He let out a growl. “Another male’s mark is on your skin. He can summon you whenever he wants. I won’t let that stand.”
I reached up, fingers sliding into his hair. He went rigid at my touch, jaw clenched tight.
“Why?” I whispered, stroking through the silver strands. “Why am I so worried about you? At the summit, when Lysander attacked you, I didn’t think. I jumped on his back. I could’ve been killed.”
“It’s normal.”
“What is? I’m doing reckless things for you, and I don’t understand why. What is this?”
He hesitated. “What do you want it to be?”
“I—whatcanit be? I have a faerie deal, my sister is gone, and Sanguir is on the brink of war.” My hand slipped to his shoulder. “What can this possibly be?”
He smiled. “It could be everything.”
What does that mean?My mind spun with possibilities.His realm would never respect me as a consort, buteverythingmeant more than that. Did he see me as his queen?
He dragged me upright. “Come on. The border’s close.”
I stood on shaking legs.
Everything.
When we finally reached Sanguir, I could’ve wept with relief. Uther appeared through the mist, a gash bleeding down his brow, but he grinned like he’d been in a tavern brawl.
“Well, look who crawled out of the deep.”
He caught me in a one-armed hug, and I sagged against him.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” I breathed.
“’Course I am. Someone has to keep Kai humble.” He disengaged from my arms, facing Kairos. “Everyone’s regrouping on the beach.”
Kairos nodded. “Lead the way.”
We hiked the short path, and warriors staggered to their feet to greet Kairos, seawater running off armor.
“Whata battle.” Uther slapped Kairos’s arm. “Did you see that winged prick’s face when she bit him? I nearly pissed myself laughing.”
A male with a dented pauldron laughed roughly. “The Skyborn king, shrieking like a scalded cat.”
“And Aelie hanging on, ripping feathers out like she was plucking a chicken for dinner.” Uther shook his head, eyes bright with manic glee. “Beautiful. Best thing I’ve seen in fifty years.”
Laughter rippled through the gathered warriors. A few exchanged glances, smirking, but I couldn’t smile. Thesound Kairos’s body made when it cracked against the column still played in my thoughts. Lysander had gone straight for Kairos, the bastard. Completely unprovoked.
I balled my fists. “The palace was falling apart, and he didn’t care about anything except hurting you.”
Kairos’s hand settled on my shoulder. “It’s over now.”
Then why did my hands shake? Why did the mention of Lysander send a lightning strike of rage inside me? I felt out of control, dangerously close to tears.
Kairos pulled me against his side, and I leaned against him, trembling.
“In the future, don’t hurl yourself at bastards twice your size.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Uther chuckled. “Everybody stopped to watch when you jumped on him. You bought me the opening I needed to make a kill.”
“How did you survive?” I asked.
