Page 77 of Ruin of Revenants

Whatever animosity he’d felt when I’d first spelled him was gone. All I sensed was something soft through the bond, something I didn’t want to feel.

You’re confusing whatever emotion he’s feeling for yours. And it’s probably him manipulating you anyway.

Sucking in a breath, I hastily settled the kerchief over Archer’s eyes and circled around him to tie it securely in the back. When I stepped away, meeting Bren’s gaze, there was a flash of confusion in his eyes. Shame flushed my neck and cheeks, letting my younger brother see me caught in our enemy’s charm. But he didn’t press the matter, only shaking his head and glancing away.

As we drew closer to home, following the Passionfire River’s lazy course, I noted familiar trees—the one with the knobby face where Bren and I had played as children. The rock where Brook and I sunbathed whenever we went swimming. My heart picked up its rhythm and tears burned my eyes. Home. I both longed for this homecoming and feared it, because the pain that awaited me would be soul-crushing, and that this was only a temporary return.

Though the undergrowth blocked a clear view, even from a distance it was easy to spy the treehouses perched in the boughs surrounding a wide glade. The ever-present running of the Passionfire was a soothing backdrop, mingling with the chitter of birdsong and tree frogs. And the sounds of a town full of life: children playing, people conversing, families laughing.

Bren, still in the lead, turned back to meet my gaze, his own golden eyes alight with eagerness. “Has the prince changed yet? We’re close enough that if we don’t want anyone to think he’s a prisoner, we should take the blindfold off now.”

I turned to Archer, taking in the sleek, short dark hair that concealed his gold strands. His features looked largely the same—his familiar sharp jawline and full lips and straight nose. Carefully, I tugged off the blindfold and found that his eyes were a rich, earthy brown. “Different looking enough,” I muttered.

We rounded a line of thick tree trunks and found ourselves on the edge of the clearing.

Overhead, a couple children standing on the edges of the platforms surrounding their treehouses shifted, spreading their wings and leaping into the air. They soared upward, toward the open sky and the restorative sun. I closed my eyes, basking in its warmth, feeling its power seep into me and revive my well of magical energy.

“Izzy!” Mama’s voice pierced all the others, which had risen to an excited clamor as more and more fae recognized Bren and me.

I opened my eyes, stifling a sob and Mama charged toward me from where she’d been working, sitting at a ring of stones with the other women who enjoyed one another’s company while completing basket weaving and other tasks.

Mama threw her arms around me before I could lift my own to receive her hug. Crushed against her chest, I laughed and cried and wilted against her. “Oh, how I’ve worried,” she said, pressing a kiss to my temple. “Brenton insisted I stay behind and let him search for you. I wanted to tear down the world until you were both back safe in my arms.”

“I’m here, Mama,” I murmured. “If I could have made it back to you sooner, I would have, but as you see, Bren and I are both safe now.”

Bren wrapped his arms around us both, completing our family hug. “Thank Solea you’re both here,” Mama whispered.

As Bren released us and Mama pulled back, I could practically feel her muscles tighten as her eyes flew over my shoulder and locked on Archer. “Who is that?” Her voice was cautious. Phoenix shifters were still finding their way to our sanctuary, and if one of us encountered one, we did our best to bring them back home with us. It wasn’t unusual to meet strangers.

But it was unusual to see them dressed in clothes as fine as the ones Archer wore. Even a plain set of trousers and shirt were of better quality than what most everyday citizens wore.

I swallowed. I’d wondered the entire journey how to broach the topic to Mama. Did I hold back some of the truth, try to make it easier for her to bear? But what about the dreadful news that I was bound to him—that his death would mean mine, that any great separation between us would kill us both—could be softened? My life was bound to the male I was fated to destroy.

“Mama, we’re tired and hungry. Can we make introductions and catch up at home?” I paused a beat. “But first, Brook. Where is she?” My throat ached, fear climbing my spine.

Mama’s smile was gentle. “She’s at home with Aurora. She’s not in too much pain yet, dear, but I think we should let her sleep and give you time to eat and explain things to me before you go to her. She needs all the rest she can get.” Mama waved away the questioning looks of those around her. “Blaze, Hunter,” she called to a couple of males who were tasked with guarding the city and had stepped forward. “No need to worry. If my children are not worried about danger, neither am I. Let us go home in peace. I’m sure introductions to the whole town can be made later.”

The guards dipped their heads in respect toward Mama. “Very well, Elora,” Blaze said. “But we expect a full introduction and a chance to ask questions shortly.”

Mama frowned. “We will take as long as we need. I’m reuniting with both of my children,” she announced pointedly.

Turning away, she guided us toward our treehouse, her halting steps prompting Bren and me to run forward, grasping her arms and helping her up our winding steps and to our front door. Archer followed silently, his expression inscrutable as he took everything in. The laughing children. The phoenixes in flight, coloring the space with their plethora of vibrant feathers in nearly every imaginable shade. The males and females at the far end of the clearing surrounding our stone ovens, using their flame to cook freshly caught fish and a harvest of sweet potatoes.

We passed the balcony where we’d often sat in the mornings as a family, drinking coffee and soaking up the early sunlight, letting it fuel our magic. Even though this was a temporary visit, a wave of calm washed over me, and for a moment, I paused, closing my eyes and basking in the sun. I wanted to spread my wings and soar toward the sky, or curl up in one of the chairs, prop my feet on the table, and lose myself in one of the books our families had smuggled in from the rest of Emberglade.

When Mama opened the door, I drank in the familiar sight of our living room area and the small kitchen that we used when heavy downpours or monsoons kept us from using the outdoor communal ovens. Compared to the opulence of Archer’s rooms and the rest of the castle, it was probably painfully bare to him. No fluffy rugs to sink our feet into, no spacious pantry we could walk into. Our bedrooms were only large enough for our beds and a small trunk of clothes each, and the single washroom contained a chamber pot we only used when we couldn’t relieve ourselves outside and a tub we only troubled ourselves with filling when we were unable to walk down to wash in the Passionfire.

I refused to be ashamed of its simplicity. Let Archer judge all he wanted. We had retreated to this life in the jungle because of his father and him, and I would not let him make me feel lesser.

After all, it was also a place of comfort and peace and love. My eyes burned with tears I refused to let fall, not here in front of Mama. Not when I was about to break her heart all over again.

“I need to know everything,” Mama said, immediately hurrying to a kettle of water and lifting it by the handle. For a painful moment, she hesitated, lifting her hand and glancing at it wistfully. Her eyes darted to a tinder box on the counter. Swallowing thickly, I stepped forward and summoned flames, tossing them into the hearth.

We waited in silence for the water to boil, and then Mama took the kettle, pouring its contents into four mugs before adding crushed herbs to tiny canisters, dropping them into the water, and letting them steep. “Settle in” –she nudged me toward the cluster of cushions on the floor to sit down– “and, please, make introductions so I’m not being rude.”

Unease crept through me, but I didn’t know if it was all my own or if I was also experiencing Archer’s feelings. Now he knew what it was like, to be trapped among your enemies.

Bren and I shared a wary look. “Maybe we should start the explanations alone,” I suggested.