The Touch of Salvation

34: The Rescue

ADALIND

I'd like to say the pain and memories don't torment me still. That my trauma has been eclipsed by a newly found motivation of love and leisure, but that is not the truth. The truth is, Goliath, Lux, Daario, Lucian... my people all deserved a life and my life belonged to them. While all I wanted to do, all I yearn to do, is to crawl into bed in Goliath's arms and never leave, I couldn't.

I promised Nyx. I promised Nyx.

And that sweet future that Asha had shown me is so... perfect. So incredible. It could be mine. It would be.

I am also incredibly good at faking it, apparently, because things are returning to normal. Lucian is by my side, telling me what I have missed during my time away. He's telling me that there is a food shortage in the Wolf Kingdom and a drought in House Sagittarius. Caspian's House continues to flood, the waves building into tsunamis. His people seek asylum in the surrounding Houses, and the surrounding Houses can only hold so many.

House Dae will take a number of refugees, but I find it hard to determine how everyone will be housed, fed, and clothed with what we have as the world seems to fall apart.

"Lucian, tell me what is happening in the House of Nyght."

Lucian stops speaking and nods as if nothing good could come from his lips about the topic. "House Ares is laying claim to the throne."

"On what grounds?"

"On the grounds that his military has been the first to fortify the territory."

"Do you think he would go to war for it?"

Lucian stills, knowing that the reason why I ask is because I would if I had to. "Yes, Adlyndra."

"He saved me," I say, turning to him. His brows furrowed and the eye with the scar that crosses it shows little expression.

"Alastair?"

"No, Nyx. He saved me. Protected me. Saved Goliath and the Wolf Kingdom. His methods were... perhaps not the best, but he did help us. He asked me to rule in his stead and I have failed him and all of you by not doing so. By wallowing in my-"

"Oh, stop it." The voice is taut and harsh and it comes from Lux who is sitting on the balcony's edge paring an apple. She doesn't look up from her hands as she effectively shuts me down. "Enough with the pity. You went through some shit, you needed time to recover, and now you're back. Our kingdom is fine and while House Nyght might not be, the only thing you can do now is fix it. Blaming yourself," she says, finally looking up at me. "Will not do that."

The air from my chest loosens. "You are such a bitch, Lux."

She smiles. I smile. My eyes wander to Goliath who is standing by the door. He has diplomatically gone quiet. He has forfeited whatever faux control he had to me only because I was better. But this was his Kingdom, and he was my equal, regardless of what the law said. His gaze lands on me and softens.

"Do you miss your life as a segundas?"

He straightens, a brow lifting. "Meaning?"

I respond: "Someone needs to get into House Nyght and sabotage Alastair's command."

"Why does he get to go," Lux pouts.

"Because our ties with House Libra have been, rightfully, distorted. You need to-"

"Yeah, yeah, go fuck Kallum." Rolling her eyes, she hops off the balcony, passes me, and snorts at Daario: "They're twins."

I don't get the joke, but it does not matter because my hands begin to tingle with a sensation that can only mean one thing. Before I can utter a word, Illaria bounds around the corner, her wings fluttering behind her at a stop, as her chest heaves like she just ran far. "Zielle's in labor."