Born of Flames

Chapter 52 ~ Acceptance and Forgiveness

    Arcan was the same as when they'd left it, save for one thing. Someone had begun reconstruction on the palace. The Elders had requested they meet here, rather than at the cramped townhouse they had been using before. Morana took that to mean the interior of the palace had come further along than the exterior, and she wondered whose idea it had been to start the reconstruction.

    She cast a sidelong glance at Tarion as they stood just beyond the grounds, trying to gauge his reaction. But her mate's icy gaze revealed nothing as he faced her. "We shouldn't keep them waiting," was all he said.

    Morana tipped her chin and led the way through the once overgrown courtyard. It was almost completely unrecognizable now, but in a beautiful way. The cobblestone pathways had been repaired. Trees and shrubs had been trimmed back into manageable sizes.

    All of the dead weeds and thorny vines had been removed and replaced by flowers, though there were only a few blossoms right now. Reconstructed fountains bubbled in corners of the courtyard and several workers were still gathered around a few of them.

    They all paused and stared as Morana walked by. Her skin prickled with anxiety, but she held her head high and offered them a passing smile. She balked when multiple onlookers dropped to their knees suddenly, their eyes going wide and lips moving with unintelligible words.

    Morana pulled her gaze from them and glanced at herself. She hadn't thought she looked that different when she saw herself this morning. Maybe she was just used to her new body already.

    She relaxed slightly when Tarion slipped his hand into hers and squeezed. "Don't worry," he murmured. "They're not afraid. They're in awe. They were praising you."

    "I thought I'd done a good job of making myself look normal," Morana huffed regardless.

    "I'm afraid there's nothing normal about us anymore, Phoenix. I don't think there was much to begin with." That coaxed a smile back onto her lips but she was still relieved when they were safely within the privacy of the palace walls.

    A new sense of anxiety took place of the old as she noticed the Council of Elders waiting for them. Rehema slipped ahead of Morana and joined them first. "Elders," she said in greeting. "I'm pleased to see how much work has been done throughout the city in our absence."

    "We had an influx of refugees after Astaroth's attacks began," one of the Elders replied. "Many villages were evacuated and they all came here. We had to find something to do with them."

    "A wise choice. It was time we stopped letting this palace sit in disrepair while Ophir remained a symbol of strength."

    Morana drew a steadying breath as the Elders parted and Delmar stepped forward. Rehema remained where she was, but the rest of their companions fell into place behind her and Tarion. Morana glanced over her shoulder and managed a small smile at the sight of her father and Neeri standing side by side, waiting to defend her if necessary. Arlon and Gaelen had shifted closer to Tarion.

    "Have you brought us the explanation we were promised?" Delmar asked, his gaze fixing on Morana.

    It was Rehema who answered. "Of course, Delmar. All will be made clear. But first..." She stepped aside, extending a hand to Morana. Sharp gasps of surprise rippled through the throng of Elders. Morana flinched and Tarion gripped her hand tighter.

    Delmar inched closer, his gaze flickering between her and Tarion as her mate bared his fangs in a silent warning. "We knew about the Ash Fae's eyes," he admitted. "Many of them came to us when they changed, wondering what had happened. But this," Delmar gestured to Morana as a whole, "is much more than the changing of eye color. What happened?"