“Kill you,” Kol said with certainty.
“Exactly. Nyx seems to think everyone will just accept it, and she and I will seamlessly fit into the legion, and the future King will allow it.”
Kol snorted. “Arkyn doesn’t share.”
“Most King's don’t. I’m not going to stick around for my own funeral.”
“I don’t blame you.” Kol rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.
“You shifted,” I said to Kol to get the attention off of myself.
“I know.”Kol looked queasy about the whole thing.
“You good?”I asked, wanting to check in but knowing he was done with coddling.
He lifted his shoulders, rubbing a spot on his chest absentmindedly. “Undecided.”
Another tattoo? How many did he have? While most of it was gone, light green pigment still held at least some of the magic in place. I can’t imagine what it would be like to fight against magic like that.
“Hey, at least you were able to when it mattered.” Something inside me wanted to thank him for saving my—her. But I absolutely would not put that into words.
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it again.”
I frowned. “I’m sure you will.”
Kol hesitated, then said under his breath, “It doesn’t feel right.”
“What doesn’t feel right?” I asked, leaning in to hear him better.
“My dragon. I feel disconnected when I’m in that form.”
“What do you mean?” I’d never heard anything like that in all my days.
“I can’t describe it any better than that. Like—maybe I don’t have full control—or I’m not myself.”
I winced, trying to stop it as it happened, but knowing it was too late, and Kol had already seen it. “That’s not good.”
“I can’t—” Kol cut himself off as Nyx approached.
“There you two are. Can you help us secure the palace?”
“Of course,”I said on behalf of us both. Nyx would know Kol was out of sorts, but I felt the need to protect him for some reason. I had to get a grip. I was not here to make friends and tie myself down further to that damned kingdom. Every day that went by seemed to give me more to care about leaving behind, and I couldn’t stand it.
We secured the palace and its inhabitants, leaving Kol to guard the prince and the sisters.
“I’m concerned about leaving him,” Nyx admitted as we left the gates of the palace to assess what lay beyond. I saw the desperate concern in his eyes.
“Listen, I don’t know Kol well, but he seems like he is doing okay with everything.”
Nyx scoffed.
Zaria clasped Nyx’s arm in support of her mate. “I think Faolan is right, Nyx. He is coping better than you think.”
“Then why is he rejecting me?” Nyx bellowed, immediately showing regret for snapping at his mate. He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head, holding her for a long moment. I had to assume he was whispering his apologies into her mind since no words crossed his lips. But they both seemed to relax.
“I don’t want to speak for him,” I said tentatively, “But maybe he’s just afraid that you won’t accept this new version of him.”
Nyx lifted his eyes to me over Zaria’s head. “I will accept any version of him there is,” he sighed. “I just want my brother back.”
