The Edge (Book 5 of The Claiming Series)

Chapter Twenty-One

            The meeting the next morning is anything but exciting. The court makes it clear that our government is in a state of limbo—we have a ruler, but the court must check and approve everything that he does. Lily and I are to act as secondaries.

This irritates me.

If Lily hadn't caused all this drama, Eli and I would both be the primary rulers with no problem. But because Lily questions my credibility and Eli's sanity, here we are.

While Eli tried to argue that I should be equal with him and above his sister, the court made the argument that while I am considered queen, Lily has had far more training and education regarding the kingdom's policies and function.

And she was technically the original heir.

I hate how villainous Eli and I appear now.

The next two weeks drag on with building anticipation of our journey to meet Adressa. Somehow, Eris convinced Eli and Charlie to let her come along with us. Though it seems unnecessary, I am thankful to have another friend there. She's only been outside the walls a handful of times, so she's enthusiastic about the trip.

Despite who lies at the end of our trail.

Eli has continued to take his medication and attend meetings with Dr. Reeve religiously. His nurse Pearl told me that she's astounded by Eli's rapid improvement after returning to the Palace. "I think being with you and your child motivates him."

I can't deny it. He holds his head higher and the confidence is visibly rushing back into him. Every morning he wakes up and is more determined to begin the day.

The morning of our departure, we've rallied who we are bringing to match equally with Adressa's entourage: Charlie, Oliver, and two other soldiers of dependable strength. Eris and Lily will count as our two "advisors". Adrian begged to come, too, but we all said no, even Lily. Adrian isn't the best when it comes to combat, and he needs to stay home with Michael.

Ruth and Angel are once again in charge of New Athens until we get back. When we're loading up the two cars we're taking that are stationed outside the main Palace entrance, I almost choke on the water I'm sipping from the bottle I'm bringing. I watch with wide eyes as Ruth gives Oliver a strained hug from just inside the entryway. Her eyes are sharp as she tells him something that seems hostile, but Oliver's shoulders shake from a chuckle.

What is going on, and what have I been missing?

"Let's get going," Eli calls to everyone milling about.

He approaches me and places a hand on my back. "Ready?" he says to me.

I let out a shuddering sigh and screw the lid back on my water bottle. "No."

It takes about five hours for us to make it to the location, and by then, the nerves have gotten to me. I want to puke and turn around and go home, but this issue with Bayfell needs to end. For Eli's sake.

We pull into a gravel lot where the map had directed us. Three other vehicles are already parked there, but one looks as if it hasn't been touched in centuries. Four log cabins sit in a semicircle around the lot, each looking equally abandoned and unattended. Between the middle two is a pathway, and through the trees I can see the glimmer of the sun reflecting off a lake that must lie at the end of the path. The earthy smell wafts through the air, mixing with the scent of rotting wood from the crumbling cabins. A breeze flows through the overhead trees and rustles the branches.