AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Aye, and a beautiful name it is. My name is Grian.”
“Are you old, Grian?” Hakon asked, and despite everything, Jermon smiled. Leave it to kids to ask the direct questions.
“Much, much older than you.”
“Are you sad you’re dying?”
She stretched out her hand and cupped Hakon’s cheek. “I’m sad to leave my sons, but no, it will be a blessing. One day, when the time has come for you, you’ll understand that. But you’ll live a long, full life, my child. You’ll find three mates of your own, just like your dads, and you’ll have a house full of children. But best of all, your reign will bring peace. The wolves and the dragons will become one, and the world will be better for it.”
Lidon’s eyes had filled with tears. “Thank you, Queen Grian. I will treasure those words forever.”
He wasn’t the only one who had grown emotional. Everyone in the barn had watched the interaction with bated breath, and more than a few people were crying.
She turned her attention back to her sons. “Call Erwan.”
“Mom, we can’t. We tried, but his phone isn’t working.”
“Phone? Use your magic, son.”
“I don’t know how.”
“I do. Hold my hand, all three of you. You too, my daughter,” she said to Emma. As soon as Emma touched her, the queen’s eyes lit up. “Oh, what wonderful news.”
Of course she’d sensed the eggs.
“Close your eyes and find each other’s fire, the way you did when you woke me.”
They did as she told them, and the threads connecting them rippled inside Jermon.
“Feel that strong thread, the thickest one? That’s Erwan. Follow it, Jermon. Trust your magic. Your powers are so much stronger than you know.”
He traced the thread in his mind like he was unraveling a knot, trying to find the beginning of one of the threads so he could pull it. Time seemed to stop, and everything faded like he was suspended in time and space. All he could see was that thread, and he didn’t let go, even though he grew more and more tired. His energy would get a boost, and then he’d drain it again, only to get another bump. That had to be the others.
Wait, there it was! He’d found the end of the thread. He’d reached Erwan. Shit, he’d forgotten to ask what he should do next. But if he let go now, he might not be able to connect again. No, he had to do this himself.
He focused and sent his last energy to the end of the thread.
Mom is dying. Come home.
Chapter Eighteen
“The Murphys vote in favor.”
King Ennis’s voice was weak but still carried through the room, an audible gasp from everyone on its heels, Erwan’s included. Of all the likely scenarios he could have imagined, this one hadn’t been on his Bingo card, as Rhene would say.
“King Ennis, you should?—”
One hand gesture from the king and Kerry shut up.
All the people in the room turned toward King Ennis, tracking his slow, deliberate movements. By the time he’d found his seat, he was panting, yet he looked healthier than he had before, especially for a man who supposedly hadn’t been feeling well this morning.
“My liege, I really don’t think you?—”
Alistair, too, was cut off with a single wave. Whatever the other leaders of the Murphy clan might’ve done to weaken the king’s power, he still yielded considerable influence if they were this respectful of him. Well, respectful maybe wasn’t the best word. Scared? Intimidated? Erwan didn’t know why they heeded his commands, but they did.
King Ennis took his time catching his breath, and it felt like the entire room collectively held its own. What on earth was going on? Why the sudden change of heart?
The king cleared his throat. “The Murphys vote in favor of acknowledging King Erwan as the legitimate heir to the Doyle throne and declare his father and uncle the usurpers.”
