Page 115 of A Thread of Breath and Bone

Eventually, we arrive at a large room, a circular table set in a private dining space filled with soft light and the scent of cooked meats. My stomach grumbles. I pull out a chair for Raea as our friends trickle in.

“There they are!” Tate cheers, coming up behind Raea to hug her. She offers him a small smile. He pulls away, studying her.

“Please don’t,” she whispers.

He nods and kisses her cheek before clapping me on the shoulder and carrying on like nothing happened. He rubs his hands together as he finds a seat across the table. Kamden follows him, studying us, but continuing a conversation with Aolyn, who somehow looks worse than she did yesterday.

Gods, was it only yesterday? Time feels like it has lost meaning here.

Trysten eyes me warily as he takes the spot beside me.

Kellan doesn’t say anything as he pulls Raea out of the chair. To my surprise, she doesn’t fight him as she’s pulled into his chest. The way she clings to his shirt as he wraps his arms around her head to hide her from the world should bug me, but right now, I realize that something is wrong and I missed it.

His mouth drops to her ear as he mutters something that has her nodding. He holds her for another minute while Ciara takes a seat two spots down. She watches them with tears in her own eyes, then her gaze falls to me.

“Hard day?” she asks.

I nod and look around the room for Clara.

Trysten must guess who I’m searching for because he says, “I’ve checked on her multiple times. She played with some other kids today out on the beach. She wanted to eat in her room and asked if I could tell you to go read her a story before bed tonight.”

I give my thanks as Brynna storms into the room.

“She’s got a stick up her ass. She’s so pissy,” Trysten mutters.

As if she can hear him, her gaze snaps to him, and the lethal glare only makes him smile. He leans back, one arm propped on the open chair beside him as they watch each other.

I bite back a smile as she somehow manages to make sitting down look like an act of war. She doesn’t break her glaring contest until Carys tells her to knock it off. Raea sniffles and sits back down as Kellan pushes her in. He takes the spot beside her.

Grabbing her hand, I squeeze once. Her red-rimmed eyes look up at me as she leans closer.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers.

“For what, love?”

“Kellan.”

I brush a loose strand of hair back and bring my lips to hers. I feel her tension settle. “No need to apologize. He’s your friend, Raea. He knows you in ways I don’t, and if he’s helping you, then I’m grateful.”

Her bottom lip wobbles as her eyes fill with more tears. She swipes them away. “I want to go down to the beach when we’re done. I want to talk. Need to talk.”

I drop my forehead to hers as I promise we’ll go wherever she wants.

When we finally pull away, Carys clears her throat.

“First off, I’d like to formally introduce myself. I’m Princess Carys, but Carys is fine. I’ll be helping Lord Finn, and my sister, Brynna, will be here to train all of you and help organize your awakenings. Riven—” She gestures to him as he raises a hand. “—will be in charge of overseeing Ryker’s training.” Her eyes land on me, then move to Raea, who relaxes.

She dips her chin, some sort of female understanding passing between them.

Finn stands. “Today, you all should have been briefed on the current war, what we’re facing, and given a tour. Raea and Ryker have met with the councils, and they will begin their own trajectories tomorrow.”

Tate raises a hand like we’re in class. “So what’s an awakening?”

Finn grins. “As you know, Raea is from a royal Elven bloodline. Ryker—” He gestures to me. “—is a royal Fae. You should have been briefed on the races.”

Our friends nod.

“The awakening is not something we have ever had to do like this. Usually, it's for prisoners of war who’ve had their magic removed by spells from the dark witches.”