“Some fates cannot be avoided, no matter how hard we try.”
A commotion outside the door interrupted their conversation, and Evin burst through a moment later, a flash of movement before Callie was pulled behind him. He knelt before the king. “I humbly accept whatever punishment you see fit to give me, Your Majesty. Just please spare the girl. She had no choice in the matter. It was done against her will.”
“Rise, Evin. While I wish you had disclosed this information sooner, the situation is not as dire as you make it seem.” Lachlan suppressed an eye roll, wondering when everyone had started to think him so callous and savage.
Evin stood as Callie piped up from behind him. “I would also like to note that it was not done against my will.”
He swung toward her, grasping her hands. “What?”
Her gaze met his. “It wasn’t against my will, Evin. That’s what I stupidly ran into the Fae realm to tell you. You have to stop blaming yourself. If I had been conscious, I would have told you to do it. I wouldn’t have wanted to die and leave you. Sure, right now it’s a lot of change, and I’m going to need your patience, especially with the whole Aimsir thing—”
She was silenced by the press of his lips, and his mouth swallowed whatever else she was about to say. She eagerly returned his kiss, wrapping her arms around him until a throat was cleared to their right. She pulled back and blushed, embarrassed to have kissed him so passionately in front of his own father. Evin, however, wasn’t the least bit embarrassed. He looked relieved and smiled widely.
“So, we’re okay?” he whispered, and she nodded before the king also answered his question.
“Everything will be fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have something else to attend to,” he declared, effectively dismissing them all as he walked out of the room. He paused at the doorway and turned back. “Oh, and Callie, you’re a Seelie now, so you’re welcome at my court any time. In fact, Evin, the sooner you can bring her here and teach her some control, the better. I’m not sure if our villagers would appreciate another Aimsir ruining crops.” He chuckled. “Or what the humans will make of the unpredictable weather in her area.”
Evin turned toward her, looking her over with a raised brow. “Aimsir?”
“What can I say? I’m just full of surprises.” She grinned up at him with a wink.
WANT MORE OF THE FAE REALM?
Check out:
Fate (book 1, where it all begins)
Exile (book 2, where Callie and Evin first meet)
Sacrifice (book 3, Ayanna’s story)
Peril (book 4, where Callie and Evin’s paths intertwine)
And stay tuned for book 5 (Maddock’s story) coming in late 2020
ABOUT CATHLIN
Cathlin Shahriary lives in North Texas with her husband, cats, and dog. By day she is an elementary teacher, nurturing future book nerds and writers. By night (weekends and school breaks) she is an avid reader and writer. You can usually find her fangirling over books, authors, and TV shows (like Supernatural, Dr. Who, and The Walking Dead, to name a few). She still believes in the existence of magic and the power of love.
First, thank you to the Bookworm Box for putting together this awesome anthology and taking a chance on me by featuring Fate in one of the 2019 YA boxes.
Second, thank you to my readers, who continue to inspire me and ask for more.
A huge thanks to my awesome beta readers, who give me the best feedback and are truly fans of the series—Tonya Shaw, Callie Vestal, and my husband, Hassan Shahriary. I always appreciate everything you have to say, and you each manage to add something different to my writing.
Finally, thank you to Caitlin (Editing by C. Marie) for your awesome editing skills, which are always appreciated!
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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