Or maybe they wouldn’t because he hadn’t listened to me either.
I was surprised to find Hayden had joined us. His eyes were cloaked in the same dark shadows I’d witnessed whenever I visited him. That sense of bleakness matched the heavy way he carried himself, as if he’d given up on everything, including himself. While Leah hadn’t been able to save his right arm, his lungs were fully healed.
Still, it was good to see Hayden outside of the bed he’d been using during his recovery, and I hoped it meant he was healing both physically and mentally.
Noticing where my attention lay, Teddy took my hand to take us to the warrior.
“Hayden.” Her voice carried a gentle, friendly tone. “It’s good to see you.”
“You as well, My Queen,” he said, bowing his head.
Teddy flinched but did her best to cover it with a nervous laugh. “Queen, that’s going to take some getting used to.”
He pressed his lips together to form a thin smile. “I’m glad to see you are well after the attack on your home.”
This time, when Teddy flinched, she wrapped her arms across her chest. The peach threads of her magic flared before she calmed them down and tucked them back inside her.
Hayden placed his hand on his chest, wincing at the motion that must’ve shot pain through his still healing wounds. “My apologies if I upset you.”
“No, no.” Her words tumbled from her. “It’s just . . . it’s been a lot to process, but what about you? How are you feeling? Is there anything we can do for you?”
Hayden’s eyes found and held mine. “I would like to ask our king a question, if I may?”
A surge of magic rose from him. It called to mine, making my power roar with the sudden need to subdue him. The hairs on my arms stood, my skin stretchinguncomfortably as I tried to fight back against the primal instincts that tugged sharply on the threads of my power. But if he was challenging me, I’d have to answer. He called his magic back, grimacing when it returned to him. As if nothing had transpired, he ran a hand over his face. Although still ashen, it held a bit more color than the last time I’d seen him.
I eyed him cautiously, trying to see more than he showed. Wondering if I could still trust this male. Surely, the magic the humans had didn’t come from him. He’d almost died because of the surge in Brenton’s magic as well as the magical fire that had raptured the compound.
“I thought it an honor when you asked me to go to the human realm with you while you forced those closest to you to remain behind,” Hayden said, his eyes darkening further before he took a slow, calming inhale. His foot tapped on the thickening snow, and that motion seemed to calm him enough that his eyes lightened. “Why did you request Ximena and I go with you when yourcompeermade it clear they wanted to go?”
Mo compeer.Hayden was correct in describing Everly, George, and Brenton asmo compeer.There wasn’t really a word in the traditional tongue that covered what it meant, but it was a mix between brothers and warrior friends. More than allies or friends but family chosen, not of blood.
“Brenton and Everly were there at our second raid,” I said rather than giving him a clear answer.
“True.” He angled his head to the side. “Before that, you never allowed them to go on missions with you. It was either me or Ximena while you always asked Alastor to go.”
I sensed the magic he suppressed, as well as the anger that was rotting him from theinside.
“You owe him nothing,”Nalari said.
From the mouth of her cave, she extended her mighty wings and soared to the air, where she circled above us.
“I owe himeverything,”I growled.“He almost died, Nalari. He lost his arm, all because of my selfishness.”
Nalari snarled in reply.“You give yourself far too much credit. He is a warrior who wanted to go on those missions with you. What he’s experiencing is unfortunate, but this is the life and path he chose.”
“Unfortunate?”
My jaw clenched. “Do you wish to know why I asked you to go on the first raid? Or why I had you come with me to return the fae from their regions before we knew of the humans’ treachery?” At my sides, my fists trembled while my magic and power stirred inside my blood but I pushed it down.
He stopped tapping his foot and narrowed his eyes at me. “Maybe your mate would also like to know why you endangered Alastor’s life while you made sure to protect . . . others.”
Beside me, Teddy stiffened, and using her mind-speak magic, I pleaded with her to allow me to handle Hayden on my own. It was the least I could do for him.
I let out a resigned sigh. “You already know the truth, Hayden, or you wouldn’t be asking me.”
He ground his teeth together. “I want you to say it.”
“It was because, as you said, I wanted to keep my longtime friends,mo compeerfar from danger.” I waved a single hand in front of me. “I’d just lost my father, my uncle, and I was selfish in wanting to protect those who’d served closely alongside me for close to one hundred years.”
