Of Elves and Embers by Elle Madison & Robin D. Mahle

Author:Elle Madison & Robin D. Mahle [Madison, Elle & Mahle, Robin D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

Though Leander technically had his own room, we visited in mine, at Hadeon’s insistence — delivered through Celani, of course, since we still hadn’t spoken. He had only paused long enough to put my collar back on, much to Leander’s irritation, before sweeping out of the room.

“Probably because of the warding,” Leander said. “He doesn’t want me to abscond with you in the night, and this room is locked down.”

“You can sense that?”

“You don’t remember much, do you?”

“Bits and pieces,” I admitted. “It comes to me sometimes more than others.”

It was easy to trust him, to talk to him in a way I hadn’t been able to with anyone else. Whether that was because of our shared childhood in my first life or the advantage of having more memories when I met him, I wasn’t sure.

Maybe it was just his easy acceptance, the way he blithely called me Ember without judgment or expectation. Even now, he wasn’t disappointed that I didn't remember things. He only nodded, launching into an explanation.

“I can sense the remnants of isos, and I imagine it works a lot like our father’s power. He has flames, but he can also leave eternally burning fire as a ward around important things. The king’s shadows can exist independently of him, like in that collar.” He gestured, his lips pursing.

“It’s to dampen my magic — isos — because it was a bit out of control,” I found myself defending.

“Indeed,” Leander agreed a bit too amicably. “Because why wear a ring or a tiara when you can wear a collar.”

So everyone knows who you belong to.

“Yes, well. He’s also an ass, so there’s that.”

Leander let out a chuckle. “Well, he’s not an ass you have to stay with. You could come home.”

There was that word again, with its murky connotations.

I shook my head. “For now, I need to stay.”

“Need to, or want to?” Again, the question was without censure.

What had Phaedra told him in their past lives? It wasn’t a stretch to assume he knew something of her relationship with Hadeon.

“I told him I would help him with the wraiths, so let’s go with need,” I hedged.

Leander nodded, not surprised at my mention of the wraiths, which confirmed my theory that it wasn’t only the Moon Court they were attacking.

I waved my hand airily. “Anyway, I’m sick of talking about him.”

Sick of thinking about him. Sick of wanting him and hating myself for it.

“Tell me about you. About our family.” Again, I noticed how easy it was to feel the truth of the possession in that statement. Something about using my isos, getting more memories, having my brother here — kissing your soulmate, a voice in my head interrupted.

Regardless, it was getting easier to think of that past life as mine, or maybe it was just getting harder to differentiate them.

Leander gave me a knowing look, but he complied. Over the next several hours, he told me stories about our family, about our kingdom. I listened and lost myself in the distraction of it, but I didn’t miss the way he skirted around one glaringly important issue.

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