We reached the landing, and I couldn’t help turning to take in the haunting allure of the castle. The walls here were carved with intricate scenes of the Phaetyn and their trees. A woman resembling Lani laughed as she danced under a leafy canopy, a sliver of moon carved into the sky. The obvious joy Luna had was displayed here. As I peered at the painting, I recognized echoes of my mother’s life and the easing pain of my own experiences. Weeeird.
Lani shook her head. “I’d like to spend a few days here and explore the castle as it deserves. But we have a feast to get ready for.”
I looked at the memories etched into stone, pieces of Luna’s life immortalized, and nodded. “I don’t blame you. This is awesome. Weird but awesome.”
Lani led the way through the castle. Her sure step made it obvious she’d been here in her head. A few minutes later, she opened the doors to a sitting room three times the size of my house in Verald.
She wound past the couches and cushioned chairs, past the table set for dinner, and into a bedroom. The canopied bed was draped in rich velvet and sheer organza, but Lani bypassed it and headed for a small paneled closet. Lani went straight to the wall covered with painted slats and, before I could ask, inserted the same looped key into a rivet in the wood undetectable to the naked eye.
Holy Phaetyn sneakiness.
Lani pulled the invisible door open, and I peered over her shoulder into the black space within.
“What else is in there?” The space was way too big for just a crown, and obviously, whatever was there had to be super important. Or powerful. Or both.
“It’s dark in there,” she said, stating the obvious.
I chuckled and stepped around her. “But I can see in the dark,” I said, crouching to look her in the eyes. “Just tell me what I need to get.”
She narrowed her eyes and studied me a moment before answering. “A wooden box about this big with rounded edges and a distinct grain”—she held her hands about two feet apart—“sealed with a golden lock.”
I winked and turned toward what I could guess was Luna’s treasure trove. Or the Phaetyn semblance of one. I doubted it would be as good as mine once I put some serious time into my collection.
I stepped into the space and blinked, letting my eyes shift and adjust.
Whoa!
I blinked again, and a slow grin spread across my face. Queen Luna was definitely my kind of Phaetyn. The closet was narrow and a dozen feet long, just wide enough for one person to maneuver through. Her obsession with shiny and sparkly rivaled a Drae; I was certain because it rivaled mine. Thin rods of gold were draped with necklaces and bracelets, and black velvet lined the shelves of brooches, rings, and earrings. There were crowns, plural, on more shelves, again lined in the rich black fabric. Contrary to what Lani had said earlier today, I could fight my instincts. I wouldn’t touch the gems and jewelry hanging in this closet even though they were practically begging for attention.
There were no drawers here, and on the bottom shelf, only one box sat tucked in the corner. I grabbed the small chest and fought a second urge to pilfer . . . a little token. My expression must’ve given away my longing because when I stepped out of the closet, Lani’s worried expression evaporated, and she laughed.
“You really didn’t take anything?” she asked. “There’s a lot of—”
I strode right past her and into the bedroom, setting the box on the bed. “I know. But I don’t want you to steal from me, so I didn’t, al’right?”
“You could’ve taken something. My mother wouldn’t have cared. Those were just things she got from people in Gemond.” She giggled. “Trinkets to say thanks when she helped them.”
“Ryn?” Kamini’s voice echoed from another area of the castle. “Lani?”
Lani scooted the box off the bed.
I grabbed a pillow and smacked her hard enough that she grunted. With a smile of satisfaction, I ran out of the room. I didn’t need another trinket. Tyrrik had me covered.
“Kamini?” I called, racing down the stairs. It was gross how dusty everything was, not that there was anyone to blame. No one could’ve gotten into Luna’s castle without the key, and the sneaky Phaetyn queen hid it well.
The Phaetyn princess emerged from a hallway as I leaped the last five steps and landed in a crouch.
“Hey.” She smiled brightly. “Where’s Lani—”
“Kamini!” Lani grinned at her sister. “You were right.”
The pair started talking over the top of each other, laughing as they chattered about finding the key. I tuned out as their talk moved to ancestral powers and coronation.
“We need to get ready. You too, Ryn,” Kamini said.
I tuned back, quirking a brow at her wicked grin.
“Kamoi is going to lose it when he sees you all dressed up again,” she said.
I scrunched my nose and walked over to her, waiting while Lani locked the door. “I wish he wouldn’t,” I grumbled. “I’m perfectly happy with my mate.”
Kamini blinked, and her smile softened. “Don’t tell Kamoi, but I’m glad to hear that. If you bonded with Kamoi, it wouldn’t be good for Kanahele o keola to have two with ancestral powers here. At least not until all of the Phaetyn are united.”
I nodded at her wisdom, my mind replacing Phaetynville for the name of their city. It kind of sounded like can-a-he-lay oh something-something. I wasn’t going to be staying here any longer than I had to, and beyond my urge to make this empire safe for all races, I had no interest in Phaetynville . . . except for Lani and Kamini.
While I didn’t belong here, I did want to know this side of my power, and I was certain there was more I could learn from Lani. I wouldn’t hesitate to visit my friends in the future if everything somehow worked out, so I needed to learn the right name. “Would you say that again? Kanahele . . .”
Lani snickered and repeated the name.
Can-a-he-lay oh key-oh-la. “Kanahele o keola. Right. Got it.”
10
The festive scene was reminiscent of the night Kamoi’s father tried to kill me. However, the feel in the courtyard clearing in front of the newly constructed Rose Castle was as different as night and day. I sat in the same seat, next to Kamoi again, but this time, on my other side, Lani sat in the middle with her sister.
And everything felt . . . right. There was no division, no glaring, no secret plans for mass murder. The trees hummed in the forest, and a glorious chocolate fountain was waiting for me to dunk strawberries in its rich goodness. I smiled, filled with joy. The Phaetyn were healed at last. Of course, my joy could be due to the fact I now knew how to shoot roots from the ground to spear my enemies. So far, just the ones who remained stationary, but I’d work on the speed until I got it just right.
I looked at Lani and Kamini, both dressed like me in a silver-and-green corset with a flowy skirt of panels shaped like leaves. Kamini still wore her plain crown of silver leaves, but next to her sat the box I’d pulled out of the Jade Castle, which held the golden crown Luna wore when she ruled Kanahele o keola. Yeah, I totally had that name memorized.
“You look stunning,” Kamoi said, leaning toward me, offering a smile with his compliment.
How had I ever thought he was good looking? So strange. Last-month-Ryn must’ve been running hard because when Today-Ryn compared Tyrrik with Kamoi, there was no contest. Like, zero.
“Will you dance with me tonight?” he pressed, resting his hand on mine.
I was trying to be nice, but he wasn’t making it easy. “No,” I replied with a tight smile. When his face fell, I added, “I’m just barely feeling better after shielding here from Gemond, and I have to fly back tomorrow.”
I glanced at the prince and saw his gaze heat as it dropped to my torso.
“I’m up here,” I said, calling him out. “This is your last warning to stop gaping at me like I’m a piece of ripe fruit.”
He swallowed and met my eyes with a blush and low chuckle. “I apologize.” He laughed again and added, “For the thousandth time. I understand how you feel, and I can respect your boundaries. Your mate is a lucky . . . man.”
Whatever, I’d heard him apologize so many times the words were meaningless from his lips. “Listen, I’m sure you’ll have your pick from the Phaetyn. I wish you a happy life. But that’s not with me. I love Tyrrik.”