Page 96 of The Crowned Queen

“But I didn’t.” Araya finally looked at him, anger flashing across her face. “And I don’t recall agreeing to let you dictate my every move. If I hadn’t come out when I did, that scout would have gotten away.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Loren said, his voice tight. Why were they wasting time fighting about this when he’d almost lost her again? “They’ll just send another scouting party when this one doesn’t come back.” He glanced across the room, but Finn wouldn’t meet his eyes either. “We need to be gone before then.”

“Gone?” Araya’s silver eyes narrowed. “And where, exactly, are we going?”

“Back to Aetheris.” This wasn’t how he’d wanted to tell her. But there was no more time to waste now. “We’ll break camp at dawn and hopefully outrun them on the road. From there, you will be escorted back to Eluneth—” he raised his voice just enough to be heard above the sudden whispers “—while I remain in Aetheris to help the fae there in their rebellion against the New Dominion.”

The murmur erupted into full-blown conversation. Serafina whirled on Finn, her expression thunderous as his best friend held up his hands. He couldn’t have told her—not without betraying Loren’s confidence. Kai said nothing, his gaze fixed on the scarred tabletop as Caela leaned around him, trading furious whispers with Brynn and Naeva.

“You want to send me back to Eluneth?”

The conversation faltered, the fae he’d come to know so well falling silent at the naked fury in Araya’s voice.

“It’s the safest place for you,” Loren said.

Araya stared at him like she’d never seen him before. “It sounds like you’ve already made a decision,” she said slowly. “But this is the first I’m hearing of it.”

Loren gritted his teeth. “Ael’sura⁠—”

“No.” Araya jerked away from his outstretched hand before he could touch her. “I’m not going to sit back while other people fight—while they die for me.”

“We can talk about it more on the road,” Loren said, acutely aware of everyone staring at them. “This isn’t the place⁠—”

“Hiding on Eluneth won’t stop Jaxon,” Araya said like she hadn’t heard him. “He already found me there once. I think we should go to Tirnavel instead.”

“Because you dreamed about it?” Loren scoffed, the words slipping out before he could stop them.

Hurt flashed across her face. “They aren’t just dreams,” she said, her voice hard. “You saw what happened out there.”

Loren dragged a hand through his hair, his patience finally snapping. “It doesn’t matter,” he insisted. “We can’t just go to Tirnavel. The fae in Aetheris need our help now.”

“Then you go to Aetheris,” Araya snapped, glaring at him. “In your grand plan, I’m not even there. It won’t make any difference to you if I go to Tirnavel instead.”

Loren gaped at her, only dimly aware of the others staring. This wasn’t the time to have this conversation—but all he managed to say was, “Alone?”

“If that’s what it takes.” Araya crossed her arms, her silver eyes blazing as she glared at him. “At least that will be my choice.”

For a long moment no one spoke, a thick, uneasy silence settling over the room, broken only by the crackle of the fire in the hearth.

It didn’t really surprise Loren that Caela was the one to finally break it.

“It sounds like an adventure to me,” she said, glancing around at the others. “If Araya thinks there are answers at Tirnavel, I’ll go with her.”

“Me too,” Serafina said, shaking off Finn’s hand.

“Do you all feel that way?” Loren asked, looking around the room for someone—anyone—who hadn’t gone completely mad. “No one has been to Tirnavel in over twenty years. Even if the forest doesn’t attack you on the way, there’s no telling what you’ll be walking into.”

No one answered him. Brynn shifted in her seat and wouldn’t meet his eyes, glancing sidelong at Naeva instead. Even Finn looked conflicted, his brow furrowed as he glanced between his king and the woman he loved.

“I see.” Loren shoved away from the table, rising to his feet. “I suppose you should all get to work on your preparations, then.”

He turned, the shadows clinging tight to his legs as he stalked out the door without another word.

Chapter

Thirty-Six

“Well,” Caela said. “He could have handled that better.”