“It’s not something he can cure.” She snuggled against his warm, broad chest. “Take me home please.”

The King’s emissary arrived two hundred sun jumps after the defeat. Shyla decided that “defeat” was the best way to describe the events leading up to the deaths of the Water Prince and Heliacal Priestess. By then, Jayden was working hard to enact all the conditions he’d promised. And Kaveri had fully embraced her new role. She’d banned the green robes because the people no longer trusted the green anymore. Too many bad memories. They all wore yellow tunics and pants instead.

Hanif was back at the monastery, but he frequently visited the priestess. And the Invisible Swords had returned to the Temple of Arinna. They’d made progress in cleaning out the temple and finished the hidden tunnel into Zirdai. Best of all, in her and Rendor’s new room was the biggest, thickest, softest sleeping cushion she could buy.

The emissary interviewed almost everyone involved with the defeat. He spent half a dozen sun jumps inspecting the destruction and visiting all the chapels in Zirdai. Gurice said he even talked to the university’s professors. However, he didn’t question Shyla. In fact, he actively avoided her, which was odd. Did he think she’d lie to him? Or was he one of those people who believed sun-kisseds should be sacrificed to the Sun Goddess? His strange behavior caused worry to simmer in her guts.

Everyone agreed they wouldn’t mention magic or that The Eyes were anything but priceless artifacts that caused the prince and priestess to go to war. They did inform him about the role of the Invisible Swords in the defeat. History was on their side. Yet the King was known to be alarmed by groups like theirs. He feared being overthrown, which was why he had amassed such a large and well-trained army.

Would he consider Shyla dangerous to his rule? He shouldn’t. She’d refused to become Zirdai’s Water Princess. But Jayden had told her the emissary didn’t seem to believe him when he explained why Shyla turned down the role. Did the emissary think she had her sights on the King’s job? Why not just ask her?

Everyone released a huge sigh of relief once the emissary concluded that all the events they had reported to the King had been truthful and necessary. He officially approved the appointment of the new Water Prince and Heliacal Priestess. There would be a ceremony and city-wide celebration the next sun jump.

A few angles before the event, Shyla dressed in a new tunic and pants. She decided to leave her wrap behind. Rendor looked…damn fine in his clothes. Too fine.

She yanked on his shirt. “We really don’t need to go. I think we should stay here and…snuggle.”