“Ifwe go to war, I want you to stay back with Avery. Who will be with her if you’re not there?”
Kyla shook her head. “If you think Avery won’t be at the front, then you’re a fool and need to have a serious talk with yoursoulmate. She made it clear that she wants to help stop the Goldoth witches.”
This was news to him. He’d planned to keep Avery back, just as he’d promised her at the Towers after her kidnapping. Savine told her that he would never make her face a battle again, and he meant it.
“What are you saying about me?” Avery asked, walking into his office without knocking. Behind her was Rue at her side. The shifter scowled at him. She’d avoided him since he decided to keep Selene separated from her.
Regardless of what was going to happen, he needed to let Rue unite with her soulmate. Although it had only been a few days, it was no better of him to keep Selene from Rue as it had been for her to take Avery away from him. Even with all the pain Selene had caused him, he couldn’t do that to Rue. He made a mental note to personally escort Selene to Rue’s room this evening.
“Kyla seems to think you will be fighting if we go to war,” Savine’s words came out coolly.
Avery came close enough for him to smell her sweet scent. “Kyla is right. The witches are needed in the battle. How else are we going to use deep magic to end the battle?”
“Ave,” he growled.
“I am these warriors’ queen. I’m not going to stand by while they battle a force more powerful than our own. Especially not when I can use deep magic.”
The wind howled against the window, sending a chill into the room, despite the fire and the added essence to the King’s Residence.
“I promised you that you’d never have to face another battle, and I’m standing by that promise.”
Avery wrapped her arms around his waist, craning her neck to look at him from this angle. “Savine, sometimes things change.And I feel ready for this. Please trust me that I can do this with Morgan and Susan.”
Savine sighed. “If we go to war, you are not leaving my line of vision this time. Do not burn yourself out. If you feel even a little bit over set we will both leave the battle.”
Avery rolled her eyes. “Okay, old man. I know. Possessive and obsessive.”
He pulled Avery closer, bending over to lick the rounded contours of her ear. “You have no idea just how possessive and obsessive I can be.”
He felt the heat of Avery’s skin flare, smelled her arousal. “And you like me this way,” he murmured.
Avery gave him a knowing smile. “Too bad you’re busy deliberating on whether to go to war or not. Where’s Raikin and Garnel, anyway?”
Savine shook his head. Damn his responsibilities. “Raikin is completing inventory for me. Garnel and Jay have ordered the warriors to report. Typically, I give my warriors leave during the winter. Even in the winter encampment I wouldn’t require as much service from them. Training would continue, of course, and everyone would pitch in to maintain camp. But, we weren’t actively battling, thanks to the mountains dividing Latiah. I’d already released many of the warriors for leave this winter and many have chosen to be united with family rather than stay near the King's Residence. Both sides deserved a break after so many years of conflict.”
“And now they may be facing another war.“ Avery shook her head, and Savine could almost feel the tension in her body. “It doesn’t seem right to ask them to fight in another war when they’ve just returned home.”
“Yet, the alternative would be to leave our borders vulnerable to Goldoth’s attacks. If this war is inevitable, I’d rather fight it inthe Wastewaters or Nephel than allow my folk to be devastated by war once again.”
There was no easy choice, and Savine was running out of time to decide.
Chapter 50
Morgan
Not a single star shone through the thick cloud cover in the sky. The blackness of the night sent a tingle down Morgan’s spine, reminding her of those dark places that haunted her dreams. The distant beating of drums that had chilled her to the core had stopped only an hour ago. Avery hadn’t come. Tomorrow they would face an attack by Goldoth and her sister hadn’t come to her side. She pushed through the fear, stepping back into her room and toward the silent hallway.
She’d promised herself she wouldn’t be afraid of battle. She had spent the last few months developing the skills she neededto wield her magic, and with Susan at her side, they’d find a way to stop this conflict before it could decimate either side.
But there was this twinge of doubt that kept creeping into her mind. Despite hours of meditation and working through her nerves, Morgan couldn’t get the thought that she could die with Rylo hating her from her mind.
He’d avoided her for days, keeping her at a distance, and choosing his words carefully. His coolness stung her more than she was prepared to admit.
Nobody stopped her as she walked on silent feet to Rylo’s room. Two guards stood outside the door. When they saw her coming, one stepped into his room, no doubt warning Rylo of his guest.
But Rylo didn’t come to her. The guard returned to his post, saying, “King Rylo is occupied at the moment.”
Morgan could hear muffled conversation from his room. Rylo’s slow drawl mixed with a sweet feminine voice. A pang of jealousy stung her chest. Maybe she really didn’t mean anything to him.
