“Tell Kael I-I’ll be home waiting for him.”
For the first time, something like respect flickers in his eyes. He bows his head slightly.
“Yes, milady.”
And then, with a sweep of those vast wings, he is gone again, swallowed by the night, carrying my message back into the storm where Kael fights.
Castletide rises out of the water like a dream made solid—its pearl-colored towers catching the moonlight, its wallsshimmering faintly with the same pearlescent glow that clings to everything in this realm.
The ship glides into the harbor as if carried by invisible hands, Kael’s magic still propelling us even though he is miles away.
My stomach twists with every wave.
I know he’s out there.
Fighting. Bleeding, maybe.
The bond between us thrums, taut and humming like a wire pulled too tight, and I almost double over with the weight of it.
But no. I can’t fall apart. Not now.
Amber waits just behind me, pale and anxious. When the ship eases against the dock, I straighten, squaring my shoulders.
My hands are shaking, but I clench them into fists.
“If I’m to be the Lady of Castletide,” I say, turning to her, “then show me what I need to do.”
She blinks at me, startled. “My lady?”
“And Amber—” I step closer, my voice firmer now. “I appreciate everything you told me. Truly. But this thing with Kael and me? It’s not some youthful indiscretion.”
She opens her mouth, but I don’t let her interrupt.
“If a woman harmed herself, I am profoundly sorry for her. And I am sure Kael is, too. But that is something he and I will discuss—together. I can’t allow myself to doubt him now.” I lift my chin, feeling my heart hammering but refusing to back down.
“Yes, milady.”
“Right now, I think I’m supposed to keep this place and his people safe while he fights our enemies. Don’t you?”
Amber’s throat bobs as she swallows.
Then she bows, her voice soft but steady.
“Yes, milady.”
“Good.” I breathe in deep, bracing myself as the gangplank drops. “Then help me.”
She nods, determination flickering in her eyes at last.
“Always.”
And with that, I step onto Castletide’s shining dock, the weight of dread still pressing against my chest—but steadied now by resolve.
If Kael is giving everything to protect me, then I’ll give everything to protect his home.
After all, it’s mine now, too.
Castletide is eerily quiet, though the keep itself glows with light.
