All fae have a One--One person who strengthens their magic and enriches their life. A perfect mate. So why can't I find mine? What is a fae princess to do when she can’t find the prince she’s meant to spend the rest of her life with? I have to find him now, for the sake of my kingdom. Evil forces are moving in, and the only way I can come into my full power is to find my perfect mate. If I don't, the magical barrier that protects us will crumble because my magic won't be strong enough to hold it. But... I feel this strange pull to not on, but four different men! What in the world is going on? Can I be mated to all four of these men and still save my kingdom, or will what seems to be an asset turn out to be our undoing? The One is the first in a new reverse harem series by the author of Realm of the Chosen and Ember’s Flames.
view more*Maerilee*The silence between us is palpable, as if everyone is holding their tongue but projecting their thoughts to the clouds. No one is willing to break the silence, to put their thoughts to words, and it’s becoming infuriating.I worry that Akin is still angry with me, despite his stance to leave Caelan and travel with us. River is smug, as usual, though I have no idea what he could be thinking. Brook leads us with confidence and certainty, and while I don’t doubt him, it’s clear that Akin and River do.I glance at Akin, hoping to find some sign of reassurance, something to tell me that all is forgiven. But his face is closed off, his jaw clenched as he stares straight ahead, shoulders rigid. I don’t need words to know what he’s feeling. Disappointment radiates off him like a pulse. For the first time since I’ve known him, a sort of rift has formed between us. And for all his quiet strength, for all t
*Akin*Caelan stands in front of us, his gaze hard as steel, jaw clenched, and I know instantly that this won’t end with us simply walking away. The way he’s squared his shoulders, planted his feet, every muscle in his body is telling me he won’t let us leave without a fight.And I don’t want to fight him. Not here, not now, when we’re all running on fumes and tensions are high enough to snap. But there’s something militant, almost desperate, in his stance. It’s the way he’d face an enemy, and it feels wrong. We’re supposed to be allies, yet here we are, at a breaking point.“Caelan,” I say, forcing my tone to stay calm. “Let us go. This isn’t about abandoning the cause or betraying the rebels. Maerilee needs this. Altinna needs this.”Caelan’s eyes flash, the determination in them blazing. “And what do you think we’re doing here, Akin
AkinMaerilee approaches me with a tension in her step that I don’t miss. Her shoulders are squared, her expression guarded, and there’s a fire in her eyes that instantly puts me on alert.“There you are,” I call out happily, hoping to break the tension a bit. “I was wondering where you’d run off to.”“Akin,” she says, her voice calm but with an edge I’ve rarely heard before. “We need to talk.”My stomach drops. I’m suddenly afraid of what she might say. Our relationship has always been easy and light. Though I yearned for her in so many secret ways, there was never such a high wall between us as there is right now. My mind races just imagining what horrible information she feels she must tell me.I cross my arms, giving her a small nod, expecting the worst. Perhaps she’s received word from home somehow. My suspicion is increased when she pulls a note
*Maerilee*The message feels weighty in my hands as I read it, each word burrowing into my mind, stirring a confusing blend of relief and uncertainty. Permiton has tried, on a very small parchment of paper, to explain his version of events. He’s written why he turned against us, how he saw a vision of our destruction and had to make a quick decision, how there was no time to explain.In a few short words, he tries to convey that we can still trust him, that he would never truly betray us. Even still, I feel the urge to crush the paper in my fist, to rid myself of the tangled emotions twisting inside me, but instead, I reach for Brook, who’s been sitting nearby, quietly watching, waiting. I need him to read this, to make sense of it with me.“It’s from Permiton,” I say, holding the note out to him. “I’m not sure what to make of it.”He takes it carefully, his brow furrowing as his eyes scan over Permiton’s handwriting. His silence stret
*Permiton**Several Days Ago*We stand on the edge of the shoreline, and the visions attack me, sharp and violent. Each image is simply a possibility, a road that will unfurl depending on what decision we make. River and Brook stand by the water, each trying to conjure a narwhal-pulled ferry, but they’re wasting their energy. It will not come for them; they’ve been exiled. The moment the decree was made, every living organism in this country turned against them.The army wants their blood, that much is clear. When the princes stepped over the border, the army was alerted of their presence. They’re coming, no matter what we do. That is the only certainty in our future. The rest is up to us to decide.The boys, the princes, will fight. That’s what they know to do. I can see it all unfurl, the way they summon all their strength and fight off the soldiers with their water magic. They’re impressive, I can’t fault them that, but they’re arrogant. River, especially, still thinks that his tit
*Brook*It’s been a long two days since our rescue, and tensions are clearly running high. Maerilee and River slipped away to have some kind of argument, and when they came back, they sat on opposite ends of the fire. Maerilee went to sit by Akin, of course, making herself small against him as he wrapped her in his arms.I feel uncomfortable watching them, but they aren’t exactly quiet about their affection for each other. Literally. I could barely sleep the other night, hearing how wild they were for one another. It’s unfair to feel jealous about it. I know she didn’t choose this life. She wouldn’t have chosen all four of us if she’d had any say in the matter.She loves Akin. She hates River. She… doesn’t much seem to notice that I’m around. Not than anyone else does. None of the rebels have spoken to me; they’ve only spoken around me. River’s, surprisingly, been my only real companion on this journey, but only when the mood suits him. Per usual, the mood rarely does, and he often p
*River*As night begins to fall, we’re given the signal to leave our makeshift camp and start our journey to the rebel base. I don’t like it. We should be heading to Bright Waters, but of course, no one would listen to me. I’m just the spoiled former crown prince, the one everyone wishes were gone. They’d probably trade me with Permiton in a heartbeat, and that’s just if I were lucky. I could have betrayed them, too. At least their disgust with me would be more warranted.We travel for hours, picking through the harsh terrain by moonlight and dim lanterns. I have to admit, this is part of my country I’ve never experienced before, and I’d certainly prefer to be doing it in a carriage. I miss the luxuries of my station. Why did I have to give it all up for Maerilee, especially when she doesn’t even like me? Not that I like her much. She thought Permiton was one of her Four, so her judgment is clearly not worth anything.I manage to keep most of my complaints along the way to myself, kno
*Akin*The moment Caelan strode into the Oceanan camp to save us, I recognized his fighting style. There was a rhythm in the way he moved, in the stance he took. It was unmistakably Altinnian, the subtle weight shift, the way his fingers hovered near the hilt of his weapon, always prepared for the unexpected. It was something only someone trained for combat in Altinna would know, and I knew that we were saved. His rescue mission was, obviously, a complete success.I watch as he talks to Maerilee now, offering her words of assurance with a calm that doesn’t waver. When he turns to me, I can’t help the grin that pulls at my mouth.“I’m glad to be fighting alongside another Altinnian,” I say, clapping him on the shoulder. “Not to speak ill of Maerilee’s other three men, but one was a traitor, and the other two are completely spoiled princes. Literally.”He
*Maerilee*The world comes back to me in bits and pieces. Blurred shadows shift above, and damp earth presses into my back, grounding me as I try to gather my senses. I blink, my vision sharpening gradually, until I see the dense canopy overhead. Water droplets hang from leaves, refracting the faint morning light into tiny rainbows that sway and shimmer as though they’re part of a dream. It’s quiet here, with only the soft trickle of water nearby and the gentle rustling of wind in the trees. I push myself up on an elbow, and that’s when I spot them.River, Brook, and Akin are huddled around a low fire, surrounded by a group of strangers. My heart leaps as I focus on Akin, his wrists still covered, but not with chains. They’re covered in bandages, dark with some sort of balm underneath. His face is pale, but he smiles in the firelight, laughing at something one of the strangers said. Relief floods through me, so
MaerileeThe dog treat trembles in my hand, faint pulses of magic swirling around it like threads of silver. I close my eyes, focusing on the barrier I’m trying to create. The energies stretch from my fingertips, encasing the treat in an invisible shield, or at least what I hope is an invisible shield. My breath slows as I concentrate, willing the magic to hold steady. A faint hum tickles the back of my mind. My magic is attempting to do what it’s supposed to but deep down, I can feel how weak it is, how flimsy the barrier must be.I open my eyes, my gaze flicking to my dog, Duchess, curled up in a ball on my bed. Her small body rises and falls softly as she sleeps, completely unaware of the challenge I’m facing.The barrier needs to be perfect. If I can’t even manage this, what hope do I have of fortifying the one protecting our kingdom?“Just focus, Maerilee,” I murmur to myself. My fingers flex, sending another ripple of energy through the shield. It looks solid enough, a faint shi...
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