The afternoon sun had begun to dip, casting a warm, golden hue over the gathering. By the time the matches concluded, a festive air had settled over the estate. The nobles gathered in clusters, laughing and chatting as the servants began setting up for the reception. Theodore was surrounded, drawing
TheodoreHer grip on her champagne flute tightened, and she turned her head slightly, meeting my gaze. Her eyes were dark and heavy-lidded, filled with amusement and fondness that made me grin like a child.Giddy.Happy.And drunk.I blinked as the realization hit me.I was drunk.Not the kind of re
Happy.I guessed that meant I had passed all the tests for the evening.Violet simply dipped her head in a polite nod. “How gracious of you.”I took her cue and stepped back, offering my arm. She placed her hand in the crook of my elbow, letting me lead her away from the revelry, though I could stil
VioletMorning came too soon with every pleasurable ache that I had expected. What I hadn't anticipated was the sound of my phone ringing incessantly. I groaned at the shrill sound, dragging me out of the blissful haze of sleep. I reached for it blindly, cursing when Theodore’s arm tightened around
The room erupted as the words rolled through my mind. I almost smiled.Owen… was truly and idiot.“Bastard!” someone snapped.“This was planned,” another growled.“It aired last night,” a noble near the screen muttered, voice tight with barely contained rage. “Sometime after they were taken away in
VioletThe channel changed to another channel where the journalists were interviewing people on the street. It was an older man standing with the reporter, shaking his head."It's been too long since we've had a decent king," he scoffed. "His father was a piece of work, but even he had the sense not
“You’re serious about this?” His voice was soft. "About… about teaching me?"My heart trembled and cracked at the uncertainty in his voice.“Yes," I said and gestured over to a nearby table. "You can… if you want."He bit his lip, looking so young in that moment. So eager. He crossed the room, took
VioletHis tone was light, but there was an edge beneath it.I tilted my head. “Do you have a plan, or are we improvising?”His lips curled. “A little of both.”I arched a brow, intrigued. “Go on.”Theodore closed the book gentle and met my gaze.“We make sure that by the time he steps foot in that
Violet’s POVPart of me wondered it not worrying Theo was an excuse. If the years with Lucas not being the partner I needed had subconsciously trained me to stay independent. To never lean on anyone, even temporarily, because they couldn’t be trusted to hold me up. Even still, Theo was right. So I
We pulled out of our kiss, my head dizzy with love and hope. We would find the answers we needed. We would find a future together.“You said there were answers to four questions.” I looked between the two of them, tallying the three they’d already shared. “What’s the fourth?”Violet thought for a mo
Theodore’s POV“Alari, please wake up!”I held Violet’s head in my lap, her jaw terrifyingly slack. I dared a glance at the High Priestess who had collapsed in a heap at the same time that Violet’s body had gone completely limp. “High Priestess?!”This wasn’t happening.I reached for my phone, thank
Theodore’s POVIn one breath, the love of my life laying still in the grass let out a gut-wrenching scream and the High Priestess dropped to her knees. I lunged for my wife but was thrown back by an invisible force. When I pulled myself upright, the High Priestess had a hand outstretched, clearly us
Auntie folded her hands in front of her. “Altrosis is an attempt to control magic enough to pin it down and examine it. One could more easily pin down the wind.”As if to illustrate her point, a cool breeze swept through the clearing, though not a hair on Auntie’s head swayed in its drift.“Magic is
Violet’s POVThe jungle outside the village my family lived in was beautiful. It was lush and alive, humming with magic like the air itself was breathing. I had only visited this village and its surrounding area a few times in my life, but I’d always made time to come stand among the ferns and frond
By the Goddess, Violet had been right to send me down here. When we pulled out of the hug, she cupped my face in her hands, worry clouding her eyes. “Are you safe, boy?”My brows furrowed in confusion. She sighed and let go of my face.“I’m sorry, I’ve just always worried for you so, especially aft
Theodore’s POVIt felt wrong walking away from Violet when we had so little time together as it was. But she did need to rest. And she had made a good point about whoever knew my mom possibly having answers we needed.Marcy led me to the front porch and the woman who waited there. “If you’d like to
Theodore’s POVMy chest constricted at Marcy’s words and at the sympathy in her eyes that I hadn’t seen before this moment. Someone who knew my mother…My stomach churned with emotions: the pain of my mother’s loss, the joy in possibly finding out more about her, and the fear of Violet’s and my futu