Page 17 of A Courage of the Chosen

“You bring shame on the Darrow family. If you are who you say you are. Your little light trick proves nothing.” His voice is steeped in loathing. “Such a pathetic excuse for a Seelie.”

I round on Hume and plaster on a wide smile. “Anything else you’d like to say, Hume?”

He steps in, and I fight every instinct to not move with him to maintain the space between us. Not because I fear him, but because I don’t want him even remotely close to me.

“I’ve noticed you haven’t been wearing the Craobh Beatha lately. Where is it, Elspeth?”

My stomach hollows out, and I plead with my heart to remain calm so he can’t hear it race. “That’s none of your concern.”

Hume laughs once, saying everything he needs to in the way his eyes flick down to my chest where it would sit, like he knows where it really is and he’s waiting for the perfect moment to expose me.

“I’m sure you’ve kept it safe,” he drawls.

I keep my face blank, and offer nothing in response.

Hume’s upper lip twitches when I don’t rise to that challenge. “King Raghnall would have this sorted by now.”

Holding my hands behind my back, I tilt my head, my braid slipping over my shoulder. “I’m sorry, you must have misheard the part where I repeatedly told you this was his doing in the first place. Was I not clear enough?”

He leans in, his breath washing over my face. “Such pretty lies. I’m going to prove that you’re nothing but a fraud. You will fail, and I will relish in watching you suffer.”

A bit of his spit lands on my cheek, and I calmly lift my hand to wipe it away.

Gross.

A presence is suddenly behind me, closer than should be comfortable.

“Say one more word against her, and it will be your last.”

My eyes shutter closed as the gravely fire in that tone feels like home.

My mind flits back to holding him down as the healer drew out the toxin of Tavish’s magic, how he thrashed and hissed and cursed as she saved his life. How I whispered that everything was going to be okay down the bond that springs to life in my chest and stretches out like a cat in the sun whenever he’s near. The amber-and-pepper-laced scent that calls to parts of me I’d shut off and buried deep after being betrayed so badly. Until him. Until he’d shown me how to start trusting again.

Callahan.

I peer over my shoulder at him, holding back my whimper of relief at the clean clothes, the tousled milk-chocolate hair no longer coated in his own blood, and the mask of anger as he stares down at Hume. I want to collapse into his chest and have him hold me after the pressure of the last few days without him.

I’d last seen him stretched out in the medical tent, unconscious and barely holding onto life. I left him with a kiss to his forehead not knowing how he would recover, or even if he would.

I had to be forced to leave Callahan behind. Reminded by Brodie that this was bigger than the two of us, no matter how badly I wanted everything else to pause until I could speak to him. To see those gray storms in his eyes and assure myself he was okay.

Life isn’t that gracious.

Callahan’s wound wasn’t large, but the amount of magic that had been forced into him was a lot more than any of us realized when Brodie and Eòghann dragged him off that field at my command.

Brodie promised he would stay with Cal, and guard him while the healers continued to work, it was the only way I could stand to leave. Deep down I knew it needed to be done, but that emptiness in my chest where his bond lives was an ache I’ve tried to ignore for the past few days.

The emptiness is filled now. Teeming with our magic, and the emotions neither of us bother to hide.

Callahan may have a face like thunder, and eyes that promise pain, but underneath it, he’s just as relieved as me.

Brodie stands a few paces behind him, long dark hair braided behind his back, and an equally unpleasant expression as he glares at Hume with a look that reminds me of how dangerous my friend can be.

“Who are you?” Hume spits, taking a nervous step away from me, and the growling Seelie at my back.

“Hume, meet Callahan Knox. Callahan, meet Hume Renfrow, advisor to Raghnall.”

At the mention of the false king’s name, a low growl slips from both Callahan and Brodie, and Hume gulps heavily.