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This could be their last chance to do this.
He wrapped both arms around her waist and drew her close to him, tasting the sweetness of her lips. They had no time to lose—the guards could arrive at any moment. But he didn’t want to let go, either.
This was the reminder of why they needed to fight, of what they might lose. He withdrew, brushing the hair out of her face. If only she hadn’t been so stubborn and worn a damn helmet.
“Nava…” He clutched her hand, trying to inhale around the tightness squeezing his chest. “I’m glad I got to fall in love with you two times. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“We aren’t saying goodbye, Arkimedes,” she said.
“Do you have the knife?”
“Right here.” She patted the satchel hanging across her chest.
However useless the artifact the king had provided was, it would probably be better than a regular iron sword. They had decided Nava would wield it, as she might be able to transfer close enough to use it.
“Good. Now hide and don’t come out until you see Leir is distracted, even if I’m struggling.”
“Don’t ask me anything you wouldn’t do yourself.” Nava traced his jaw with a single finger before tapping his cheek. “So it’s best if you don’t get in too much trouble.”
One moment she was solid, and the next she was gone, transferring away with the evening breeze that rustled the canopy of leaves above them.
40
ARKIMEDES
The first group of guards landed shortly after the king. They crept into the clearing with quiet steps, listening for anything that might be amiss. Only the crunch of debris under their boots and their heavy breathing broke the evening silence.
The king strolled toward Arkimedes as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Was the kingdom lending him the energy he needed for this?
“I’m here as you demanded.” The king frowned as his eyes cut to the tree, and his features morphed into an expression that was hard to read. Anger, disappointment—sadness?
No. Monsters didn’t feel remorse.
“I did as you told me and used my connection to the forest,” Nava’s voice came through their bond. “The trees told me the emissary is slightly north of here, close to Ari’s home.”
She had tapped into the power she’d used back at the castle and found them a location.
Arkimedes withdrew the ring from his pocket, a feat with all the armor he wore, and placed it into his father’s outstretched hand. Here, amidst the darkness, where there was almost no light, the green stone at the center of the ring glowed with magic.
“This should call Leir when you put it on. Nava said he is north of here, so you and the guards have enough time to hide.”
The king’s eyes flickered as he clenched the ring in his fist and stepped toward the tree, the nut in his throat bobbing as he swallowed. “I didn’t want her to die, Orion.”
“You didn’t want her to die when you tied her to this tree and set it on fire?” Arkimedes asked and fell away toward the trees that would become his cover.
“Briar betrayed me long before I forsook her,” the king continued. His shadows swirled around him as he stepped behind the tree. “She cheated on me for years. I didn’t even know about Leir’s existence. Then she took you away. She broke my heart first.”
If only that were true. But Arkimedes had read the diary and all his mother had written about her feelings for the king and how insignificant he made her feel. She’d been lonely in that castle while he slept with his concubines.
“I don’t care about your woes. You killed her, and that’s all I need to know.”
A gasp came from the edge of the clearing. Perhaps some of the guards hadn’t known the truth, but it didn’t matter if they discovered the king’s true nature.
Arkimedes studied the guards. Some had raised their shields and pointed weapons in his direction. Shifting on their feet, they hid in between the trees. Their auras bloomed much like his, and their solid bodies became part of the shadows.
Arkimedes rolled his shoulders to ease the strain that had built in his injured wings. Closing his eyes, he focused on the way the ground trembled beneath his feet, a gentle murmur that responded to his power.
“The forest is uneasy. It remembers Leir brings the demons and fires. He is coming toward us now,” Nava’s voice rang in his mind.
