As time ticked by, the crowd dwindled. Mourners each took their time and left when it felt appropriate to them until only a handful remained. The sun fell toward the horizon as the sunset brushed the sea, illuminating the clouds above in streaks of gold. Bri and Carys watched as the gold bled to blue, the indigo dye of nighttime staining the sky. In silence, they waited until the fire and the stars were the only light, Lina silhouetted against the diminishing flames.

With a mighty crack, the wood fractured and the pyre collapsed, tumbling over the cliff’s edge and down into the valley below. Carys gasped, watching as the pyre plummeted and embers drifted in the air.

Lina stood in the darkness, still unmoving, watching the space where the pyre had been. Bri took a step forward, but Tem beat her to it, striding up to Lina and wrapping her in his arms. He held her for a long moment, her arms never holding him back.

“At least she has him,” Carys whispered, new tears springing to her eyes.

Bri clenched her jaw, her eyes tracking each step as Tem ushered Lina back toward the castle. She couldn’t deny the burning in her gut as she bowed her head and silently followed behind.

*   *   *

“Remy’s going to kill you!” Carys gaped at the glowing green of the fae fire.

Rua’s snicker echoed through the magical flames. “She already knows.”

A breeze wafted through the sweltering room and Bri was grateful that the shrouds had finally come down. The fae fire room in the Western palace was a round stone space with built-in bench seats and a giant fire flickering up toward the open domed roof.

“You wed in secret?” Bri knew that Rua was smiling even without seeing her face. “Without me?”

“That’s what ‘in secret’ means, Bri.”

“Don’t you start with me,” Bri snapped, even as a grin stretched across her face. “I invented—”

Carys elbowed her in the ribs, making Bri bark out a laugh. “So no one else was there?”

“Baba Airu officiated,” Rua said mildly.

Rua and Renwick had always done things on their own terms. It shouldn’t have surprised Bri that this would be no different. She’d seen Rua at Remy’s wedding; she looked like she’d rather gnaw off her arm than be there for one more minute.

“Aneryn and Laris were there too,” Rua added.

“Oh, so Aneryn got to come,” Bri said, not ready to let it go. “And who the fuck is Laris?”