Evelayn lifted her hands to the magical wall, and shut her eyes once more. And again, she was awed by the complexity of the threads that made up the two layers. They were strands of Light, so unbelievably thin as to be invisible, woven together to create the different sides of the wards. Could she create that? As Kel had said, she should be able to … But when Evelayn tried, calling to her power, trying to coax it out a tiny bit at a time, the light that burst out of her hands was still far too big—and too visible—to be right.
She had the uncomfortable sense that she was being watched, but Evelayn didn’t turn to face Kel and Tanvir. They didn’t need to see the frustration and fear of defeat on her face. Instead, she decided to try something else. If she couldn’t figure out how to create the wards, perhaps she could stretch them somehow? She was the conduit for all their power, including that which made up the wards. They should bend to her will, allow her to manipulate and pull them.
A cold draft from Dorjhalon blew Evelayn’s hair away from her face, biting through her tunic, but she ignored the chill and called to the Light, willing the threads to come to her. Almost immediately the strands leapt forward, toward her outstretched hands. Triumphant, Evelayn repeated the process, taking a few steps closer to Kel and Tanvir, and then calling the wards to her. And every time, the power responded, stretching, growing, filling in the void. Until finally, finally, after continuing a good twenty paces past where Tanvir stood watching her with his arms crossed, she found the eastern edge of the wards where the gap ended. When she urged the two to join, they did so seamlessly, merging into one great whole.
The wards were complete once more.
Evelayn exhaled slowly, tension seeping out of her as she turned to face Tanvir. She was thrilled but completely drained now that she’d succeeded, and her fear slowly began to ebb away.
“Did it work?” He asked, taking a step toward the border.
She held up a hand to signal him to stop. “Yes. So don’t you dare go through to the other side, because I’m not doing all of that again.”
Tanvir laughed lightly. “Never fear, I fully intend to stay on this side of the border.”
Evelayn made her way back over to where Kel still lay on the ground, visibly pale, even in the darkness, but smiling at her despite the pain he was undoubtedly experiencing. “I knew you could do it.”
“Well, that makes one of us.” She dropped unceremoniously to the ground beside him. “But at least I figured it out.”
“I’ll find us something to eat,” Tanvir offered, and she nodded, too exhausted to even try to help.
“Despite everyone’s fears and doubts, you did it, Your Highness. You have the silk and the wards are back in place. I think your mother would be impressed.”
Evelayn smiled gratefully at Kel’s praise. Yes, she’d done it, but she couldn’t forget that it had all come with a price. Think about that later, she told herself.
For now, they had to focus on getting back to the castle and putting her plan into action.
It was time to defeat Bain.
THE SKY WAS STILL NAVY BLUE, ONLY THE FIRST FEW blushing streaks of light snaking across the expanse, when Tanvir startled awake. It was the same nightmare again, as it was nearly every night. Nervous that he’d cried out in his sleep, he glanced over to where Evelayn sat near Kel; she’d been there since taking over watch a few hours prior, but she continued to stare out into the forest, unaware that he had woken. Her hair was falling out of its braid, and a streak of dirt smudged across the alabaster skin of her cheek. She was grimy and unkempt. And she was stunning.
As he watched, her head listed forward for a moment but then snapped back up with a jerk. That tiny indication of weakness—of exhaustion—made something inside him ache for her. Other than the morning on the lawn when she’d realized her mother had died, she’d never been anything but resolute in her purpose. She was so strong, so indomitably determined … it was easy to forget that she had only reached her maturity a brief time ago. Her power block had been removed for less than a season. And she had already been forced to become a queen, to shoulder the burden of a war, to learn to wield her power all at once, to face an Ancient, and now to return home to finalize her plan to stop King Bain—something neither of her parents had been successful at achieving.
And yet she never seemed to waver, never faltered in the face of doing what she must to save her people.
Evelayn turned to look at him, as if sensing his gaze, and when their eyes met, it felt as though time itself paused momentarily. Everything grew very still; even his heart stopped beating for the space of a breath. In the early morning light her violet eyes were vivid, so vibrant … and they entrapped him completely.
The force of what he felt for her hit him so strongly in that moment that he could no longer deny it. He was in love with the queen of éadrolan.
“What are you thinking?” she whispered.
“You don’t want to know,” he whispered back.
“Try me.”
But Tanvir shook his head. He was afraid of what loving her meant … afraid of where it would lead him. Instead of speaking, he silently crawled over to where she sat, and then sat back on his heels, reaching up to stroke a finger down her cheek, wiping away the streak of dirt from her soft skin.
She looked at him steadily, no hesitation on her face. He could scent her growing desire, see it in her eyes, which darkened to the color of plums. Evelayn wanted him, he knew. But did she feel what he did? And if so … what did that mean for them?
“What are you thinking?” she repeated, her voice low and throaty.
Tanvir reached up with his other hand to cup her face on both sides. The first ray of sunlight broke to the east, painting her skin golden. Her lips parted slightly, and it was more than he could resist. Tanvir bent forward to kiss her, a soft, hesitant brush of his mouth against hers.
What are you doing? You can’t have this. You can’t have her, he chastised himself, but then she kissed him back, pressing in closer so that she could wind her arms around his neck and he was lost. She gripped his shirt, meeting his passion and desperation with her own.
I love you. The words were right there, ready to be spoken, as her mouth parted beneath his, as his hands roamed over her back and plunged into her hair, slanting her head beneath his.
I love you. He suddenly broke away, breathing heavily, staring into her flushed face, her questioning eyes.
“I love you, Evelayn.” The words slipped out before he could stop them, a hushed admission that made everything inside him stop and cringe, waiting for her response.
She seemed stunned for a moment but then she smiled—such an achingly beautiful, hopeful smile that it stole his breath. “I’m afraid I love you, too, Lord Tanvir.”
“Afraid is an interesting word choice.” Tanvir smiled back at her. “But accurate,” he continued before she could say anything else. “I’m afraid, too. You have no idea.”
She leaned forward to kiss him again, a soft press of her lips against his, making his heart thunder beneath his ribs. “So what now?” she asked against his mouth.
“I’m not sure.”