We all nod and then file back into the ruined city that surrounds the Heart Castle. I wonder if I’ll ever see this place again—as its queen, not as a reluctant god forced to give up everything.

It’s not happening. Nothing is keeping us apart.

I squeeze Nadir’s hand.

I hope that’s true.

We continue walking, and the sun has set by the time we make it back to the manor house. The windows are dark, save for a few glowing in the distance. Etienne and Mael meet us at the tree line.

“How did it go?” Etienne asks.

“Willow has magic!” Amya exclaims.

“Well, hot damn,” Mael says with a grin. “The three of you are unstoppable now.”

“Now?” I say, pressing my hand to my chest in mock offense.

“Right, sorry, no one ever stood a chance against you, Heart Queen.”

“And her brother and sister,” I add, and everyone laughs.

Rhiannon greets us as we enter the house, curiosity written on her face. I promised I’d answer some questions about the mate bond, and I’ll fill her in when we chat.

“I’ve received word the other rulers are on their way,” she says. “Everyone will be here by morning.”

“Okay,” I say. “Then let’s hope they’re willing to listen and that Cyan or my aunt don’t kill me on sight.”

“They’ll have to go through me first,” Nadir growls.

I cock my head and wince.

“Maybe that’s what I’m afraid of.”

CHAPTER 46

RION

THE AURORA KEEP—A FEW MONTHS AGO

Rion shuffled through the papers on his desk with a grim sense of frustration. He’d been working on a new set of amendments to the laws governing The Aurora’s mines. He needed unrestricted access to the labor of the low fae. They were moving too slowly for his liking, and he wanted to extend the length of their shifts while also conscripting more workers.

One of Herric’s journals lay open next to him. In it, the former Aurora King claimed that virulence was an inconstant material. The deposits found closer to the surface were less potent, almost to the point of being devoid of magic. He’d used them to build the Keep, wanting to be surrounded by the material without inadvertently alerting anyone else to its power. It had the added bonus of shielding him from Zerra’s sight as he’d worked on methods to destroy her.

It had been his ode to himself. A monument to all the things he’d accomplished so far and the dreams he had yet to fulfill.

Rion had read those words seized with a sick sense of desire.

How far could he go? How much power could he amass? Would it be enough to fill this aching hole in his chest?