Alluin brushed his thumb against my cheek with a soft smile. "I think you're the best thing to happen to our prince in a long time, Leah. He's spent too long without love. Even if the two of you never find balance, you've shown him that it's possible for someone to see into his heart and not despise him for what they find there, and that is a treasure worth more than gold or silver. Will you go to him?"

"Yeah," I said through the thickness in my throat. One tear dropped, hot and full of gratefulness, onto the hand of my friend. "I think I would like that."

30. Goodbyes

Chapter 30

Goodbyes

I'd never been to the conservatory before, but Alluin escorted me there, holding my hand for the sake of a little comfort. I was still days overdue for a shower, but at least I'd put on some clothing worth being seen in and brushed my hair. He left me at the door to the conservatory, kissing me softly on the cheek before letting me go, my guards taking positions outside the single entrance into the glass building on the roof of the palace.

It was like walking into a Maryland summer, hot and humid and with the drone of insects all around me. I tilted my head back, inhaling, the smell of the air unfamiliar but the texture of it comfortable. Walking out of the airport after being in California or Colorado was always like getting hit in the face with a wet washcloth, so much so that walking into the humidity of the conservatory felt like coming home. Some of the tension and sorrow fell away with that familiarity, and I sighed out my breath before opening my eyes.

The conservatory was more than a greenhouse. It was a garden and an aviary, with vivid songbirds flying around. I recognized some; apparently the fae loved hummingbirds as much as everybody on Earth, because there was a whole bevy of exotic ones zipping around and chasing each other away from feeders. Other beautiful birds sang from perches, strolled through the dense greenery, or paddled in a decorative pond laden with lilypads and white waterlily blooms.

I started down a path at random. The conservatory was big, but not ginormous, and eventually I'd run across Dain unless he was actively trying to avoid me. Not like it would be hard for him to do so; with his ridiculous sense of smell and my unwashed state, he probably already knew I was in the building with him. I tried not to be anxious about seeing him, to no avail. Sweat that wasn't just because of the heat and humidity pricked me, and my heart beat fast enough that my chest felt tense and uncomfortable.