"I will."She seemed pleased and gave me another tight-lipped smile as she looked at me almost as though she was trying to mesmerize my face."I won't remember this," she said, looking even more pained than before, "but I want to remember it. It seems unfair to me that I won't.""Why won't you remem
The stalactites were falling, crashing into the clearing and splintering into thousands of pieces all around me.I closed my eyes as I willed what felt like the last of my powers to come forth and destroy it all.Just as I heard the ceiling of the cavern begin to crumble, I felt arms coming around m
MaeveRobbie was holding me and Rowan to his chest, his body trembling as he took deep, strained breaths. The dust was clearing, the forest floor now visible through pockets of fog and debris. I blinked, my eyes ringing so violently it made my headache.Rowan was fighting to free himself from Robbie
Troy came out next, turning around to pull Keaton up. He said something to Robbie, and Robbie nodded in agreement before disappearing into the remains of the tunnel system."Troy!" I cried, unable to stop myself from sobbing. He turned to me, smiling, and took what looked like the first deep breath
"Carl isn't powerful. There's not much he can do at this point but run," Troy exhaled, shaking his head."And I say let him. I agree with Ethan. I'm done."Keaton looked around, then shrugged. Duck was sitting at the edge of the clearing, trembling, waiting for us to make a move toward home."The wa
MaeveIt was 7:00 in the morning, and the pale sunlight coming through the windows of the informal dining room off the kitchen was doing nothing to help illuminate the room. I had woken to Troy readying the boys for the day. He was trying not to wake me, but my sleep had been so shallow I had only
"Maeve I think… I believe I could be pregnant," Hanna whispered, her eyes downcast to the sleeping baby in her arms. I swallowed, nodding as I took a seat in one of the wicker chairs. "We could get you a test–"She shook her head, a whisper of a smile touching the corner of her mouth as she looked
She smiled down at the baby, sighing deeply. "A king. I think they'll all be kings.""All of these children will inherit empires, Hanna. I can't… I don't want any more children. If things had been different with their birth, maybe I'd consider it. But your child will be my heir. "She'll inherit the
The entire family had gathered in the dining room and was chatting amiably over a very impressive spread that had been laid out by the kitchen–two prime rib roasts, a honeyed ham, and three roast ducks were the centerpieces of the table, all of which were being enjoyed liberally by everyone.George
RowanMom ran her fingers across Selene's head, admiring her fine white hair. She looked every ounce the doting grandmother instead of a ball of uncertainty, like Maeve. Maeve was pacing back and forth near the fall wall of my bedroom, her arms folded across her chest and her head bent as she tried
Kacidra joined in the conversation. "Maeve is right, Rowan. We need to know what's happening with you and Hanna, or else we'll never be able to help."Rosalie's voice was calm and supportive as she asked, "Is it Hanna that's troubling you, son? Is she doing all right?My first instinct was to tell t
Gemma and Ernest had flown down with my parents and their son George, who was just two months older than Maeve's sons.A moment later, the library door opened and more of our family members poured in, as if they were fully aware of the thoughts I'd just had and I'd summoned them. I pushed aside my n
RowanThe castle was abuzz with its usual day-to-day activities. Servants and maids passed me in the hallway carrying baskets of laundry and trays of tea. I could hear the clattering of cookware as I left my office and walked toward the grand staircase off the foyer, seeing the door to the servants'
"Who? What happens?""There's so much more out there," Mara said dreamily. "So, so much more.""Maeve!" Troy called from down the beach.I turned to look at him, and when I turned back to Mara, she had taken off. "Wait!" I called after her, but she had already made it out of earshot, her footsteps l
Best of all, Troy was happy. He was at peace and at home. But there was still much work to be done.We were spending several weeks jumping from island to island, taking stock of the wellbeing of the inhabitants, and making a list of what was needed. Most of the islands were in need of medicine, inf
Maeve–Four Months LaterSuntra was not what I was expecting. I had become accustomed to the seemingly endless white-sand beaches of Avondale, where the sand grit was so fine it felt like powdered sugar as you walked barefoot in the surf. Suntra's sand was coarse and golden and dappled with tidepool
I straightened up a bit, shifting Oliver's weight in my arms as I narrowed my eyes back at him, sizing him up. A man roughly my father's age came bounding out of their house, waving at me apologetically as he leaned to whisper harshly in the ear of the man I assumed was his father.Whatever his son