Page 51 of The Reaping Rose

I know they’re judging me. The half-human soul bound to their king. The girl who once stood at Malachi’s side and vowed to destroy them. Malachi’s court had its challenges, but there’s a fresh tension in Wilder’s that I didn’t expect, even if I should have.

My stomach doesn’t stop spinning until I reach my destination. Letia visited me between naps yesterday and let me know where in the palace the villagers from Alyssium were quartered. Thankfully, her directions were easy to follow.

I stop behind her, tapping her shoulder. “I hope your accommodations are a step up from the village.”

Letia spins with a bright smile on her face, golden hair fanning out. The circles under her eyes are already almost entirely gone, and her cheeks are pink. “A hundred steps up from the village. Have you seen this place? It’s everything.”

When Wilder told me he gave the villagers a wing of his palace, I didn’t expect something so grand. It’s more than just a hallway; it’s an entire section of the mountain. A long corridor circles around a private courtyard, with doorways leading into it and a small pool of water at the center. Rooms line either side, with an open breeze wafting through them.

I step through a doorway to the courtyard and into the sunlight. Closing my eyes, I soak in the warmth of the rays.

“It’s incredible, right?” Letia shields her eyes as she looks up. “Half the group refuses to sleep inside. We’re not used to such a beautiful clear sky.”

At the edge of the courtyard is a line of beds, dragged into the grass.

“It’s so they can look up at the stars,” Letia says, her eyes drifting. “Have you seen them? I never knew there could be so many.”

Wonder lights her eyes, and I remember the stars in the Ley Court. How vast the sky was. How clear without the constant threat of an incoming storm.

“The stars are beautiful,” I agree.

“Your cheeks look brighter.” Letia grabs a basket of clothes and leads the way down the hall. “Did you finally get enough rest?”

I stretch my fingers out, warmth returning to them. “I think so. It’s strange how long it takes my magic to recover from a lack thereof. I never understood why Callum would stay in Ruse Village so long. Now I don’t understand why he ever came back.”

“As if Callum could bear to be away from us.” She winks, and I can’t help giggling.

“Gods, things were simpler then. What I wouldn’t give to go back to drunken nights at the tavern, betting on cards and arguing over who would pay the tab.”

Letia sets the basket of clothes by a basin, preparing them for washing. “But then you wouldn’t have met your beautiful mate. My gods, Elorie. When you described him, you did not do him justice.”

That makes me laugh. “He’s a little distracting.”

“A little?” Her eyebrow hitches. “It’s unsurprising he wields the magic of a god because he’s as beautiful as one.”

My smile turns a little sad as I roll up my sleeves to help her.

“You’re still worried about what he did?” Letia guesses, reading me easily.

I dip a shirt into the warm water, washing it clean. Wilder said there are Fae around the palace who would help with cleaning and washing, but I’m not surprised to see the villagers still taking care of themselves. We’re used to it.

“I’m not worried,” I say, wringing out the shirt. “Things are just tense.”

Between me and Wilder. Between his court and my realm. Between us and fate. Unsettling realities are at every end.

Letia peers at me, frowning. “You can talk to me.”

“I know.” And I do; Letia is one of the few people I know who would never share my secrets. “It’s just that Wilder and I haven’t had a chance to talk since things happened at the Rite. Everything moved quickly, and then survival was all that mattered. I was angry with him for keeping secrets, and then the next moment, I was being ripped away from him. I’m starting to realize there are things I never processed because I missed him. Since I’ve been here, I think we’ve both avoided the conversation.”

“Why?” Her question lacks any judgment, and it makes me pause.

Why am I avoiding Wilder? Because of the secrets he kept?

I convinced myself his lies are the reason I’ve been holding back, but that’s not the full truth.

Deep down, I understand why Wilder didn’t tell me I was his mate. I understand that I had to be the one to feel it—to accept it. I also understand how it could have been used against us had I known sooner, so he was careful in his approach.

I forgive him for hiding that from me.