The stillness stretched like a gaping chasm, cold and empty. One day it was as though they were traversing a rickety bridge, determined to meet in the middle. Then the next they were ripped apart, standing on opposite ledges, overlooking the widening expanse between them. Not even the echo of his voice could reach her. At this rate, Narissa would never fall in love with him.
Now, they were on their way to Windsong, where they would undoubtedly be forced to exchange pleasantries with Calfair Skyhelm. If that bastard of a lord knew Solarius was arriving in Galefell, he would drive a well-placed wedge between Solarius and Narissa. Besides, he was the reason their courtship ended in shambles.
Anger rumbled through his chest.
Not so long ago, or perhaps not long enough, Calfair had been his best friend. They’d spent the majority of their youth together, from racing Eponians in the middle of the night during a rainstorm, to pouring soap into Celestine’s fountains andwatching bubbles pop and coat the city in sudsy stardust, to drunken escapades that involved daring one another to see who could drink the most whiskey.
Solarius always won that game.
But with each passing year, their audacious friendship evolved into a tiresome rivalry. It seemed that no matter what Solarius did, Calfair had to best him. Whenever they skipped rocks at Silvermist Lake in the warmer seasons, it was a ruthless game to see whose stones bounced the furthest across the lake’s sapphire surface. And in the winter, when Silvermist Lake froze solid, it became a battle to see who could break the ice with the largest rock first. If Solarius placed first in fencing, Calfair would tout he’d been triumphant in swordplay. Eventually their competitiveness spilled into their personal lives as well—who danced with more ladies at a ball and who stole the most kisses in the gardens.
All of that changed when Solarius set his sights on Narissa.
He wanted her, and only her, his conflicts with Calfair be damned. It had been a mistake, a terrible lapse in judgement.
Solarius had made the unfortunate assumption that if he was serious about courting a female, then perhaps Calfair would stand down and see that their feud was coming to an end. After all, they couldn’t be esteemed bachelors forever. While a lofty dream, it was not the way of things in Aeramere. A lord was destined to take a wife, just as ladies were bound to find a husband. He’d almost bought a ring for her, had a thoroughly planned proposal that filled him with nauseating anxiety. Just in case. Everything Solarius ever wanted, he’d found in Narissa.
That was until he’d discovered her with Calfair in a secluded bedroom of House Galefell during a Midsummer ball. The door had been left unlocked, as though Calfair wanted Solarius to find them, like he’d planned to bed Narissa the whole time. It had been the final match he never saw coming. He’d saidnothing afterward, choosing instead to save face and shield their reputations from any outlandish rumors. But Solarius had lost his best friend and the female he wanted to marry in the same night.
So, no. He wasn’t too keen on being sent to Windsong.
Calfair was the last fucking fae he wanted to see while he was trying to woo his wife.
Solarius glanced over at Narissa seated beside him in the carriage.
She was gripping the edge of the leather seat so tightly he thought for certain her nails would tear through the thick fabric. Her back was painfully straight, her arms were locked by her side, and every muscle of her body seemed stiff with agonizing tension. The pale green of her eyes expanded, and her gaze darting from one sleek window to the other. The frantic beating of her heart pulsed through his own veins and his brow furrowed. He didn’t think their most recent dispute was cause for her to act as though the world was going to come crashing down around her, but then the carriage caught a gust of wind and bounced lightly upon the stiff evening breeze.
Narissa yelped, clutched at his upper arm with both hands, and squeezed her eyes shut.
Stars above, she wasn’t still mad at him.
She wasafraid.
All the air left her in a rush and her eyes flew open. She let go of him at once, but Solarius grabbed her hand, keeping it wrapped tightly around his arm. He squeezed her fingers in reassurance, noting how small and delicate they were in the strength of his grip, admiring the pretty gold bands she wore. Perhaps he would give her one to add to her collection one day. Narissa tried to tug away one more time but he held on, refusing to let her go. If she was scared of flying, then the least he could do was offer her comfort, whether she wanted it from him or not.
“Are you alright?” he asked, keeping his voice low and soft.
She shook her head and curled her fingers into the fabric of his coat. “No. I hate flying.”
“Fear not, I won’t let anything happen to you.” Solarius gave her hand another reassuring squeeze. “Besides, what could be safer than riding in a carriage pulled by winged Eponians?”
When those frosty green eyes looked up at him, glazed with a familiar sheen, he saw the deeply planted root of her fear.
“My parents…”
Her harsh whisper struck him with remorse, and he silently cursed himself for being so thoughtless with his words. He should have known better. For her sake, he should’ve taken more care.
Of course Narissa hated flying, she’d lost both of her parents in a carriage accident. It was a rare occurrence to be sure, but devastating, nevertheless. Lord and Lady Seaborne were returning to Azurvend from House Emberspire after the Firelight Festival when their carriage was caught in a sudden summer storm. A bolt of lightning startled the Eponians and the driver lost control, sending them careening toward the ground. At some point, the carriage detached from the shaft and the driver was able to save himself and the Eponians, but Narissa’s parents were lost in the crash.
She was only a child when it happened.
Solarius gently stroked the bond the way he might caress her during the midnight hours.
Narissa gasped when he attuned to her labored breathing, she shuddered when he filled her with his heartbeat, when the might of the moon danced with the tides. Their magic drifted toward one another lazily, a lulling sway, like the languid way the waves returned time and again to kiss the shore. This was not the same violent clash as before, it was a welcome kind of serenity. She turned into him as the carriage jostled to one side,pressing her forehead to his shoulder, inhaling sharply while her body remained rigid and stiff with fright.
Carefully, Solarius reached for her mind.“Rissa.”
She stiffened against him.
