FOR HER, HE WILL SET EVERY KINGDOM ON FIRE.
Kyron LeFur never wanted to be king. He may have united a torn people and ended a bloody war, but none of that matters without his queen. She sacrificed her crown for him, and now he will stop at nothing t...
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My brother stands at the ship's railing with Ulric, watching as Piliris' port grows closer. He's taller and broader than I remember. Days training under the blazing sun have given his skin a golden glow and dark scruff covers his freckled face. It's hard to believe this is my little brother in a brown military jacket. He appears to be a grown man, but the wild wonder in his eyes speaks to his youth.
Kyron releases my hand with an encouraging nod. I move across the deck and lock eyes with Ashavee. She sits by Ulric's legs, her black on black spotted fur shiny and clean. I scratch behind her ear as I slide between Rowan and Ulric. Clasping my hands on the wooden rail, I take in the rocky coastline. The beige sand glimmers like diamonds are buried in its grans. Cliffs with grassy tops tower above the sapphire water. Never has anything in nature looked so beautiful.
"It's hard to look away, isn't it?" I ask.
Rowan's head jerks in my direction, his blue eyes wide. The biggest smile spreads across his face and he yanks me into his arms. I bury my face in his shirt and inhale the faint smells of home—Mama and Salone's lavender, the soil that clings to Ansley's red curls, and the wood and cinnamon I associate with Papa. I never gave up on returning to my family, but wrapped in my brother's arms, I understand how rooted the fear had become. Deep down I believed it might never happen. All it would have taken was one slip of the tongue or act of defiance, and Zek could have ended me. I realize now that every day I was balancing a fine line between life and death. It still feels surreal to be away from him. He tried to strip me of everything, to make me his toy. I prevailed and now I'm minutes away from a family reunion.
"I missed you," Rowan murmurs against my hair.
I step back to get a better look at him, soaking in the face that I've always known. When did he go from a little boy with a head of unruly brown curls to the soldier before me? Rowan liked to dig in the mud for worms and climb trees, and now he has pledged to protect our kingdom. He didn't grow up overnight, or even during the time I was gone. He was changing day by day, and I wasn't paying attention. I took him for granted, just like I did with every person who was a constant in my life. I'm sure he has done the same. Mama, Papa, Salone and Ansley, our love for each other made us complacent, but never stopped us from caring and wanting the best for one another.
Gripping the back of his neck, I guide his forehead to mine and whisper, "You came to save me."
"After every brave thing you've done for our family, I couldn't stay behind and do nothing. I didn't care what I did to help as long as I was part of the mission that brought you home," he says.
I hug Rowan again. Words would never convey everything I feel right now. My emotions are a tornado wreaking utter chaos inside of me. My love for my brother spins and spins until I'm clinging to him and my gratitude spills from my eyes in a stream of tears. I hold on to him until the storm passes and only the gentle breeze of calm remains.
