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“Maybe I will tomorrow night, with Raúl.”
“Ah, yes. Speaking of Raúl, my son told me he asked you to be queen.”
My mouth involuntarily turns into a grimace before I can stop it. Carmen laughs. “You don’t want to?”
“It’s not that,” I say. “I’m concerned, that’s all. For one thing, I’m still human. Also, I don’t know any of your rituals or customs.”
“Patience, darling. You’ve only just begun.”
After thanking Carmen, I leave her rooms in search of Raúl.
I find him in his office, pouring through a stack of papers. I push the door all the way open, and he glances up at me. He flashes me his signature grin, and in a second is right in front of me, his lips on mine.
“Carmen suggested I visit Dreselda,” I blurt out, unable to hold it in.
Raúl looks at me thoughtfully. “What do you think?”
“I want to go.” I pause. “I’ve been having my spiders whisper to her in the night, telling her that Airalin is wrong. It’s been a while, and I want to see if she’ll recognize me now.”
“We can go tomorrow night, right at dusk. It will give you as much time as possible with them.”
I hug Raúl tightly. “Thank you,” I whisper.
The next night, I stand in the doorway to the castle, my heart pounding. I hope my birth parents will remember me, now that Nava’s cousins have whispered the truth in their ears each night. Raúl comes over to me and takes my hand. Nava’s cousins confirmed that Dreselda and her husband are home, and the anticipation drives me mad. We move through the field to the portal stone, and it whisks us away to Dreselda’s town.
Hand in hand, we walk down the dusty street to the end. I see the old woman, Talia, from last time, her nose pressed against her window. I wave, and she waves back, not changing her position.
We stand at the end of the small walkway to Dreselda’s house. It is the exact same as last time. Lights are on inside, with children running around, their laughter echoing out here. Delicious food smells float through the windows, causing my stomach to grumble. I didn’t eat before coming, afraid I would vomit from the nerves.
The tree next to Dreselda’s house looks more worn than last time, and I wonder why, as I walk up to the door.
I take a deep breath, and Raúl squeezes my hand gently. Warmth spreads through me, offsetting my rapidly beating heart. I am glad he is here with me.
Not waiting another second, I knock, rapping my fist against the faded wood.
The door swings open, and the same little girl from last time stands there, staring up at me. Without a word, she runs away. I purse my lips and glance at Raúl, and he shrugs, leaving it up to me. I decide to wait, and I’m glad I do, when a few minutes later Dreselda appears in the doorway.
As soon as her eyes land on me, her hands fly to her mouth. She bursts into tears, turning her head and calling into the house. “Jeremiah, come quickly.”
She continues to stare at me while tears stream down her cheeks. The older man from last time comes running to the door. He takes one look at me and his mouth drops open.
Chapter Seventy-Six
“We knew you’d come back,” says Jeremiah, his voice trembling with a mix of relief and emotion. “Somehow we just knew.”
Dreselda reaches out and grabs my hands, holding on tightly, as if afraid to let go. “Come in, come in, both of you.”
Raúl lets out a small grunt of impatience next to me, and I grin at him. It must be unnerving to wait to be invited in all the time.
She pulls us inside, the warmth of her home enveloping us. The wooden floorboards creak beneath our steps as we make our way through the house. Dreselda leads us to the kitchen, where she seats me at the worn but welcoming table. Raúl joins us, his silent presence comforting me.
Jeremiah sits next to Dreselda, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders. She smiles at him gratefully, then turns to me, her gaze brimming with affection and a tinge of sadness. “You must have so many questions.”
I nod, my throat tight with unspoken emotions.
She squeezes my hand, her touch conveying years of longing and regret. “You see, a long time ago, I was having a hard pregnancy. You were my seventh child, and the last, I might add.”
Jeremiah’s face contorts in anger, his voice laced with bitterness. “That witch tricked us.”
