There were far worse things than death, as both of them were now intimately aware, but still her eyes closed against a swell of fear and denial. Though she could have embraced her own death freely, nothing in the world could make her willingly embrace his. He was her shei'tan, her beloved, the half of her soul that she must protect at all costs. She would suffer any torment to ensure his survival.

Elfeya guided her truemate's hand to her breast and leaned down to kiss him. "Love me, Shan," she whispered against his mouth. "As if it were the first time. As if it were the last.”

"Always," he vowed.

She took Shan into her body as so long ago she had taken him into her soul. Wholly and without reservation. As their bodies and souls entwined, the words of an ancient Fey warrior's creed came to her mind. Live well. Love deep. Tomorrow, we die. Never had she appreciated it more than at this moment. She smiled into her beloved's eyes and laughed as if they were free, because she knew it brought him joy.

They could not fight. They could not win. But with each moment left for them to live, they could love. That was the greatest gift the gods could ever give, and it was worth the price they would have to pay.

As the coach wound through the cobbled streets towards Celieria's royal palace, Rain took Ellysetta's hand and placed something in it that sent a tingle up her arm. She glanced down and caught her breath. The rich golden light of the setting sun gleamed and sparkled like magic across the heavy, incredibly beautiful bracelet in her hand.

Diamond brilliants and baguettes glittered in radiant sunbursts around a cabochon Tairen's Eye crystal, much larger and richer in color than Dajan's sorreisu kiyr, which she was wearing around her throat. The band was fashioned in the shape of two golden tairen holding the crystal aloft on the backs of their proud heads and outstretched wings.

"The crystal was my father's, delivered to me after he and my mother died.”

"Oh Rain, it's beautiful." It was stunning. She started to give it back to him, but he stopped her, his hand closing around hers. She felt his surprise, his uncertainty.

"This gift ... does not please you?”

"It's for me?”

"Aiyah, of course”

She drew a breath. "I thought you meant it was your father's Soul Quest crystal-”

"Aiyah, it is," he confirmed. "The sorreisu kiyr of my father, my dearest possession, which I give into your keeping. My parents were not truemated, so my mother never wore it, but I think my father would be pleased to have his son's shei’tani wear his crystal. Kieran made the bracelet today while you were packing. Will you accept it?”

She nodded, and he clasped the bracelet around her right wrist. Her hand-her entire arm-tingled. Rajahl vel'En Daris's crystal hummed against her skin, and the resonance of it seemed to generate an echoing vibration in Dajan's crystal. It swept up through her skin to the tiara in her hair, where one of the loaned sorreisu kiyr responded with its own shimmering power. Bel's crystal, she realized with eerie perception. .

Dajan, Rajahl, and Bel's Soul Quest crystals were all resonating in a joint harmonic that pulsed in time with the beating of her own heart. As if they-and she-were somehow joined.

"Rain," she whispered, "I can feel your father's crystal and Dajan's ... like a heartbeat.”

His eyes gleamed with catlike satisfaction in the Fire-light. "That is a good sign, shei’tani. Your magic recognizes the magic of the warriors whose crystals you wear.”

"Gel's crystal is beating, too.”

"He has bloodsworn himself to you. That bound his soul to your service. Dajan forged a tie between his soul and yours when he died trying to protect you.”

"And your father's crystal?”

"The link is a reflection of your bond to me. It is good that you feel it so strongly.”

"It feels ... strange.”

"That will pass in a moment as your body absorbs the resonance into itself”

She held her breath, and the energies quieted ... still there, but less noticeable. Rain watched her, smiling. There was a deep-seated peace in him she'd never sensed before. "You seem pleased," she said. "Did your meeting with Dorian go well?" He'd sent the selkahr shards and word of the demon attack to the king, then gone to see him in person as soon as their session with Master Fellows concluded.

"It did. I will address the Council directly tomorrow. If I cannot convince them, he has promised to invoke primus. One way or another, the borders will remain closed.”

"But you still want us to wed and leave tomorrow”

"I do. Keeping the borders closed only stops the Mages from sending their agents freely into every city and hamlet. It does not mean the danger is past. I'm sorry, shei’tani, I know you would like more time, but I need you safe behind the Faering Mists.”

"It's all right." She laid her hand over his. "As long as I can visit my family, nothing else holds me in Celieria. I'm ready to go to the Fading Lands with you. I'm ready to learn how to use my magic and do whatever I can to save the tairen."

"His esteemed majesty, Rainier vel'En Daris Feyreisen, The Tairen Soul, King of the Fading Lands, Defender of the Fey, and Lady Ellysetta Baristani Feyreisa, truemate of the Tairen Soul, Queen of the Fading Lands.”

With her hand on the back of Rain's wrist, Ellysetta descended the curving staircase. She looked out over the sea of faces below, and all she could think was that the last time she'd descended this staircase, she'd ended up humiliating herself and everyone else at the dinner.