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"Micah, you don't understand..." Kendrick started.
"I'm sorry Kendrick but my answer is no. Ever since that night five thousand years ago my family has worked and died creating this book. I'm not trying to be difficult, but my family swore an oath to our true king and queen and I won't be the one to break it. My duty is to not only reveal to the world what happened but to also make the ones responsible pay for what they've done."
Kendrick blinked back tears. Micah felt terrible. "I know it's overwhelming to hear at first..."
Kendrick stood and walked around the table. Micah thought for sure he was going to take a swing and was shocked when he was pulled to his feet and into a massive hug.
"Uh, Kendrick. We're both mated..."
Kendrick began to chuckle. When he stepped back Micah could see tears on his cheeks. "Okay. Great meeting, I gotta go."
"My name is Julian Stormhart. My parents were driven from Storm Keep five thousand years ago and the only ones who could have possibly have accomplished all you've said are the supposedly murdered members of the Whiteoak family. The intelligence agency my mother created," Kendrick drew in a shaky breath.
Micah's chest constricted and his throat closed. For some reason he couldn't seem to get any air. He grabbed at his throat and looked up at Kendrick in a panic.
Kendrick's hand went to his back forcing him to bend in half. "Easy, shallow breaths. In. Out. In. Out," he said softly.
"D-d-dyin-n-g," Micah gasped. He turned to look up at the man allowing him to die.
"No, you're not dying, you're having a panic attack," Kendrick said grinning down at him.
Kendrick eased him back onto the bench and sat down next to him facing the opposite direction as he leaned against the table. "Better?"
Micah kept a hand on his chest. "I think so." He glared at him. "Why aren't you dead?"
Kendrick raised a brow. "How do you exist? My mother was certain that her closest friends died giving them time to escape. She said it was as if the castle rose up to fight off the attackers, but it wasn't enough."
Micah blinked repeatedly. Kendrick said mother, but he was talking about their queen, his queen! Kendrick nudged him. "Right. Sorry. My gran was training with a unit and survived. She's the one who started the book.
"My family started serving yours before the end of the Great War. Your mother used intelligence they gathered to avoid bloody battles. After the war ended, they followed the royal couple and took up different positions in the castle.
"The Ashleighs became the sword and the Ironwoods the shield. They were meant to be seen, respected and feared to do their jobs. But my family had to blend in to do their jobs, so they became the maids, the cooks, the stable hands and every other possible position that would give them the most access to the kingdom.
"The Ashleighs and the Ironwoods lost the elder generation the ones who lived in the
castle, but the younger ones survived because they lived together on larger estates next to the castle.
"Your mother was right. One entry in the book said, that on the night of the attack, the intruders were engaged at every turn. Nearly every servant, my family, took up arms and it was barely enough to get them out alive."
Kendrick shook his head. "That book. The missing piece of the puzzle. The only thing in existence that could prove to others that something did happen five thousand years ago."
Micah spun on the bench to face him. "Why haven't you done anything? You could have taken back the city..." He stopped Kendrick just smirked at him. "Right, it's hard to take a back a city when they don't remember who you are."
Kendrick gave a one shoulder shrug. "And I was protecting something very important." Micah frowned. Kendrick continued. "My brother Keelan."
Micah felt his chest constrict. Kendrick whacked him a few times. "We're not doing this again."
"Keelan is hurt!" Micah shouted. Keelan was one of his princes. The last of the line he was sworn to protect.
"Yes, I know. Though, technically he isn't hurt at all, he's just not in his body at the moment."
"Can't you put him back in?" Micah asked.
Kendrick nodded then shook his head. "He's busy at the moment acting as the intelligence portion of the perimeter protecting Lycaonia."
"The purple fireworks," Micah whispered.
Kendrick chuckled. "In the centuries that Keelan served as a unit warrior I had no idea the craziness and fun he experienced in his day to day life. Do you know that Aiden thinks little human girls are ninjas?"
