Page 109 of A Thread of Breath and Bone

Finn kneels before my sister, with something like awe written across his face. For a moment, nobody speaks. They study each other.

When Finn finally speaks, it’s with a rasp. “We’ve sent our best warriors to help your family and your kingdom, Princess Clara of Okenen.”

For another long moment, neither of them blinks.

It’s Brynna who says, “Okay, enough with the introductions. Please get dressed and meet us in the hall.” She turns and strides right through the door.

Finn doesn’t move from his spot on the floor.

My sister is still studying him, and he’s still letting her. I can only imagine what she’s trying to figure out. Why the tips of his ears are pointed, or maybe why he has tattoos on either side of his head.

When I reach for her, she jumps, causing Finn to stand once more. He quickly exits the room without another word.

“Sorry,” Clara mutters.

Chapter 38

Raea

Ryker and I are dressed with the kind of ceremonial precision that makes my shoulders ache before the day has even begun. This kind of clothing screams of long days at court.

I’m wearing a fitted lavender gown with intricate silver beading and lace sleeves. My hair is loose with a single crown braid at the top and florals pinned into my hair. The ladies’ maids also insisted on adding some makeup. Then they insisted I wear calf-high boots and handed me a heavy fur-lined cloak.

Ryker is dressed in fine navy trousers and a silver embroidered jacket. He too has boots and a heavy coat.

We ate breakfast before being forced into these clothes, promising Clara we’d see her later. Once again, Trysten promised he’d watch over her. That was until Brynna found a reason to be a bitch again and claimed he had work to do.

Ryker threatened her in that classic calm way of his that if anything happened to his sister, he’d find creative ways to extend her death, all the while he stood there, arms crossed, like he couldn’t be bothered by her existence. She merely scoffed and stormed away.

I exhale as Finn leads us outside to the gardens. He’s quiet, but so are we, taking in as much as we can about our new surroundings. This entire place is a fortress, but it’s a calming one at least.

Brynna meets us at the statue in the center of the gardens, along with her sister, who introduces herself as Carys, and then introduces the warrior who led us here as Riven.

“What are we doing?” I finally ask.

Finn grins, and Ryker gawks at me.

“What?”

Finn nods. “Well, this will be much easier. Your Elvisiah is perfect.”

Brynna stills beside him, her annoyance banking instantly. Whatever Finn is, he outranks her when it matters.

What? I look up to Ryker.

“How did you—” he starts.

Riven interjects. “Your blood is reconnecting with the land.”

Brynna shrugs, turning to Finn. “Shall we go?”

I’m about to ask where exactly when she mutters something under her breath while making some weird movements with her hands, like she’s pulling at invisible seams.

A gateway opens ten feet from us.

I gasp as what starts as a small circle of wind becomes a portal that’s at least fifteen feet high and ten feet across. On the other side, there’s a rainforest, and it’s pouring.

Brynna groans and then turns to me with a bitchy grin. “After you,” she gestures.