The overwhelming desire to ensure that everyone is all right has me inching upright. I grit my teeth against the pain until I’m propped on one arm. Ulric sits hunched over in the corner, his face buried in the neck of his jacket. The fabric does nothing to dull the snore coming out of him. It’s animalistic.
“Where’s Raelle?” I ask, a tight ball of worry growing in my gut.
Terro runs his palm over his jaw and returns to watching the entrance. “She’s with Greer and Ashavee.”
“And where are they?”
“You need to relax, man. The three of them are a force to be reckoned with. They can take out you, me, and Ulric in no time.”
My worry shifts to panic. “Where. Are. They?” I repeat, gritting my teeth.
He stands and moves toward me with his hand out like he is trying to keep me from attacking. I already know what’s coming, but it still hits me like a blow to the stomach when he says, “They left this morning before sunrise to find the Imperium. You’ve been out for an entire night and day.”
I get to my feet, the pain in my arm and chest an afterthought compared to my anger. “You let them go alone! You’re here to protect her. That’s your job, Terro.”
“My job is to serve my kingdom, and as ruler of said kingdom, you are a priority to me! Especially when you can’t fend for yourself.”
“She is what is important! There is no kingdom without her! Her, not me.” My words boom through the quiet night, but he doesn’t so much as bat an eye.
“If you die, there is no heir. Pliris dies with you.”
“Fuck you and your semantics.”
“Fuck you and your self-sacrificing bullshit,Your Majesty.”
“Fuck both of ya, acting like assholes while I’m tryin’ to sleep.” Ulric grumbles from his corner. “Put your dicks away and shut up.”
Terro and I stare each other down, our chests heave and hands clench at our sides. This man is my brother. What he would do for me is no different from what I would do for him. I’d never leave him behind. If I had to, I’d carry him on my back. It’s unfair of me to expect any less from him, but I can’t see past the danger Raelle is in.
I rip my gaze from him and stumble for the exit. “I’m going for a walk,” I mumble.
“Kyron,” he says, turning to follow me.
“If she can handle finding the Imperium on her own, I can handle pissing on my own,” I say, my irritation oozing from each word.
Terro curses under his breath and doesn’t follow.
I trudge through the snow, going further into the rock maze than necessary. The chilled air burns my lungs, and every step has my torso throbbing. I welcome the pain. It’s an excellent damper on the anger boiling just below the surface. I loathe that Raelle is facing the unknown without me. Whatever the Statera throws at her, she will handle it with strength and grace, but she shouldn’t have to do it without me bearing some of that burden.
Granted, we don’t make a formidable team right now. My current condition alone should stop me from feeling upset with her. But fuck, she left while I had no say. The logical side of my brain knows I would have been a liability, not only to her but to everyone. I would have slowed them down and been useless during a battle. She’s safer because I’m not holding her back. But reason never rules where she is concerned. The man who loves her with every fiber of my soul is furious that she left. I can’t stomach the thought that something might happen to her.
Bracing my arm on a frozen boulder that’s taller than me, I set to work emptying my full bladder. The sigh that leaves me would be embarrassing if anyone was around to hear it.
I situate myself before turning around and stopping dead in my tracks. A giant of a man stands across from me. His meaty arms crossed over his exposed, hairy chest. The cropped hair on the top of his head uncovered, with flakes of snow peppered through it. He has no coat, nothing to ward off the cold. Not that he needs it. The bulging muscles on every inch of him are sure to keep him warm.
“Hello, Your Majesty,” he says, peering at me through hooded eyes.
“Do I know you?” I ask, sliding my hand to my hip, only to find my sword missing.
His thin lips pull into a sinister grin, sending a shiver down my spine. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure, but I’mveryfamiliar with your pretty little plaything. Where is she?”
“My pretty littleplaything? I don’t know who you’re talking about,” I say, keeping my eyes on him and my tone flat. On the inside, I want to rip him to shreds. His blatant disrespect for my parah tells me all I need to know about him. He’s here to finish what his friends started and take Raelle back to his king. I’ll be damned if I let that happen.
I step back and call upon my flames and shadows. My fingertips tingle and my palms warm, but nothing sparks to life like it should. The hours I’ve spent healing have depleted my energy. My gifts are there, humming beneath the surface, but I can’t bring them forth.
“You know exactly who I’m talking about.” He steps closer. “She’s pretty when she cries, even prettier when she bleeds. That smooth freckled skin on her back was made for a whip.”
All self-control leaves me. I spring forward and snarl, “You sick son of a bitch.”
