Golden Prophecy

X L I I I

ANDORRA WRAPPED her arms around Oberon's neck as soon as she could. As soon as the Head of the Guard had finished binding her guards to her, and then as soon as he found lodging for her. It was begrudging, but he finally decided that she could spend the night before heading back with her new guards.

For the safety of my guards, he had said.

"I can't believe you're here!" She cried into his neck, pulling him so tight against her, he could hardly breathe. "How did you get here?"

Oberon let out a laugh, pulling her in just as tightly. "Andy, what in the ever loving fuck do you think you're doing, coming here alone." His laugh was infectious, and she couldn't help but join in. "I mean, do you have a death wish? Man, I'd love to see Noah's face if he knew."

Andorra pulled away at that. "Have you... talked to him? Recently?"

Oberon's mood seemed to sober up. "Not since I left. It was bad, Andy. It's been bad since we got here. He's been... worse than before."

Worse than before. Andorra hated that she wasn't surprised. She hated even more that her heart ached for him, for what he must have been going through. The boy who never wanted to become his father. "In what ways?"

"He broods in his office day and night. He won't let anyone near him, not even me. Not even Lithe. He's so closed off, and he's horrible to the entire staff. He's become his father."

Andorra's worst fear come true: Noah was the monster he'd swore he'd never become.

"How is Lithe?" She had to change the subject. Talking about him, it made her chest burn and ache, and she hated it. Hated that she still felt close to him, despite the fear and the anger and the goodbye letter.

"Lithe misses you, but she would never admit it. And me, I'm sure. And she's mourning Noah. We all mourned Noah. And I think she's mourning her human life, the one she never got to experience, you know?"

Andorra did know. Too well. She'd left behind the closest thing she had to a sister in the Snow Clan, and it hurt Andorra to know that Lithe wasn't doing good either. Had it been worth it, bringing them over? Would Noah and Lithe have fared better back in the human realm?

Andorra put her face in her hands. "It's all my fault."

Oberon pulled her hands from her face, leaning in close. "Hey, hey. It's not your fault, Andy. I promise. You're going to be the Queen. You can't come in and fix all the cracks in the Snow Clan. It's impossible. And you can't fix all of the cracks in Noah, either."

Andorra closed her eyes to stop the tears. "What if I'm not a good Queen, Obe? What if this is one big mistake?"

Obe pulled her in close for another hug. A bone crushing hug. "What a ridiculous thought! You are going to be an amazing Queen! And I will be right beside you the entire time. We are going to crush this together." He pulled back with a grin. "We may be young, but we're good people, Andy. We're strong people. And we'll get through this."

Andorra hiccuped, but she nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I've missed you so much. I'm sorry I left you behind."

Oberon pushed her hair behind her ears, his grin turning soft and understanding. "You didn't leave me behind, Andy. You left me with my clan. Which is where I belonged, until I realized that I wasn't done being in your life. Only this time, I didn't want to be the hired help."

She hiccuped again, but she was smiling. "You have no idea how relieved I was to see you."

"You have no idea how relieved I was to see you. Even if you were reckless enough to come alone!"