“I think we need flyers badly, and the King is willing to secure them by any means. His laws are strict for a reason, so of all fae, he should seek to ensure you are both brought into the ranks, no matter the unusual circumstances and the nightmare it causes him with his son. I think he might support it.” His words sounded ominous.
“It’s not him I’m worried about.” I sat forward, putting my head in my hands. The way Kol talked about the heir made me want to kill him.
“I’m not so sure,” Jaxus interjected. “You don’t think he’ll give in to his son’s objections over common law?”
“I think at the end of the day, he’s the King, and he knows better than the whims of his son,” Nyx said firmly.
“Then I’ll stay,”I said resolutely.
They both looked at me as if they were fearful of losing me from the decision alone. I had no doubt I was putting myself in the path of danger, but if there was a chance to be near her, I would take it. We were too far gone for my ludicrous notions of freedom to ever work out.
Nyx and Jaxus began discussing plans, and I wanted to throw myself off the tallest tower. The weight of the risk this also posed to Caly began to set in.By staying, I was willingly angering her betrothed, and that might drive him to keep her from me. Would I ever see her again?
An intense need to reach her burned through me like a wildfire, and I allowed myself to finally reach out to her.
“Are you okay?”I asked, hoping our bond would reach across the palace.
“Yes.”Her word was clipped. “Are you?”
“I’m fine. I’m talking to Nyx about how to explain my presence to the King.”
“What?”she asked carefully.
“We didn’t think through explaining you showing up with a dragon. Now I’ve been seen, so I’ll have to stay or risk running forever. But if I stay, at least we’ll be able to see each other sometimes,”I told her tentatively, getting a bad feeling from the caution in her tone.
“You can’t stay,”she snapped. Her words broke something inside me.
Does she want rid of me that badly?
“Why?”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“Nyx said the King may allow you to be my ryder…”I didn’t understand her sudden objection.
“Arkyn will never allow it.”She was curt. Nothing like she’d been with me the last week.
“Did something happen?”I asked.
“Get away from here, Faolan. You have to save yourself,”she pressed, almost pleading.
“Talk to me, Caly.”
“I have to go. It’s being noticed that I’m distracted. Please go. You won’t ever be safe here.”
I was left reeling and useless to the conversation Nyx and Jaxus were still having. Why would she tell me to leave?I thought—I guess I thought we were both realizing we could’t be apart.
I triedto reach out to her every candle mark over the next day and most of the night, but got no reply and finally went to see Kol to see if he could intercede.
“Have you talked to Nova?”I demanded as soon as he let me into his chambers.
“I saw her this morning.” Kol looked withdrawn. More so than he’d been before our escape. He paced and looked like he’d lost more weight.
“And how was she?”
“She seemed okay.” He slid his hands into his pockets.
“Did you see Caly?” I hated that I had to ask or pull it out of him.
