Everyone watched, and a hush fell over the hall.
Stomach tumbling, I rose from my seat.
At the front of the table, the king and queen were still sipping their wine, but their gazes tracked our movements. The slight flare to his mother’s nostrils and the king’s curling lip told me they were not impressed with their son’s behavior.
But Jax said loudly enough for everyone in attendance to hear, “Elowen? May I escort you from the hall back to my tower?”
His devotion was so fierce. So purposeful. My mate bond hummed with love, and his lips curved in a satisfied smile.
Despite the royals’ rebuff, we would find a way to make his parents accept me. But that obviously wasn’t happening anytime soon.
I dipped into a curtsy and snagged a quick look at Alec, Bowan, Lander, and Trivan. They were still seated, but I had a feeling eventually they would all make their way out to join us at ten when we met with Quinn.
Fatigue made my legs feel heavy when Jax and I walked from the hall, but the second we were released from prying eyes, the prince stopped and tugged me into a dark corner.
“Gods, my love. I’m so sorry. It was atrocious how my parents treated you.” His aura billowed around me, and his arms slipped around my waist. “Please forgive me for allowing that.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t allow anything. We expected as much, right?”
He huffed. “It doesn’t make it any better.” He brushed his knuckles against my cheek. “Are you going to tell me now what’s going on with you or why I found you outside earlier when I could have sworn you’d been walking at my side on our way to supper?”
I nodded. A chill swept over me at what I’d done, but then I reminded myself that nothing adverse had happened. I’d simply used my lorafin magic to the extent of my capabilities. Nobody was any the wiser. And no innocents had been harmed.
I squeezed his hand and tugged him back to the center of the hall. “Let’s go to your tower. This conversation is best held behind a warded and locked door.”
My eyes were drooping so badlyby the time I finished telling Jax everything that had happened in the past six weeks that I was nodding off.
We were in his suite, and I was lying on his bed. Jax, however, jumped up from where he’d been sitting beside me and began to pace. “Guardian Alleron broke free and reported me to the kingsfae, andallof us were arrested and likely to be executed?”
I nodded. “His accusations worked, and the kingsfae began an investigation. I don’t know all of what they uncovered, but they said they had irrefutable proof. Your trial was still ongoing when I twisted fate, but both Lars’s and Phillen’s had ended. They were set to be executed the week following. There was no way to free any of you, so I did the only thing I could think of to ensure your freedom.”
“Gods.” Jax raked both hands through his hair. Behind him, the night sky shone through the window. “Idid that to you. I’m the reason you had to go through all of that agony, and spend all of those weeks on the Isle of Song, and change the course of our realm, putting yourself at risk in the process.”
“What? No, you didn’t.” I straightened more from where I lay on his bed. “You didn’t do anything to me. Myguardiancaused that mess. Well, him and Lady Aerobelle.”
Jax returned to my side, his brow furrowing as a look of pure anguish covered his features. “No, Elowen, as much as I would like to blame the both of them too, I can’t. If I wasn’t the Dark Raider,noneof that would have happened. It’s exactly what I’ve always feared—that I would be caught, and you would be the one to suffer because of it. It’s why I knew I needed to let you go when we first met.” He ran his finger along my cheek. “But I was too weak. I couldn’t let you go.”
I forced myself to shake off my fatigue and face him more. “I don’twant youto let me go. If needed, I would twist fate a hundred times over to save you.”
A low snarl rumbled in his chest, and he jumped up from the bed again. “No, that’s never going to happen. I willneverput you in that position again.” His movements grew more agitated, his strides even longer.
“What are you saying?”
He paced a few more times, then returned to my side, sitting on the bed again, but energy streamed out of him. “I’m saying that I think the time has come for me to no longer be the Dark Raider.”
My eyes widened. “Are you serious? But you’ve been doing it for so many summers. It’s who you are. It’s how you feel you’re making a difference and helping others.”
“True, but I’m also a crown prince. There are other ways I can help those in our kingdoms who don’t have a voice. It’ll be harder and require more political dealings and will probably have fewer rewarding payoffs.” His look turned dark, and I couldn’t help but think that he was imagining what he’d done to Lordling Neeble. “But if that role puts you at risk, I’m hanging up my mask tonight.”
My chest tightened, and his love for me flooded toward me on our bond. “You would really do that forme?”
Blazing devotion shone in his eyes when he met my gaze. “I would doanythingfor you, my love.”
I lay back, and he followed me. His large body pressed into my side.
“Whatever made you become the Dark Raider anyway?” I asked. “You told me once that something specific had set it off. What was it?”
A sad smile lifted his lips. “It was Bastian.”
