Page 141 of The Ashborn

Elira moved away from the Vikings, the silver folds of her gown hissing against the stone floor. The woven crystals in her pale hair glinted under the council’s lantern light. It did little to warm the chill in her voice. “I’d ask for an explanation, but I don’t care. You’re only here because you must be. Not because you’ve earned it.”

Kienna tilted her head and bared her teeth, signaling she was prepared to bite. “I’m here because my place in the realm isn’t dictated by you.”

Murmurs rippled through the room. Ingrid’s brows rose in approval, and Broan shifted with a low grunt of his own. Even Seredai leaned forward with intrigue. Tristian glanced around the room, eyeing Connak for any sign that this would not turn ugly. Connak only stared at Kienna like a man standing before something sacred. His eyes were soft, lips parted. It was as if breathing might break the spell she cast on the room.

“Your place is as my heiress. Nothing more.” Elira’s gaze bore into Kienna.

Kienna stood unshaken. She stepped past the queen, Ruva at her side. She did not bow or flinch. The chamber stilled, every eye snapping to her. She faced Tristian, as if her address was for him. “You once asked me who I was to myself.” Kienna’s attention sparked something in him he could no longer deny. His heart unclenched where it had been tight his whole life.

The light of the water glowed with a shimmer of deep indigo and gold, waving through the air around her. Kienna was no longer becoming. She simply was. Which meant Tristian would have to fight harder against the power below the surface. He could already feel it rising, reflections of it in the water.

Queen Elira lifted her hand to cut Kienna off, but Seredai stood. “Our people will be interested to hear this.”

It was the first time Seredai had overstepped the queen publicly. Tristian ignored the power play and studied Kienna. He fell into formation, hands behind his back, and waited for his briefing. It was a motion that caught like wildfire as Danek stood behind her in the same formation. Connak grinned, wrapping his arms behind him, eyes forward.

Jaw tight, Elira sighed, “Go on.”

“I was born Kalyra to Galric of Belok, but I was also born Kienna to Avenna Ashfell. King Vaerin raised me behind a wall in River Storm. My closest kin to date are Queen Elira of Belok, Calder Ashfell, and King Vaerin of River Storm. None of whom are on each other’s sides. But I protect what is pure, what is floating above us.”

Seredai and Elira shifted heavily. Tristian and Connak tilted their heads upward. She had to be talking about the Eternal Mother. Tristian was born from that island, though he never saw it with his eyes. Had the island revealed itself to her? If so, their timelines were shortening substantially.

“To the goddess, and to myself, I am Kienna. The Ashborn.” Her body blazed with the invisible orange. Tristian wished the rest of the room could see how brightly she burned. His chest pinched.

Broan stepped up to Kienna, eyeing the way she stood, the clothes she wore that were dirtied from a journey in the forest, and the wolf at her side. Ruva didn’t budge, her best behavior yet. The Viking huffed a laugh and slapped her on the back. “It would seem you’re fit to rule after all.”

Elira turned to him and nearly lashed him, face cold with eyes like pure ice.

“I’m not a princess,” Kienna said, stepping in between them. “I’m not looking to be a queen.” She looked at Broan and then shifted to Ingrid. “I will be your ally until the Dead Army no longer rises. I will carve the rest of my path later.”

Chapter 57

—Kienna—

“Last order of business,” Elira said, staring at all the Vikings around the table. Her eyes cut to Kienna. They’d been sitting there for hours, wasting sunlight as they discussed final matters of how to handle River Storm. “I expect Kalyra at my palace tonight. Alone.”

Kienna’s heart exploded in her chest. The only time she had spent with the queen since arriving in Trinity was when she’d taken Kienna to the Ashborn tree to show her the death of her parents. It wasn’t necessarily unpleasant, but it was clear the queen hated her. Spending time alone was the last thing she wanted. However, no one argued, not even Connak. Kienna swallowed her hesitation and followed it with a nod. She didn’t think she was about to gain an ally with Elira, but the Vikings forced them together, so she’d certainly try.

The magic thrummed in the air when the council dismissed. Kienna walked out of the Heart, overcome by scents of fresh water and flowers. It was like a memory, tucked away for a rainy day. The Eternal Mother’s magic ran deeply. The island called out to her, a sweet whisper against her skin. She fought every urge to climb the tree in front of her and disappear into the miracle that brought her back to life.

Tristian approached as she stared through the canopy. He cleared his throat patiently, head hitching to follow her gaze. The island remained carefully hidden above them, despite the warmth tangibly rushing through her veins. Kienna brought her attention back to Tristian’s speckled eyes. He, too, seemed different from when she last saw him, less battered and torn from the loss of Tislin. The relentlessness in his soul faded. A hint of healing, she hoped.

“High Commander.” She addressed him with a grin.

“Kienna.” He nodded, his voice firm and sure. They stood in the hush between the roots and the sky. Tristian shifted, his hands clasped loosely behind his back, a soldier’s stance that was less rigid than before. Perhaps she wasn’t a curse anymore. “I’d like to escort you to the queen’s palace if you don’t mind.” He held his arm out to her.

She wrapped her hand around it and let Tristian pull them into a steady stroll. Trinity unfolded around them in quiet grandeur. Trees soared with trunks so wide that entire homes had been carved into the bark, their surfaces smoothed and shaped rather than cut. Bridges of woven wood and vine spiraled upward, connecting one dwelling to the next, disappearing into canopies far above where faint shadows of floating islands drifted between the leaves.

The Elvish were amongst the trees. Children laughed without a single care in the world. It was nice to see happiness somewhere in the realm. They were fortunate, these children. Their city was well-protected. Hidden. They’d probably never have to see the face of war in their childhood. Kienna watched them as they continued to walk along the forest ground. Mothers sat outside, greeting their husbands and watching the nimble kids.

The sight made her heart ache in a way she didn’t think possible. She never wanted kids before. She shouldn’t have wanted them now. There was something about feeling loved and loving back that made her find the desire plausible. She’d want a girl to call her Fierce One. Maybe two boys to cause trouble. They would be Danek’s. She did not doubt that.

“You stood your ground today,” Tristian said, breaking the silence. “I’m impressed.”

“Now I get to go let Queen Elira yell at me in private.” Kienna laughed as if it didn’t utterly terrify her to see what Queen Elira could do.

Tristian regarded her with a softness she’d never seen before. “I can accompany you if you’d like, but something tells me you have no problem standing up for yourself anymore.”

Kienna lifted her chin. “I don’t plan on standing alone.”