“Let’s take a break,” I said, and stood up, feeling my back pop as I stretched. Fix chittered a question, the junk on his back swaying as he turned to me. “We’ve been here nearly four hours,” I replied. “I’m hungry, I have a headache and my butt has gone numb from sitting on that torture device.
Let’s pick back up in an hour, yes?” Fix warbled an agreement, but at that moment, the doors of the throne room swung open with a groan, and Glitch walked in. Scores of Iron fey scurried aside as the First Lieutenant marched down the aisle to the foot of the throne, his sharp face intense. Behind him, a robed, hooded figure matched his steps, cloak torn and dusty from travel, a dark cowl hiding its face.
“Majesty.” Glitch bowed at the foot of the dais, and though his voice was solemn, I could sense my First Lieutenant was trying hard not to smile.
“This traveler has come far to request an audience with you. I know you are very busy at the moment, but as he has come a great distance, perhaps you could hear him out.”
Glitch bowed again and backed away, melting into the crowd. I shot him a look, but he was staring straight ahead, giving nothing away.
371/387
The First Lieutenant normally didn’t take it upon himself to show petitioners to the throne room, having other duties that kept him busy, like managing the army. If he made an exception for this traveler, he must’ve thought it was very important.
I frowned and looked at the stranger in the middle of the hall, waiting for me to acknowledge him. “Come forward,” I said. He approached the foot of the throne and sank to one knee, bowing his cowled head.
“Where have you come from, traveler?”
“I have come from the End of the World,” said a quiet voice that made my heart stop beating. “From the River of Dreams, through the gauntlet and the Briars and the Deep Wyld, in order to stand before you today. I have but one request—to take my place at your side. To re-sume my duty as your knight, and to protect you and your kingdom for as long as I draw breath.” He raised his head and pushed back the hood, and a gasp went around the throne room. “I am still yours, my queen,” Ash said, looking me straight in the eye. “If you’ll have me.” For a moment, the shock held me immobile. He couldn’t be here; it was impossible. No normal fey could set foot in the Iron Realm and live. And yet, here he was, looking tired and dusty and slightly ragged, but completely fine. “Ash,” I whispered, stepping toward him in a daze. He didn’t move, gazing up at me with those intense silver eyes I knew so well. Reaching down, I drew him to his feet, taking in the lean, muscular frame, the unruly black hair, covered in dust from his travels, the way he was looking at me, as if the entire court had disappeared, and we were the only two people in the world.
“You’re here,” I murmured, reaching out to touch him, hardly believing this was real. “You came back.” Ash’s breath hitched, and he put his hand over mine.
372/387
“I came home.”
Our fragile composure shattered. I stepped into him, holding him tight, and he hugged me close as the room around us exploded with noise.
Applause and cheers rose into the air, but I barely heard any of it. Ash was real. I could feel his breath on my neck, feel his heart pounding with mine. I didn’t know how he could be here; it should’ve been impossible, but I didn’t want to face that now. If this was a dream, I wanted to have one perfect moment of happiness, before reality intruded and I’d have to let him go.
Finally, I pulled back to look at him, running a palm over his cheek, as he gazed at me with those eyes I could lose myself in. And I finally voiced the question that I had been dreading, not sure I wanted to know the answer. “How?”
Amazingly, Ash smiled. “I told you I’d find a way, didn’t I?” He chuckled at my disbelief, and I could sense the secret pride—the knowledge that he had set out to do something impossible and had succeeded. Taking my hand, he guided it to his chest, where I could feel his heartbeat thudding against my palm. “I became human. I went to the ends of the Nevernever and found my soul.”
“What?” I pulled back to look at him, really look at him. He did seem a little different than before. Maybe his features were a little less sharp, and he wasn’t quite as cold, but he still had those intense silver eyes, that same unruly hair. He might have been human now, but he was still Ash, still the same person I’d fall en in love with, loved still with my entire heart. And if he had really found a soul and become human…
We can be together. We can be together without fear of anything now.
He really did it.
373/387
Ash blinked under my scrutiny. “Do I pass?” he almost whispered.