Chapter Twenty-One: CelestinaThe entourage took the train back to CenterPoint the next morning, after North parted with the king, queen, and Milo. Now, the Celestina side of the world, and the Drakken Castle, waited before her.It wasn’t as hot as it looked, but it was humid, bordering on sweltering, as they stood on the platform and waited for transportation. It came a few minutes later in the form of three long vehicles similar to an Earth limousine, but higher off the ground. The chrome-looking exterior was also unlike anything she’d seen.They ended up having to split into two cars, with their luggage in the third. North had left behind her lovely gowns, feeling it was inappropriate to take them from Haedra to Celestina. She wore the fae fabric, which was currently configured in short-shorts and a tank top. If she didn’t remember to change it to something more appropriate for greeting the king and queen, she was fairly confident the fabric would do it for her. It was just too hot

Chapter Twenty-Three: Power SurgePerhaps in consideration for how late they were all up due to the ball, no one woke her the next morning, or brought breakfast in bed until she had awakened on her own. It was nearly noon, and she had a pang of guilt for a moment before remembering she wasn’t particularly anxious to engage in palace life anyway. Instead, she took her time with a leisurely breakfast ordered via the intercom system in her room and a long bath before leaving her room. She was surprised to see Eli standing in the hallway, and she approached. “Are you waiting for me?”He didn’t confirm or deny it, but there was definitely a line of red sweeping up his neck. He was adorable, but she struggled not to respond or tease him about it. “Did you need something?” She kept her tone mild as she asked.“I thought we might take a run and see if we can tap into the shifter power in you.”“Just you and me?” At his nod, she asked, “Would it be better to wait until we’re in the shifter rea

Chapter Twenty-Five: MinglingFor the fifth time in the last two weeks, North settled in at the Torture Room in the Drakken palace. She was getting tired of shuffling back and forth between the two kingdoms, trying to split her time and remain diplomatic. It was ridiculous, and she was rapidly losing patience for the apartheid that split the realm.She was also getting tired of returning to this palace, when it was obvious at least the king and queen only hosted her because it was expected, and not because they wanted to have her around. Neither royal had been particularly open and friendly to her, though Queen Risa was slightly less frigid. King Thorne clearly had no use for her, which undermined her confidence.It was no surprise to her that she was doing far worse with fire magic than with water magic. When she was in Haedra, she felt welcome and at peace, as though among friends and family. The only similar feeling she got when she was in Celestina was from Kriss or Lyssa.Thinkin

Chapter Twenty-Seven: RevelationsNorth was still in a pleasant state of bliss when she made her way to the dining room to join the Drakkens for dinner. Kriss held out a chair for her, and she sat down between him and Lyssa’s empty seat as she flashed a secret smile at Ryland and then Orin. The others arranged themselves around the table, and the meal was underway.Lyssa was a few minutes late, and her hair was covered by a headscarf. She clearly wasn’t ready to share her secret romance with her parents yet, and North respected that. She focused her attention on Kriss and Eli, who sat across from her. Marek was at his side, while Orin sat beside Lyssa, and Ryland was across from him. The queen and king were directly on Kriss’s side, both seated at the head of the table, but she didn’t try to engage them in conversation. She knew from experience it would be a pointless task.At first, it seemed like it would be another sedate dinner with the Drakkens, but that changed halfway through t

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Change of HeartThe ball was slightly better than some of the others, but she was still anxious for it to be over. It was approaching midnight, and the royals had yet to make their farewell speeches. She’d gotten more accustomed to keeping these late hours as their guest, but was currently resenting the demands on her time when all she wanted to do was surround herself with her guards to have a heartfelt and honest discussion about their future.She let out a breath of relief when quiet descended around the ballroom as the symphony abruptly stopped playing. The king and queen got to their feet, and trays of champagne circulated. She took one and put on a polite smile, preparing for a political speech. At least she was certain King Arlo and Queen Tempest actually liked her though, unlike the Drakkens, who’d seemed to merely tolerate her presence.“You all know we’re here to bid farewell to our favorite guest, North Campbell.” At the king’s words, the assemblage bur