That the gods forgot him, refused him, denied him time and again, and there was no one in the entire kingdom who understood.
He’d thought himself alone in that, but now he saw the truth, as Ezer’s words washed over him.
Ezer had been forgotten, too.
“If you’ve a problem with what I do, Prince Laroux,” she said, “then I will gladly step aside and allow you to mind Six yourself. Punish me if you wish. But there is nothing you can do to me. Nothing you can take. Not magic or family or –” she paused, her voice breaking. “There isnothingleft.”
Behind her, the raphon had shifted, its eyes wide...
Almost as if in understanding.
He watched, silent, as Six padded across the stall and placed her enormous beak on Ezer’s small shoulder. It sighed deeply, breath reeking, and Ezer seemed to soften under that monstrous touch.
It was gentle. Beautiful.
And Kinlear’s heart broke at the sight of it.
He felt a familiar burn in his eyes. Gods...was he going tocry?
He had to get out of here. He had to walk away, carrying his shame like a boulder on his back. He winced as he stood, using his cane.
But before he left...
He turned back to her.
“I apologize if I hurt you. That was never my intention.” Gods, he was sorry. He was so damned sorry he hadn’t seenher...only the future he wanted for them both. “But for what it’s worth, Raphonminder, you have no clue what sort of confines I live within. What pain I live with. And what sort of fate awaitsme,if this plan fails.”
He left her with Six in the darkness.
And walked, alone, back out into the light.
22
He didn’t know how long he sat outside the catacombs.
At some point, the day had shifted, and the war rumbled with oncoming night...but still, he sat. Seething. Going over every interaction, in present day, that they’d ever had.
He was an asshole.
He was a savior.
He was, admittedly, trying to give her theworld,but only because he’d seen how great she would be. But perhaps he’d pushed too far. Perhaps he’d simply thrown her to the wolves. And she knew better than anyone in Lordach...wolves were no one’s friend.
So, with a sigh, with his pride set aside, Kinlear re-entered the catacombs and made his way back to Six’s cage to apologize.
He would eat his words.
He would choke on them if it made things right.
“Ezer, I?—”
He paused just out of sight, because what he saw, inside Six’s cage?
What hesaw...
His blood practically hummed, for it was the turning of the tide.
Six was kneeling to her –bowing– her scarred beak pressed so close to the ground that the shavings scattered aside with each breath she took.
