"And yet it's a weapon you can use, Torian. It is a shield for Aspen. A means to keep your vow to her. Toprotecther. She needs you now more than ever, so you can't give up yet."
"But..."
"I know," I assured him. "Too many have died, and it's been too close. You never should've seen these horrors at your age, but you have. None of us can take that back. Instead, will you let us help you? Will you allow us to hold you up a bit when you're too exhausted to continue? Maybe even to protect Aspen too?"
"I don't know how," he breathed.
"I know," I said gently. "And I know you think you're in the way, but right now, that's a good thing. Shields are in the way. They block the hits, and we both know Aspen isn't ready for what's going to come."
"But you're wrong," he told me. "See, Liam, that's the one thing you don't understand. Sheisready. Rain made her that way."
"You did too."
His hand finally stopped tapping. "Yeah?"
I nodded. "You fought for your sister when no one else knew she was real. You never gave up, so don't start now. And when you can't take it anymore?"
"Lemme guess, come talk to you?" he asked.
"Or kiss Keir again," I suggested. "I've been told he can take it."
The smallest flicker of a smile crossed Torian's face. "He's stronger than he knows. He says it's merely defensive magic, as if that makes him weak, but it's really Earth magic."
Earth magic didn't exist - or hadn't. Then again, many things had been changing lately. The Morrigan had come. Her benefactor rode on her shoulder like a familiar. Never mind her shadow, which not even Ivy Rhodes understood yet. So many things were changing, but while the fae wouldn't like it, I had a feeling this was a good thing.
"So what you're saying is he's not impressed with your title," I pointed out. "It doesn't change things for him at all."
And Torian's body finally relaxed completely. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," I promised. "You don't rule him, and he doesn't care about Faerie nobility. You know what does matter to him? Finding someplace he finally belongs. The interesting thing is that someone so against the idea of birthright nobility, and monarchies in general, has ended up right in the middle of your court."
"Because a wise ruler doesn't need people to kiss their ass," Torian said. "They need someone to shove them down and remind them when they're out of line."
"Which," I said, "makes me think you're not as cruel as you pretend."
"Oh, I am," he insisted.
"You've also never been allowed to be anything else," I countered. "Not weak, not a child, and never dependent. And yet, those are things your mother taught you. Have you ever considered she's wrong?"
His spring-green eyes hit me hard. "Every fucking day."
Chapter One
RAIN
Over spring break, all of my uniforms had been cleaned. That meant I had options, and I really wanted to look good in the morning. It was silly, but with everything that had happened, it somehow felt important to me. I was dating the Queen of Winter. I had a knight defender of my own.
Hawke had wings.
Ok, that last part was taking a bit to get used to. Not because I thought there was anything wrong with it, but "people with wings" were angels in my mind, and Hawke was certainly not one of those. According to everyone in school - who didn't know what he was - jevadu were monstrous creatures who fed on magic. Considering my power came from other people's magic, I wasn't quite sure why I was supposed to be a hero and him a monster, but whatever.
"Morrigan," Jack grumbled from his perch.
"I just need to pick my outfit," I told the crow. "I was thinking the tight skirt, knee-high socks, and - "
"Oh, I do like the tight skirt," Aspen said as she sauntered into my room, heading for the plant beside the door. "Do you think we should leave Spike beside the door like that? I mean, now that everyone's back..."
I looked over to the massive Monarch's Assassin plant sitting on the ground beside my desk. It had doubled in size since Aspen had given it to me, and I was pretty sure it had been magically enhanced. Mostly because of what was sitting under its roots.
