It had taken almost three weeks to make this journey once we started it, but now that we were here, I didn’t feel any relief over our travel finally coming to an end. I was tenser now than I had been for the past six months.
We’d spent those months hunting craetons and putting an end to what remained of their rebellion. It had been more battles and fights, more possible death, but now, there was little left for us to do in the Wilds. We would have to continuously monitor them to ensure there were no new uprisings, but we could return to the wall without fear of a new rebellion taking root while we were gone.
For the first time, I could take a break from the fighting, return to the wall, and sleep without my sword beside me. Leaving the Wilds and the fight behind hadn’t bothered me. Returning to the wall did.
Six months had passed, but in all that time, I hadn’t seen my king.
And now it would be impossible to avoid him.
“Stop,” Wrath said and rested his hands over mine when I twisted Zorn’s mane around my fingers. “It will be okay.”
“Promise me you won’t try to kill Kobal,” I said.
“I’ve promised you that a thousand times already.”
“But I don’t know how you’re going to react once youseehim.”
I worried the sight of Kobal might push him into a rage he couldn’t control. If that happened, Kobal would kill him. My stomach turned over at the possibility, and I closed my eyes against the sickness twisting in my gut.
His hands squeezed mine. “I willneverdo anything to hurt you. I’m not sure how I’m going to feel about seeing the varcolac either, but I willnotrisk your life orus, Bale. I will not try to kill him. I love you too much for that.”
I melted at his words, but I still couldn’t stop my palms from sweating and my heart from hammering. Like a light going off inside my head, I realized my nervousness had little to do with how Wrath would react to seeing Kobal, and everything to do with howKobalwould react to seeingme.
Kobal knew the horsemen were dead and Wrath was my Chosen, but I had no idea how he’d taken the news of my joining with a man who was once one of our greatest enemies. I hadn’t abandoned our cause or changed sides, but I had no idea how Kobal felt about me.
Doeshe still trust me?
He must, or else he would have pulled me from the Wilds months ago, or maybe… maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he preferred me out there, away from River and his family.
Kobal and I had fought together for centuries, he was my king, but he was also my friend and my family, and I didn’t want to lose that. I didn’t want to lose any of them, but if they didn’t want Wrath here, I would leave with my Chosen. They were my family, and they always would be, but he was my Chosen, my love, and my future.
Realizing I was knotting Zorn’s mane again, I released his hair and placed my hands in my lap. Wrath kept his hands enclosed on mine as we continued down the hill toward the vast field before the wall.
Wrath stiffened against me when the two fiery blue drakón swept into view and hurtled across the land toward us. “Holy shit,” he murmured.
“It’s okay,” I assured him. “They won’t attack us.”
“I’ve been on the other side of a battle with those things; they might remember it.”
“I’m sure they do. They’re a lot more intelligent and loyal than I ever would have thought before I got to know them better.”
“I’m going to get down and away from you.”
“No. They also remembermeand know I’m not a threat to River. Besides, River wouldn’t let them attack us.”
“They might think they have no choice and are protecting her. I’m getting down.”
“No. If they were going to attack, they would be less likely to do it with me sitting here.”
It was the truth, but I held my breath as the drakón soared closer. The two gigantic beasts roared as their shadows swept over us before they turned to the side and swept back toward the wall. My breath rushed out of me, and my shoulders slumped a little as Wrath relaxed.
Now that the drakóns were gone, my attention shifted to the cloud of dust rising on the horizon. A group of vehicles appeared as they crossed the field toward us. They were coming to greet us, and Kobal would be with them. I started fiddling with Zorn’s mane again.
When the vehicles arrived, we all stopped and dismounted as demons and humans unloaded from the trucks. I spotted Kobal instantly amid the others. It was impossible to miss him as he was taller than those surrounding him and the markings of the varcolac were visible across his chest and arms. However, the child strapped to his chest covered some of those markings.
His gaze scanned us as he held out a hand to help River from the back of the truck. She jumped down to stand beside him before rising on tiptoe to poke her son’s nose. The child’s laughter drifted on the air to us.
Then River lifted her younger brother, Bailey, from the truck. She set him on the ground as her other brother, Gage, jumped out of the vehicle to stand beside her. Nadine and Randy followed him. Cuddled in Nadine’s arms was Oliver, the little boy we rescued from the minotaur.
