BooksBarbecue
Back For Ever
Chapters (63)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Map of the Willowhaven
  4. Map of Rosehill City
  5. Foreword
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. Epilogue
  62. Map of Rosehill City
  63. Also by Jenny Hickman

She closes the book with a huff, clutching the worn leather to her chest. “We have scoured every book in the library on the subject and there is nothing that states the King or Queen of Willowhaven must be Seelie. If Everett can prove that his father was King Bandon, then he would be the rightful heir to the throne.”

And as king, he could rebuild the bridge. “Nia, this is excellent work.”

“I can’t take all the credit. Your brother and his wife have been neck-deep in research since Nolan took you away.”

“He didn’t have a choice,” I remind her.

Her eyes harden even as her hands flex around the cover. “He did have a choice. He could’ve stopped working for Ronan the moment he found out the prince was a corrupt piece of shite, but he chose to bite his tongue. It’s disgraceful and I shall never forgive him.”

“Never is a long time to hold on to your anger.” And my cousin is too full of life, too full of joy to lose that spark. “Don’t forgive him for his sake; forgive him for yours.”

Her curls spill over her wool-clad shoulder when her head tilts. “When did you become so philosophical?”

“Since I found out I’m to be executed tomorrow at dawn.”

The book clatters to the bed, falling open to a page of the royal family tree.

How fitting.

“They cannot do that, not before Theo has filed your appeal. I won’t let them.”

Theo won’t have time for his appeal, and Nia cannot do anything about it.

No one can.

I’ve made my peace with what’s to come—at least I’ve tried to. “Will you do me one favor though? Will you promise me that you will find a way to get this book to Ever? Willowhaven deserves better than that heartless wretch Ronan as its king.”

The glassiness in Nia’s eyes spills down her cheeks when she nods. “This isn’t the last time we’ll see each other.”

It’s not. But tomorrow will be a day of mourning. Tomorrow I won’t get to tell her these words.

I fold my arms around my cousin, her snowy curls tickling my nose as I press my face into her jasmine-scented hair. “I love you, Nia.”

With the book pressed between us, she wraps one arm around my back, her body trembling with emotion. “I love you, Kerris.”

The guard returns, his expression giving nothing away as he unlocks the door to let Nia out.

Her sobs haunt the stone hallway on the long, narrow walk toward the prison’s exit.

Choking back tears of my own, I turn toward the rays of sunlight streaming through the bars and peer toward The Divide, wishing I could see my love one last time.

* * *