Thorn Queen Page 0,30

"Of course not, your majesty. I told you that girl ran off. It's easier on her parents to believe otherwise. We certainly appreciate your, uh, efforts to clean out those villains, however."

I grimaced. "Yeah, well, the fire demons were kind of unexpected."

"There have been rumors for some time, your majesty, that there were some very strong fire users among them. It's part of what's made their raiding so problematic."

I widened my eyes. "Oh? That might have been useful information earlier."

He cowered at the tone in my voice. "Begging your pardon, your majesty. None of us could have imagined their power was that great."

I questioned him further on where the bandits might go now and if he'd heard any other stories about their magic users. If we faced these guys again, I didn't want any more surprises. We spoke until Rurik came to get me, telling me that most of the wounded were in traveling shape but that the severely injured man would stay behind for further recovery. There seemed no point in remaining after that, so we set out for the castle.

The ride back wasn't too different from our last ride from Westoria. There was a dark mood over the group, and I was probably the worst. We'd set off counting on an easy victory and had more or less gotten our asses kicked.

It was late when we finally arrived, the sun having set and cooled the weather to a comfortable eighty degrees. Time in Tucson tended to run a little later than here, which meant it was well into the night back home. So much for the date with Kiyo. That saddened me further, and I wandered out to a stretch of garden-by which I meant rocks and cacti-that extended beyond the castle. I settled down on a patch of grass that Shaya had been painstakingly trying to grow. As someone who controlled and spoke to plant life, I think this barren landscape killed her sometimes.

I'd been sitting there and ruminating for about an hour when Kiyo joined me. His fox form had finally lifted.

"Don't take it so hard," he said, putting an arm around me and guessing what had me worried. "There was nothing you could have done differently."

"I suppose. I just feel bad now. Like, I still don't want this place. Not at all. But here it is, and then I feel horrible and guilty because even if I try, I can't do anything for it. I pushed the thinking off on Shaya, and then I failed at the fighting part-the one thing I can usually do. Argh." I buried my face in my hands. "It's so confusing. I never wanted to deal with this."

Kiyo pulled me close, and I rested my head against his chest. "It's okay," he said. "We'll get through this."

"We? You've got enough to worry about without this." I was in one of those glum moods where everything seemed hopeless. How could he possibly have time for me with a new baby on the way?

"We," he said firmly. "And as much as I hate to say it...you just being here is going to help the land."

"How?"

"It's tied to your life, right? You affect it, strengthen it just with your presence. It's why that meditation you do soothes it."

"Maybe. But I've been meditating for months, and there have still been droughts and famines."

"You're still helping it, whether you know it or not. Your thoughts, moods...it's all connected."

"Wonderful. It must be doing just great tonight then," I muttered.

In the moonlight, I saw him gesture around us. The sky was clear, and there was no breeze. There was a dry, stagnant feel to the air. It seemed unhealthy. Like you could feel the energy being sapped from everything.

I sighed and lay back on the grass. "If I stay the night, will it help?"

"Probably." He lay beside me. "No Red Pepper Bistro then."

"Yeah. And I was so looking forward to their Salmonella Burrito Special. I guess there's always tomorrow."

"Mmm, well..."

I turned toward him. "Oh, I don't like that."

"I promised Maiwenn..." He couldn't finish.

"It's fine. I understand." I did. I just didn't like it. Were we ever going to have some semblance of a normal dating life?

"Oh, Eugenie." Kiyo wrapped himself against me and brushed the hair from my face. "You're the only one. You know that, right? The only one I want in this world." He paused. "Or any other world."

I laughed, but it was smothered when he pressed his lips to mine. There was almost never