with Kesral by her side.
A lump rises in my throat. She obviously hasn’t forgotten their past together either. Why in the world does she treat him so awfully if it hurts her to do it just like it hurts him?
My frustration with everything she’s done to and around me over the past several weeks boils over. “How can you be so hard on him when he cares so much about supporting you?”
Laoni whirls on me. “What would you know about any of it?”
I glare right back at her. “I know that no matter what your father told you, you seem to be smart enough to have figured out that human beings aren’t horrible just because a few didn’t drown themselves trying to save your mother. And he isn’t even human—he’s just got a little more mixed in with the fae part than you do. But maybe you just like being a bully more than anything else.”
“Talia,” August says quietly, grasping my shoulder, but I’m done anyway.
Laoni gapes at me, her face turning splotchy with anger and maybe shock. “You—you have no idea about anything,” she retorts in a rough undertone. “Not everything that happens has to do with how human or not someone is. And not everyone gets to have whatever they want regardless of who the Heart ties them to. We do our best with the duties we’re given.”
At the end of that tirade, she snaps her mouth shut, looking almost sick. “Never mind,” she goes on brusquely. “Get out of my castle and see to yours.”
My mind is still working over what she said, trying to fit it together with what I already knew and what I witnessed during this confrontation. Does she think I’ve gotten whatever I want—while she’s here demanding my men tear down the home they made for me? What has she ever wanted that she didn’t—
Regardless of who the Heart ties to them.
Understanding smacks into me like an ocean wave, the pieces colliding. Kesral’s account of their history together. Laoni pushing him away and yet seeming to regret it. And that remark…
I’m not sure I’m right, but the suspicion swells in my chest too forcefully to be ignored. Is there any chance she’d admit it?
The more of an audience she has, the less likely.
“August,” I say carefully, “would you let me speak to Laoni alone for a minute? I’ll meet you outside.”
August tenses beside me. He eyes the arch-lord warily. “Are you sure, Talia?”
“I don’t think Arch-Lord Laoni wants to damage the woman who’s curing her people.” She might want to ruin my happiness, but she’s accomplishing that by striking out at everyone and everything around me. Having me alone won’t help her.
“I have nothing to say to you,” Laoni sneers as August reluctantly heads for the door.
“But I have something to say to you,” I reply. “And I respect you enough, in spite of everything, to do it privately.”
She frowns, her hands balling at her sides, but she doesn’t send me away. Looking into her eyes, I don’t think she has any idea what I want to talk about, which may be the only reason she’s listening.
The door thumps shut behind August. I glance around to confirm there are no other fae nearby. Then I fold my arms over my chest. “You wanted him to be your mate. Kesral. But it couldn’t happen because he isn’t true-blooded.”
“What?” Laoni sputters, but she can’t contain the panic that flashes across her expression, and I know I’ve hit the mark.
“It actually makes a lot more sense than you browbeating him just because he’s got a human parent,” I say, keeping my tone even. “You can use that as an excuse to be awful to him, and maybe you even believe it a little after whatever ideas your father passed on about humans, and that way there isn’t much chance of anyone figuring out the truth. And you can keep him at a distance, so you’re not as bothered by the truth.”
Laoni draws her brawny frame tall, her eyes flashing. “You are the last person who should be talking to anyone about picking mates.”
“Why, because I picked four?” Not everyone gets to have whatever they want, she said before. Another suspicion prickles up through my chest. “Is that why you’re so awful to me? Because I’m getting to have all the men I love instead of only my soul-twined mate? Who says you couldn’t too? Be with him if you want. Work it out with your mate. You could let yourself be happy instead of trying to make sure I can’t be.”
Laoni has completely hardened, though. Now I can’t spot a trace of the concern that showed through in those brief moments around Kesral. “This is exactly why humans are better kept drugged into oblivion. Making up crazy stories to justify all the rules you’re flouting—you’re as insane as Corwin’s mother. Get out of here before I have you locked up the way he’s had to her.”
I wince at the viciousness of her remark. “Arch-Lord Laoni, you know it doesn’t have to be like—”
“Get out!” She jabs her finger toward the door. There’s so much fury in her stance that I’m not completely sure she wouldn’t hurt me if I refused.
I retreat, my chest constricting around my heart as I step out into the cold air outside.
There’s still so much I don’t understand. Other arch-lords have taken more than one lover. Is it that she feels it’d be shameful to have one who’s half-human? Or one I’m guessing she’s fallen for in a way she hasn’t her actual soul-twined mate?
Does she believe, like Sylas did, in being faithful to her soul-twined mate no matter who they are or what happens?
But the answers to those questions don’t really matter in the end. What matters is that regardless of the reasons for her resentment of me and my relationship with my mates, she’s holding onto that resentment just as tightly as before.
I swallow hard. In fact, after what I just said to her, she might be even more eager to see our joint castle fall.
