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“Now, that’s a grand gesture,” Pearl Jean said, sharing a grin with Amber.
Her mouth floundered open and closed. “You once told me any children I bear will belong to the Frostlines.”
“Jareth will permanently disavow his marriage to you, or Jareth will die,” Kaysar said with a glare at the other man. “Any children we bear will be known by one and all as ours. They will rule our kingdoms. The Midnight Court and the Dusklands.”
Don’t give in. Not again. “I just can’t—”
“There’s more.” He snapped his fingers, and two soldiers raced into the throne room. The first carried a small birdcage with...not a bird inside. What was that? The second hefted a medium-size box. “For the queen’s handmaiden, Pearl Jean, I gift the heart of a royal fae.” The guards placed the gifts at the edge of the dais. “I assure you, the recipient was most deserving of its loss. The organ is mystically preserved. If ever she decides to live forever, she has only to eat it. For the royal feline, I bring a box made of enchanted wood. Inside it, he will heal from any injury. Among other things.”
“She says yes,” Pearl Jean called, already rushing over to claim the birdcage with grabby hands. “Do I eat the whole thing or just a bite? Never mind. I’ll eat the whole thing to be safe.”
Cookie did not even want to know which royal had parted with their life. “I... No.” She shook her head, refusing to get her hopes up again. Kaysar had given her the most amazing gifts. But this was what he did. Grand gestures. Disappointment always followed on their heels. “I meant what I said. I can’t trust you anymore.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, as if overcome by pain. When he faced her again, he raised his chin and rolled his shoulders. “I know that, too. But I’m willing to go to great lengths to ensure I have the time to earn back your trust.”
Oh, really? “And how do you plan to do that?”
He flittered to the dais, a length of chain in hand and hooked one end of the chain to her throne. Then he moved several feet away, out of her reach. With his hot gaze on her, he slapped a metal collar around his neck—a link of chain kept him tethered.
Oh, no he didn’t. “Remove the collar, Kaysar. Now.” She hated to see him in it, knowing the cost.
“I will. After my mission is complete, my team back together.”
“Kaysar.” She white-knuckled the arms of her throne. “You can’t just—”
“I have two other gifts for you,” he interjected once again. He moved directly in front of her, with his hands braced on the chair. “I give you the three little words you have deserved for so long—you were right.”
Her breath caught. Okay, yeah, the pronouncement got to her. Maybe she could give him another chance, after all?
“Last,” he said, “I give you my heart. In every incarnation.” He dropped to his knees before her and sank his claws into his chest, where the skin had already begun to heal. “I will show you how it beats for you.”
Cookie grabbed his wrist, stilling his hand. “Don’t,” she commanded. Chained was bad enough. But injured, too? “Let me think for a second.”
With a soft, hopeful expression, he told her, “Please, do. I’ll be here no matter how long it takes. You are stunning, by the way. You captured my heart all over again at first sight.”
Astonishing. He understood her choice of outfit. But then, he’d always understood her moods, hadn’t he?
As Cookie’s heart thudded, her mind whirled. The man whose freedom had been stolen as a child was willing to give up his freedom as an adult, simply to be near her, proving his claims with action.
Now he watched her so earnestly, as if nothing mattered more than her response.
Did she believe he’d forgiven her for the terrible act she’d committed for a greater good? Yes. So how could she not do the same and forgive him for something he’d done in the midst of a centuries-long culmination of grief? Why was she holding on to her hurt, letting fear rule her life?
Yes, he’d messed up and lashed out. But he’d owned it, and he was fighting to get her back. Fighting. For her. He was doing everything in his power to make amends, as promised. And she did love him. So much. The complicated king with a thirst for revenge had brought her to life in ways her two hearts never had.
Without hurt there to color her thoughts and perceptions, she had to admit the truth. Her desire for him had never faded. If anything, she craved him more than ever. Nights without him sucked. Days without him sucked worse. Even with Pearl Jean and Sugars here, she’d felt so alone.
