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“Tell them what else we have,”I encouraged her.
Izidora had woken in the middle of the night two days after the last battle, gasping for breath. At first I panicked, thinking we were under attack again, but she grabbed my arm and sent soothing emotions into me. An idea had pulled her from sleep, and once she whispered it to me with hope in her voice, I vowed to make it happen.
And as she cleared her throat to make her last announcement, I allowed beaming pride to fill my face.
“I will be opening a trauma center to help anyone impacted by the war. Whether they are a refugee returning to the shores of Északi, from a noble house or a rural village, all will be welcome to receive treatment and heal. I am also seeking volunteers to train to help those in need.”
Liliana, of course, was the first to volunteer, and around the room, nearly a dozen hands raised, all offering assistance. Tears spilled over Izidora’s aquamarine eyes, and I caught one with the tip of my finger before it rolled off her cheek and into the table. My sprite would never have to hide her emotions again, not with me, not with anyone.
“I love you. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you all very much for volunteering. We will be in touch regarding training and the location of the center,” she said, her voice thick. I flattened a palm on her lower back and stroked my thumb soothingly across it.
“That concludes our conclave,” I announced. “You are welcome to remain in the Iron Realm for as long as you like, though we hope you will stay for at least a few more days to attend our wedding and coronation. If there are further questions or issues, speak with High Lord Drazen, who will pass your messages along to me. Whenever you are ready to return home, the Mages will assist you.”
Izidora and I stepped back from the table, and one by one, each noble greeted and thanked us on their way out of the ballroom.
Drazen, Liliana, Endre, and Viktor all hung back, waiting until the very last of the Low Houses had departed before closing the doors behind them and leaving the six of us alone in the giant space.
“Who needs a drink? Because I sure as shit do,” Liliana pronounced, lifting a bottle of amber liquor off a table that had been pushed against the nearest wall. She yanked the cork, then took a long swing straight from the neck.
Izidora laughed and lifted the bottle from her friend, mimicking her and exaggerating the hiss after she swallowed. “Thank you for being the first to volunteer, Lil.”
I snagged the alcohol from Izidora’s hands right before the two collided, tears and laughs and kind words slipping between them. Offering them a moment of privacy, I turned to the new king of the Night Realm.
“To Endre,” I said, lifting the bottle then swigging from it before proffering it to Viktor. He repeated my phrase, then drank and passed the liquor along.
“I really don’t know why you chose me,” he said, shoving a lock of hair out of his face. “Why not Drazen? You’ve already made Slavian king of the Crystal Realm.”
Drazen answered for me. “I don’t want that level of responsibility. I much prefer fighting to ruling. Besides, after everything that has happened with the Night Realm, I think there needs to be a Night Fae on the throne. Kazimir did some serious damage, and King Zalan before him. The Night Realm needs an empathetic, level-headed ruler who can lead them forward. And that’s you.”
“Are you coming with us?” Endre asked Drazen with a glance in the females’ direction.
“You are free to come and go as you please, Drazen. Don’t stay here on my account,” I said to my cousin, my general, and my best friend.
The Dragon Shifter Félvér looked between Endre, Liliana, and me, then nodded. “The three of us will return to the Night Realm together.” He took a step toward me, then clapped me on the shoulder. “But with those two,” he jerked his head in Izidora and Liliana’s direction, “I think I’ll probably see you daily anyway. One of them better fucking be able to move like you do, or the Mages are going to constantly be drained.”
The four of us shared a laugh, drawing the females’ attention. “Hey! What was that about?” Liliana questioned, dragging Izidora back into our little circle.
“Probably stupid male stuff,” my mate commented, earning a laugh and an eye-roll from Liliana.
“When isn’t it stupid male stuff?” she retorted with a flick of her hair.
“Never,” Izidora quipped, smiling sweetly at me. She bit her bottom lip, and with a playful growl, I yanked her to me and captured it between my fingers, pulling it free.
“You, sprite, were magnificent. After you get your center up and running, I’m taking you on a nice long trip to the Day Realm.”
“What are you going to name your trauma center, Izidora?” Endre asked, swirling the amber liquor and then sipping.
I released her, though she remained tucked against my side, banishing her wings so she could wrap an arm around my waist. “The Angel Center. After Zuriel.”
Fuck, even my eyes burned, and Izidora didn’t bother to mask her pain from me. Losing Zuriel was heartbreaking for her, and I knew she needed the place just as much as anyone else. What he’d taught her would help countless others who lost their homes or loved ones during the war. And from what Izidora toldme, he was happy to move on from this life and return to his wife in whatever waited for us after death.
I squeezed her harder against me, wanting her to feel how safe and loved she was.
Liliana dipped behind us and grabbed six glasses, passing them all around. Drazen poured us each a healthy measure of alcohol, and then Liliana raised hers high in the air. “To Zuriel.”
“To Zuriel,” we all echoed.
