Chapter 67

"Your sister is here," Damion says, a grim look on his face.

Shock makes my muscles lock up, the muscles in my chest tighten. There's no way I heard that right.

"*Lucia* is here?"

Damion nods, his face carefully blank, "The guards informed us that she's standing outside our gates and is demanding to see you. She's refusing to talk to anyone else until she does."

I dip my chin in a nod, my pulse rushes in an unsteady rhythm in my ears, "Let's go, then."

_______________________________________________________

Damion takes me to an entrance of the mountain castle that I haven't seen before. And there, at the edge of the tree line, is my sister. She's in a set of deep green riding gear and armed by guards on both sides. And a shifter soldier kneels at her feet while two of her electrified fingers pointed threateningly into the man's jugular.

A *hostage*? I always knew my sister's magic was a deadly force to be reconned with. Having the ability to wield light and electricity is rare even among the fae courts. But seeing it in action is something else entirely. Seeing my prim and proper sister like this has my brain short- circuiting.

"Lucia?" I call out to her and at the sound of my voice, her gaze moves from the shifter guard at her feet to where I stand with Damion on one side and my guards on the other.

She looks so different than I've ever seen her. She's still as breathtakingly beautiful as she's always been, the sparkling golden opposite to my silver hued complexion. She's still summer personified. But she looks different in riding gear than she does in her usual dresses. All sharp angles and hard lines.

Her gold hair is pulled back from her face, lending a better view of the dark circles under her eyes and now gaunter cheekbones. The glow she usually emanates from her skin -that glimmer of her light-based magic that subtly haloes her- is dimmer somehow. Like she's exhausted. Frazzled.

My last memories of my sister- from right before I had been given to the Unseelie- come rushing back. Flickers of memory of Lucia yanking me in for one last tight hug. The rushed words she'd whispered into my ear, "*Don't give up, Lily. Swear to me that you're not going to give up. You're going to make it through this. I'll come to see you as soon as I'm able to.*"

I swallow hard and push those tense memories away.

Relief passes over my sister's face when she sees me, and a sheen of thankful tears passes over her eyes before she quickly blinks them away.

"Lily," she breathes. Her voice only shakes a little, but I can still hear it, "Thank the gods. Hurry and get behind me. We're leaving. Now."

Damion, who has been a dark silent presence on my left noticeably stiffens. My guards heads whip in my direction. Their sudden tension takes me by surprise. *Do they think that I want to go back to the Seelie Court*? That I would just up and leave so easily after everything?

I take a small measured step toward Lucia, "Luce," I say slowly keeping my voice as soft as possible, "I'm not going to leave."

Lucia doesn't seem fazed by my words- her face says that she expected it. Expected me to push back. "I know you're scared," she says, "but you don't have to be. I have this situation under control. You can come home. I'll get you out of the contract with the Unseelie- I'll work things out with father-"

The strain in her voice tells me what she's sacrificing with that promise and tears spring to my eyes. I can't even imagine what she went through to get here, to come to the decision to risk everything to come and get me-- that cares enough to try and come and get me, to go against father, our people. My chest clenches painfully, "Lucia, *this* is my home now. A lot has happened these past few months. Let the shifter go and we can talk about it."

Her gaze narrows in my direction, "What do you mean *this* is your home? Have these monsters done something to you?" Her eyes shift pointedly to where Damion still stands as a dark silent sentry at my side.

"These people are the opposite of monsters. Lucia, *look at me*," I say, "Really *look* at me. Do I look like I'm being hurt?"

She does as I ask, her gaze trailing over me and shock flitters over her golden face as realization sets in, "No," she admits, jaw strained, "you don't."

"They're not hurting me. They never have. In fact, I'm doing better than I ever have," I take another cautious step towards my sister, lowering my voice, "They found me a cure, Luce."

The expression that crosses her face is like she's been struck by her own lightening, "*What*?! But there was no cure the healers, they were so sure."

"There are things I need to tell you things about me, about our family"

"*What things*?"

"Let's go somewhere that we can talk privately-" My words are cut off when a ball of reddish orange explodes from the bushes and plows right at me.

"Alfie?" I croak. The fox, whines low in his throat, burrowing his warm, orange head around my ankles in greeting. He snuffles in agitation as if demanding to know where I've been and lets out another low whine. I bend down with a laugh, petting the dramatic little fox and dragging him in to kiss his soft little head.

"It's like the thing with the wolf all over again." I hear Arden grumble under her breath to Xavier behind me. Alfie continues circling my legs as I stand back up from my crouch.

"I kept him safe for you like I promised," Lucia says on a sigh and shoots him a scolding look, "he was *supposed* to stay near the horses."

Whatever tension had radiated from my sister before fades, the sharp rigid set of her body softening around the edges in reluctant acceptance. As her arms fall to her sides, letting her hold on her electricity go. The shifter at her feet relaxes and shuffles backward away from her and a pair of shifter guards help the poor- clearly shaken - male to his feet.

I cross the small distance to my sister and she meets me half way. I throw my arms around her slight frame and she hugs me back, tightly. Happy tears prickle at my eyes and trail down my cheeks. I hadn't realized how much I've missed my sister until this moment. The familiar soft floral scent of her perfume tickles my nose and I relax further into her.

She sighs and the loose strands of my braid flutter at her sharp breath, "Things just got really complicated, didn't they?"

Unable to find my voice, I nod in agreement. They definitely did.