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“You’re playing with fire, Princess.” He leans forward, brushing his lips against my ear, and a shiver runs down my spine. “You aren’t ready for that kind of burn. Not yet, anyway.”
He drops my wrist, walking past me toward the guys. My feet stay planted to their spot, taking in his words.
What does that even mean?
When I finally muster the courage to turn around, that’s when I see it.
The four of them, standing tall, shoulder to shoulder, looking at me with flames in their eyes. Flames that should make me want to tuck and run, but I don’t—I can’t.
One by one, I look at them, seeing the same mirrored image in them all.
Passion. Heat. Fire.
Call it what you want, but it’s there. These men stand proud and ready to burn the world down—for me.
I’m filled with so many new emotions. The feeling of hopelessness begins to wash away, replaced by a promise.
A promise to fulfill my destiny with these four men by my side. Together we can make that happen. Together we can climb mountains and reach for the stars.
My feet move toward them with a newfound purpose, a purpose I cannot run from any longer.
“What did you find? Where are my father’s bannermen?”
Greyson and Callum nervously look at one another before glancing at the other two.
“Spit it out, already.” Dominic is back to his demanding self.
Callum clears his throat. “They’re gone.”
“Gone?” Tristan questions.
“Dead.” Greyson steps toward me, but I take a step back.
How? My father said they were waiting, and now they are dead? His most loyal men are gone, just like him.
“What do you mean?” Dom asks.
Callum checks our surroundings. “They were ambushed. Slaughtered in the midst of the night. Most of them were still in their tents.”
“They never saw it coming.” Greyson’s voice is filled with sorrow. He looks to the ground in anguish.
My chest is heavy—more bloodshed. Our people were taken from us, from their families. The knot twisting in my lungs makes it hard to breathe.
We stand in silence, mourning another great loss for IronHaven. Men who’ve fought long, hard battles to see us rise and prosper are now no more.
The nausea gets the best of me. I spin on my heels and empty the contents of my stomach.
It’s too much. It’s all too damn much.
Husbands that will never be able to kiss their wives, fathers never going to be able to teach their children... just gone.
A hand rubbing slow circles on my back brings me out of my thoughts. “It’s okay, sunshine. We’ve got you.”
Taking a minute to clear my head, I wipe the spit from my mouth before standing to face them.
“We found Lord Osbirth, but there was no sight of a decree on him or in his belongings,” Greyson says painfully. I nod because I’m not surprised that whoever attacked them took the one thing that could end this nightmare.
“Maybe a revolt wasn’t such a bad idea after all.” Dom gives me a knowing look.
