BY SUNSET, CAS was able to stand on his own again. He ignored Galo’s protests and hobbled slowly downstairs. He was lightheaded when he reached the bottom, and he grabbed the guard’s arm for a moment to steady himself.
The living room was bathed in orange light, and Violet was curled up on the couch, a book in her lap. A large bookshelf was next to the couch, and Cas wondered for the first time who this house belonged to. Would they ever get their books back?
Violet smiled at Cas. “You look good.”
“I do not.”
“Well, you don’t look like you’re about to die. It’s an improvement.”
“Thanks,” he said with weak laugh. He let go of Galo and shuffled toward the door. “I’m going to go sit on the porch for a while.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Galo said.
“Em said we’re allowed to be on the porch. I won’t step off it. I need some fresh air.” He felt cramped and awkward in a stranger’s house, and he wanted to see at least a little of the town.
And he was hoping to see Em. He hated that he couldn’t run out and find her. He had to wait for her to come to him, and he was worried she wouldn’t. She had things to do—a kingdom to run, people to protect, wars to fight. He couldn’t even help, and it made him feel pathetic.
“I’ll be fine,” he said as Galo tried to follow him to the door. “You can stare at me creepily through the windows, if it makes you feel better.”
Galo grumbled something Cas couldn’t understand, but he ignored his friend. Cas might not be the king much longer. He should get used to protecting himself.
He pulled open the door, a cool blast of air hitting his face. He took in a deep breath as he stepped out. He’d opened his window upstairs, but it had done little to ease the claustrophobia.
He slid to the ground and leaned against the wall, stretching his legs out in front of him. The house was on the edge of town, so he couldn’t see much besides the outline of a few buildings. He could hear laughter coming from that direction.
Was Em over there? She hadn’t come to see him after Olivia left, which made him think she didn’t know her sister had visited. Or maybe she did know. Maybe she’d sent Olivia in the hopes that the two of them could actually get along. If so, that plan had failed spectacularly.
A tall figure appeared at the end of the road, moving away from the town, and hope bloomed in Cas’s chest. The figure drew closer. It was a man. Aren.
Cas leaned against the house with a sigh. “Hi, Aren,” he said.
Aren’s head snapped to him. “Cas? Should you be out here?”
“We’re allowed to be on the porch.”
Aren walked closer, stopping at the bottom of the steps. “I know, but someone could still wander by and remove your head.”
“I’ll take my chances. Besides, Olivia didn’t take my head off earlier when she was in my room, so I think I’m safe.”
“Olivia was in your room?” Aren’s tone was incredulous.
“Yes. She came and stared at me for a while. Then we talked. It was odd.”
“Huh.” Aren frowned at the dirt. “Huh.”
“Have you seen Em?”
“Yeah, she’s with some of the warriors. Hashing out a plan to—” He stopped suddenly, clearing his throat. “I’m sure she’ll come and see you when she can.”
Of course she would. Olivia was right. He did still have Em. He’d spent so much time thinking about what he’d lost that he’d forgotten about the most important person. Em stood by him, even when it didn’t make any sense.
“You’re making things harder for her, you know,” Aren said. “Olivia’s furious that you’re here. The warriors want you dead, and most of the Ruined do too.”
“I know. But where am I going to go? My kingdom is gone, my cousin is trying to take my throne, and my parents are dead. The only family I have left tried to murder me.” He closed his eyes. Em’s face appeared immediately, her lips turned up in a half smile. “Em decided not to murder me after she got to know me. That must count for something, right?”
Aren made a strange choking sound, and Cas opened his eyes to see him trying to suppress a laugh. He failed.
“I guess so,” Aren said. “That sounds like her kind of logic, actually.”
“We have a lot more in common these days.”
“I guess you do,” Aren said quietly.
“Besides, I think even if I left we’d find our way back to each other,” Cas said. He lifted his head to look at the stars. “I’ve been thinking someone else might have a hand in that.”
“What do you mean?”
“What were the odds of us finding each other in the jungle on the way to the fortress? It’s a big jungle, but we still found each other. And now, in Vallos. If that wheel hadn’t gotten stuck in the mud, Galo said we would have missed you all entirely. We’d be deep into Vallos by now.” Cas straightened his legs, letting them fall in front of him. “My parents weren’t believers, but it makes me think the ancestors really are out there, watching out for us.”
“I don’t know… .” Aren trailed off, shaking his head. “Things just happen sometimes. Coincidences.”
“Maybe ‘coincidence’ is another word for fate.” Cas smiled. “Just watch. If we get separated again, I bet we find each other.”
“Ugh, gross. Could you not get that dopey look on your face, please?”
“What look?” Cas asked with a laugh.
Aren waved his hand in a circle. “This love look or whatever. I don’t need to see that.”
Cas had never said the word love to Em, but it didn’t feel wrong in this moment. He grinned at Aren. “What? I can’t be fond of my wife?”
“Come on. She is not your wife. You married the princess of Vallos, not Em.”
He’d never married the princess of Vallos. Em might have fooled them all, but she never made much of an effort to become Mary. She was always just herself.
“You weren’t seriously considering claiming your marriage is valid, were you?” Aren asked.
“Why? Would any of you listen?”
“Don’t even think about it.” Aren’s voice went hard. “You can’t hold her to—”
“Aren, relax,” Cas said. “I’m not holding her to anything. We never even consummated the marriage.”
Aren blinked, the anger fading from his face. “You what?”
“Oh. I assumed Em told you.”
“No. Sh-she never said …” Aren seemed genuinely confused. “Why not?”
He hesitated and cracked a knuckle, unsure if he’d told Aren something Em didn’t want him to know.
“It didn’t seem like she wanted to,” he said quietly.
“That was really decent of you,” Aren said.
“You don’t have to sound so surprised.”
Aren frowned at him like he didn’t like being surprised.
“Aren?” Em walked up behind Aren, her face scrunched in confusion. “What are you …” She spotted Cas. “Cas! You’re out of bed.”
“I am.” He pushed his hands against the porch floor, slowly getting to his feet. He held his arms out. “Look! I can even stand by myself.” A wave of dizziness crashed over him and he braced his hand against the wall. “Mostly.”
She hopped up the porch steps and put an arm around his waist. He leaned into her. She was so tall. He loved how tall she was. Sturdy enough to hold him up when he needed it.
“What are you doing here?” Em asked Aren, a hint of suspicion in her voice.
“We were just talking,” Cas said.
Her hair was damp, the smell of soap lingering in it, and he pressed a kiss to the side of her head.
“Ugh,” Aren said. “I’m leaving.”
“Bye, Aren!” Cas called as he walked away. “Thanks for the chat!”
Aren sort of waved his hand behind his back without turning around.
“What did you talk about?” Em asked.
“You.” He found her hand and tugged on her fingers until she turned her body into his. He brushed his thumb over her lips and her eyelids fluttered like she approved.
He leaned forward slightly, letting his hand drift down to her neck. She closed the rest of the distance, her soft mouth covering his.
His body remembered her. Every fiber of his being lit up when she kissed him. She kept one hand on his waist but let the other tangle in his hair, and suddenly every thought he’d been considering today seemed absolutely right. He needed to stay with Em. She was his home now.
The world tilted and he broke the kiss, blinking. Em tightened the arm around his waist.
“Sorry. Being upright is still a bit of a problem.” He jerked his head at the house. “Come be not upright with me?”
She glanced at the door, hesitation in her expression.
“Just sleeping. I’m not asking for anything else. I’m too weak anyway.” He silently cursed that weakness. He would give anything to be able to pull Em closer and free her of some of those clothes.
“I have some things I need to tell you,” she said.
“Tell me tomorrow,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. He pressed his lips to hers gently, twice. “Tonight, I just want to do this.”
Her lips curved up against his. “Me too,” she whispered.
He took her hand, using it to keep himself steady as they walked inside and upstairs. He slid back into the bed he’d grown to hate, but it didn’t seem so bad as Em kicked off her shoes and stretched out next to him.
He pulled her close to him and she buried her head in his chest. This was where he belonged. Olivia was right. He didn’t deserve his kingdom. He didn’t want it.
All he wanted was Em.