Krew added, “The greatest thing my father ever did for Wylan was freeing it with his death. Though we still do not know which of us will become king, neither my brother nor I wish to rule in the same manner. My father wasn’t always as cruel in his early reign, but toward the end of it he let his thirst for power turn him into a traitor of his own country. Let this lighted pyre serve as a reminder. That we will not tolerate tyranny, in any form.”
Keir took back over. “And that we will always work to right the wrongs of our father. There is no honor in this death. Only the comfort in the dawn of a new reign.” He paused. “For Wylan. Justice served, may we now restore her to a healthy, thriving country. Greater than any of her kings, long may Wylan prosper.”
Someone handed Keir the lit torch, and he wasted no time leaning down to light the pyre.
As the flames soon danced, my only thoughts were of good riddance. This man who had failed so spectacularly at being king was finally gone. He’d likely poisoned the entire realm in his pursuit to make Wylan strongest. In his pursuit to makehimselfstrongest. His greed and poison had ruined the lives of so many people. And his cruelty had been the root cause of many deaths.
And though there was immense relief I felt in his absence, it was exhausting to think of the mess Theon had left behind that Keir, Krew, and I would have to work to correct.
There were ongoing trials being held for the guards present when the king had tried to kill Krew. Most were finding that Krew and Keir had no empathy for their having just followed orders. Furthermore, the Savaryn families who had been chummy with the king were about to find themselves enemies of the princes, for no other reason than their closeness to the former king. We still didn’t even know who the new king was, and things were already different.
And yet, the princes found themselves grieving their father. This man who was the only father they’d known and had repeatedly failed them on that front. Though the king’s death was a cause for celebration throughout Wylan, they would still grieve. For the man that could have been, but never was.
I knew both princes were angry. Angry their father couldn’t have been a better man. Angry that death had been the only way for them to reach their father and save their country. Save themselves.
I knew their father’s demise had also brought up memories of their mother, reviving the grief they felt for her death too, knowing that the king was responsible for taking away the parent who had loved them well. The parent who had ruled well.
There was a long road ahead of us in healing both the land and each other. Theon Valanova was gone, but his legacy of fear and manipulation couldn’t be erased in a few days.
Then there was Warrick. Krew was waiting to see if he was the king or not, as that would set the tone for how Warrick would be introduced to the kingdom. He was already working on choosing the guards for Warrick’s security and having discussions with The Six on when the announcement should be made. Warrick was still a rightful heir to Wylan after all, if his father was king or not.
A lot was happening, but we would charge ahead into the light together. And no matter which brother would reign, I knew Wylan was in better hands.
A new reign was coming.
* * *
The next morningwas the first time I felt my magic was finally recouped. I wasn’t ready to go running through the forest yet, but I was getting there. I’d barely used it the previous day, other than to make sure it was still there.
“I hope you know,” Owen began, “that even if you become queen, our training sessions are not yet complete.”
I rolled my eyes as we walked for the trees. It seemed odd that a man with his arm in a sling would be talking about training.
And I hadn’t seen Shadow or Rafe since the morning they’d ran into the throne room to help us. Rafe had saved the entire country when he attacked the king and prevented him from getting that sword.
“I’m not sure you’ll have time to do that,” I laughed. If Krew and I took the throne, we were absolutely making Owen and the rest of The Six our advisors. If not, I knew Owen would likely go back to working with Krew. “Besides your at least six weeks of recovery with your collarbone, your days of having to babysit me are numbered.”
Owen leaned over to put the food scraps in the dish with his free arm. “Like Krew trusts anyone other than me. Finding my replacement will take a while.”
“Good point.”
We just turned back in the direction of the meadow when I felt the wolves.
Owen must have too, because he turned back to look, his magic slightly aglow as if he’d called it forward just in case it was something else.
But in seeing that flash of green, I realized I had also felt it. Like I felt when Krew used his magic. I closed my eyes and focused. A tether, much like I had with Krew but different, was there. And though using my bond with Krew was normal and natural, I hadn’t thought much of my bond with Owen. I knew I was soul bound with Krew and kin bound with Owen, but I hadn’t thought much about the strength of those bonds because I had simply assumed my bond with Krew would be more powerful.
In my mind, I felt for the bond with Krew. Krew was in our wing, about to have a meeting with The Six. But then I felt the other. Not as strongly, but it was there. I likely hadn’t noticed it until now because Owen was always so close in proximity to me. Or maybe it was because my magic had been all but depleted just a few days ago.
While my tether to Krew felt warm and exciting, almost a buzz of anticipation, this new one felt entirely different. It felt only protective instead. In place of the excitement of my bond with Krew, I found there was a push and pull, an almost stinging feel to my bond with Owen. I had no siblings, but I imagined if I did, how I felt about them would feel just like this.
I grabbed ahold of that new tether.Owen?
“What?” he asked out loud.
Smiling I added,I wasn’t talking to you out loud.
“What?”
