The air above the altar shimmered, and a dazzling column of light appeared above the ke’tain. The column expanded until it encompassed the altar and rose all the way to the ceiling. When the light faded, the altar was enclosed inside what looked like a clear glass case with tiny blue currents running through it.
I reached out to touch it without stopping to wonder if it was safe. I no longer had my goddess stone to protect me from the ke’tain’s power. It felt like warm glass, but there was an almost undiscernible vibration that made my palm itch. I looked at Korrigan. He was in for quite a surprise when he woke up.
“The ke’tain is safe now?” I asked.
“Yes.” Aedhna laid a hand on my shoulder. “Not many would give up such a gift. Your courage is exceeded only by your goodness.”
I flushed and looked at the ke’tain. “What happens now?”
She looped her arm through mine. “Now you go home and live a good life.”
“Will I ever see you again?” I asked as we walked to the stairs.
“Someday.”
We emerged from the building, and Gus lifted his head to watch us. I turned to Aedhna and hugged her impulsively. She hugged me back and kissed my forehead. Then she was gone.
I ran to the drakkan. Sensing my excitement, he stood and stretched his wings eagerly.
“We did it, Gus!” I said as he picked me up. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter 23
Gus liked to make an entrance. It was late when we reached the court, but there were more people than usual wandering the grounds at that hour. Since I could no longer hide us with a glamour, he decided to make the most of it. He blew out puffs of smoke and small flames as he circled the grounds, drawing the attention of everyone there.
“Showoff,” I called, and he snorted in reply.
He landed at the top of the grounds and set me down near the door. It wasn’t until I stood in front of him that I realized this might be the last time I saw him. Our job was done, and I no longer had my goddess stone to call him.
“Don’t be a stranger, okay?” I said hoarsely.
He extended his head and nudged me playfully, knocking me over. Laughing, I patted his snout. “I’ll see you around.”
I backed up to give him room for takeoff. I was about to call a warning to the people gathering a little too close to us, but Gus took care of it. He swished his long tail, sending the onlookers scrambling to get out of the way. He leaped into the air and bathed the crowd in a cloud of smelly black smoke before he flew away.
Grinning, I turned to the door. I couldn’t wait another minute to see Lukas. I nearly ran into the two serious-faced guards standing there.
“Jesse James, you are to come with us,” one of them said.
I pulled back when he reached for me. “Where?”
“To the holding cells,” the other guard said. “You will be detained until Korrigan can see you.”
This was not the homecoming I’d spent the last few hours imagining. I crossed my arms. “Forget it. I’ve had enough of being a prisoner to last me a lifetime. If Korrigan wants to talk to me, he knows where to find me.”
“You do not have a choice,” the first one said as they advanced on me.
“I will take her from here,” said a voice behind them. I had never been so relieved to see Faolin. If he was here, then Lukas had to be close by.
“How did you know I was back?” I asked him when the two guards left.
Faolin opened the door for me. “You and your drakkan were impossible to miss. Going by your appearance and the manner of your arrival, I am guessing you have a story to tell us about your absence.”
“You have no idea.” I grimaced at how I must look and smell. I hadn’t showered or changed clothes in a week. “Is Lukas here?”
“He’s in the human world looking for you. I have already sent for him,” Faolin said as we stepped onto the lift.
My stomach fell. “He believes I escaped the cells and went home? Does he think I tried to steal the ke’tain, too?”
“He knows you would never do that. We thought someone threatened you, and you used your goddess stone to escape. We’ve all been looking for you. I’m only here now because my father summoned me.”
I nodded. “Because of what happened at the temple?”
His eyebrows shot up. “You were there?”
“After the fact.” The lift stopped on the top floor, and we got off. “Are we going to see your father?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’d rather wait to tell the story so I don’t have to repeat it a bunch of times. It’s not one I’m going to enjoy talking about.”
We walked down the hallway that led away from Lukas’s quarters and stopped at a door. Faolin opened it and ushered me inside. When I saw the occupants, I came up short, and he ran into me.
We were in a large living area even bigger than Lukas’s and richly furnished. But it wasn’t the room that had taken me off guard. King Oseron and Maurelle were there, along with Korrigan, and two of the king’s advisors. They all wore grim expressions and stopped talking when we entered the room.
“Jesse!” Lukas’s mother stood, her hand to her throat. “Should I send for a healer?”
I found my voice. “No, thank you. It’s nothing a shower and sleep won’t fix.” And Lukas.
“Please, sit. You look very tired.” She pointed at one of the chairs.
I looked at the pretty upholstery and shook my head. “I’d rather stand. I don’t want to soil the furniture.”
“It is only a chair.” She looked at Faolin, who took my arm and made me sit. It did feel good to rest, and I let out a quiet sigh.
I looked up to find everyone watching me expectantly. I was trying to figure out what to say when the king spoke.
“We would very much like to know why you ran away and where you have been. Your disappearance caused quite the upheaval here,” he said in an admonishing tone. “First, I must ask if you have knowledge of the terrible incident that happened at the temple today.”
“I do.”
Korrigan leaned forward in his chair. “Were you involved in the murders of those guards?”
I flinched at his sharp tone and shook my head. “It was two of Queen Anwyn’s personal guards.”
King Oseron shot to his feet. “That is a serious accusation. What proof do you have to support it?”
“I don’t have any physical proof, but I’ll tell you what I know.” I clasped my hands in my lap. “First, I should tell you that Queen Anwyn is dead.”
“Dead?” Korrigan and King Oseron said together, and everyone began talking all at once.
“You killed the Seelie queen?” asked one of the horrified advisors.
I pressed my dry lips together. “Technically, the ke’tain killed her. It’s a long story.” I looked at Faolin. “Can I have some water?”
He left the room and came back with a glass of water. I was so thirsty I drained the glass, and he went to refill it.
“Does this have anything to do with that goddess stone Vaerik told me about?” the king asked as he sat.
The two advisors stared at the king in shock. Clearly, he hadn’t shared that information with them.