Page 94 of The Crowned Queen

“He hunts you.” There was nothing familiar about the forest’s green eyes now. “He ventures further beneath my branches than any ever have, following the chain he forged between you. Is that how you fulfill your mandate?”

No. The Arcanum was terrified of the forest—with good reason. She’d seen what it could do. They weren’t supposed to follow her here. She was supposed to be safe.

But Jaxon had never let her go before. He’d come back from Elvanfal to claim her bond. He’d crossed the Shadowed Veil to take her back when Loren stole her away. Of course he’d chased her here.

“Wake up, little queen,” the forest commanded. “We will not wait forever.”

Araya started awake, cold sweat sticking the thin blanket to her skin.

“Ael’sura—” Loren’s face hovered in front of hers, his strong hands holding her by the shoulders. “It was a dream. You’re alright. You’re safe⁠—”

But she wasn’t. She never had been. And now she was out of time—Araya felt the truth of the forest’s warning with every beat of her heart, pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird.

“It’s the Arcanum,” she said. “There’s a scouting party coming. Right now.”

Loren frowned, his hands never stopping the slow, soothing strokes up and down her arms. “It was a nightmare, ael’sura. The Arcanum doesn’t send scouting parties this deep into the forest. You’re safe.”

“It wasn’t just a dream!” Araya twisted free of Loren’s grip, scrambling to pull on her tunic. “The forest warned me. I know how it sounds but it did.”

Loren’s expression tightened, but he only reached for her again. “Araya⁠—”

“It wasn’t a dream!” Araya’s voice rose despite herself. Where were her breeches? Surely she’d thrown them right here⁠—

A shrill whistle split the night.

For a heartbeat, neither of them moved. Then Loren was on his feet, pulling on his boots and scooping his tunic off the floor.

“It’s probably nothing,” he said, buckling on his sword belt as a second whistle rang through the air. “You stay here. I’ll find out what’s going on⁠—”

“It’s not nothing!” Araya grabbed her own boots, fumbling with the laces. “The forest told me⁠—”

“Araya!” Loren snapped.

Araya flinched, the edge of command in Loren’s voice freezing her in her tracks even though there was no power behind the words. Loren saw it, the hard edge of frustration draining from his expression as he dropped to one knee in front of her.

“Please, ael’sura.” He cupped the back of her neck, pressing his forehead against hers. “I’m begging you. Stay in this room.”

A shout rang out somewhere outside, followed by the unmistakable clash of metal against metal. Loren’s head snapped toward the sound, his shadows bristling around him as he surged to his feet.

“That doesn’t sound like nothing,” Araya whispered, wrapping her arms around herself.

Loren winced. “Just stay here,” he repeated, rising to his feet. “Please. I need to know you’re safe.”

The door slammed shut behind him before Araya could untangle her thoughts enough to tell him she needed to know he was safe too.

Araya swallowed hard. All of Loren’s shadows had followed him except the little one—but it wasn’t so little now. Its form shifted, growing and thickening until it pressed against her shoulder, comfortingly solid despite being made entirely of darkness and aether. It would be easier for it to protect her if she did as Loren said and stayed here.

But she wasn’t the same scared child who would have traded anything for safety anymore.

Araya scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding as more shouts rose outside, the peace of the forest shattered by the clash of steel and the stench of iron and stolen magic. She grabbed the long knife Caela had given her, the hilt cold against her sweaty palm.

She was done waiting to be saved.

Chapter

Thirty-Five

They’d found her.