Page 121 of Ignite
I spin toward Adrian, a flare of heat bursting in my chest. “You didn’trealize?” I finally snap. I’ve tried to keep the peace between us—as best I could—since our conversationin Lyland. We need his help to convince Moros we aren’t a threat, to corroborate our story of being just Amira and the Prince’s Snake… Not fae that can harness magic and want to steal Nightfall back from Moros. But he’s had chance after chance to learn more about his kingdom, to hear the needs of his realm and do something to fix it.
Instead, he ran after me—a woman who didn’tneedsaving.
“Your people have been suffering for years, Adrian.Years.” The words tumble from my lips, short and filled with quiet rage. “If you would’ve paid more attention to them instead of flouncing around the castle, then you might’ve seen that sooner.”
Adrian’s brows creep up, and I want to smack that stupid look of shock off of his face. He blinks, looking at me as if I have three heads.
“Maybe now you’ve pulled your head out of your ass enough to see that your people need a king, not a boy playing dress-up with a crown.” With that, I click my tongue against the roof of my mouth and lightly kick my heels into Misty’s sides so she trots forward.
I can feel Graylen’s shoulders shaking before I hear the soft laughter rumbling from his chest. My anger evaporates as his quiet chuckle turns into a full-bellied bout of laughter, and it doesn’t take long before I join in.
We both howl with laughter, tears streaming down our faces as Adrian trails a healthy distance behind us.
“‘Pull his head out of his ass’ is one way to put it,” Graylen wheezes once he can finally talk. “I don’t think anyone has talked to him the way you just did.”
We’re still trying to catch our breath as we trot into Wisebech, the dilapidated town center looking more like the ruins of an abandoned place than one where people currently reside.
“Let’s find lodging and prep for tomorrow,” I say to Graylen as my eyes search the area around us. “Might be a barn we can stay in.”
Graylen nods in agreement, but Adrian makes a stranglednoise. For once, he’s smart enough to not comment on my latter comment.
We find a farmer who agrees to let us camp in his stables for the night. He’s kind enough to provide us with brushes for our horses, along with water, hay, and a pasture for them to graze in.
When we offered to pay him, he turned us down. But the moment I suggested sharing some of the food we bought in Kilspire, he nearly wept. Adrian has been silent ever since the interaction.
The night comes quickly, the sun setting on a gray sky as rain clouds billow in.
Adrian settles against a bale of hay, while Graylen and I sit on the opposite end of the barn, our backs resting against the wooden boards of the back wall, a stall with the horses separating us from the brooding king.
“Are you ready to be at the castle tomorrow?” Graylen asks as he gazes up at the uneven roof. Several of the slats have fallen in, leaving large sections open for us to see the night sky beyond.
I sigh and say, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“You’re strong, Lunaria,” he says softly. “One of the strongest fae I know. Trust yourself and your Essence.”
I swallow. “My Essence…it’s quiet.”
There. I said it.
His gaze bores into mine as he watches me. “I know,” he whispers. My brows raise, and he adds, “I can feel it—the silence. But we have our connection through our thoughts still and that has to mean something. You’ve used a lot of it to get us here; it’s only natural for it to need to rest before waking back up. Every fae hits a point of needing to let their magic refill.” Graylen smirks. “Even someone as badass as you.”
I nod, but something nags at the back of my mind. I’ve never felt this before—never experienced my magic being so far from my grasp.
We fall into comfortable silence, his hand on my thigh as we sit side by side. The moment I close my eyes, I feel the exhaustionof the day creep in. Graylen’s arm slips around my shoulder, and I curl into him, settling against his warm chest. His hand begins to draw soothing circles on my back
Even with anticipation thrumming through me, it’s impossible to ignore the call of sleep now.
“Lunaria.”A deliciously deep voice fills my mind, rousing me from my dreamless slumber.“Donotmove. Pretend to be asleep.”
Graylen. His arms are locked around me, muscles tight and flexed.
There’s a chill in the air, one filled with the weight of someone watching me. Watchingus.
I freeze. Something’s wrong.
“On three, I want you to grab your dagger and stand with me,”Graylen adds slowly.“Okay?”
Ice spreads through my chest.
