AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She took a large gulp of the bitter whiskey. Let it coat her stomach, her mind as she shed the last remaining layer of the facade she had worn for these past few weeks. She put her shoulders back, tilted her chin up. “Of course not, my king,” Kallie said.
Graeson had thought that she was a damsel in distress, and Kallie had played right into his fantasy. Those jewel-encrusted heels, the diamond gown were a perfect fit. And she had worn the crown well. She was the epitome of a princess who needed to be saved.
But she was not a damsel.
Nor was she a little mouse.
He had fallen for her trap. And so easily, so carelessly, too.He had thought that she was a mouse he could easily catch. That she had wanted to run away. That she washisto catch. But because of his own arrogance and confidence, he hadn't noticed the python slithering behind him. Watching him, waiting for the moment to strike.
Kallie smirked.
The next time she saw Graeson he would do well to remember who she truly was: the sharpest weapon in the king's arsenal, forged to strike with the aim of a queen.
Epilogue
GRAESON
Graeson didn't knowwhat was more shocking: his best friend's body floating in the water, the life drained from him. Or the girl standing at the edge of the ship, staring down at them, watching, unmoving as his world fell apart. As Dani's heart was torn into shreds.
While Graeson had been fighting off the attackers and Dani and her units were fighting the fire that tore through the village, Fynn had managed to run off unnoticed. Before they realized what he had done, Fynn had already crept onto the enemy ship.
There had been only a handful of enemies where Graeson was stationed. And something had felt off. There should have been more soldiers. But the few he fought hadn't tried to escape his wrath. They had come prepared for a battle with foreign weapons.
And when they charged at him with their weapons drawn, he shut everything else down. As though he had flipped a switch in his mind, and he knew nothing but the rage that ran through his bloodstream.
After he had flipped that switch, the rage released from his body. Untethered, unrestrained, unrestricted.
For years he had trained himself to keep the monster that lay asleep inside of him locked up. Where his friends worked to strengthen their gifts and pull them out, Graeson did the opposite. But tonight he had released the beast within him.
He had only done so a few times in the past month and still with a firm leash wrapped around it. Once when they had attacked the carriage, then again when they had been attacked by the soldiers in Borgania. He had almost released it earlier tonight when he had discovered that it was Kalisandre who had brought these soldiers onto his shores—accident or not.
However, once he had cut that leash tonight, the only thing on his mind had been tearing apart the soldiers. Those who had come to take Kalisandre away from him. Fighting against those soldiers, the monster was out in full force.
And his lack of control had cost him.
He had gotten too caught up in what was happening in front of him to realize what it truly was: a distraction.
Graeson should have never letherout of his sight. He should have stayed with her. Protected her. He should have done what he couldn't do all those years ago when they were children. But he didn’t.
The sight of her standing at the entrance of the palace made his heart shatter. He knew he shouldn't have been mad. He knew she was not at fault. But when she looked at him, she had transformed before his eyes. Reverted to the woman he had seen sitting on that small throne, the woman who stayed at the heels of the king.
In her stare, in the way she held her head, her body rigid and cold, Graeson sawhimin her. And his blood froze over.
He did not want to be mad at her, he did not want to blame her. She had not known the truth. Despite his wishes, they had not told her everything. And maybe that was their first mistake. Maybe they should have been honest with her from the beginning.
They had spent the weeks leading up to that day discussing—all right,arguing—with each other about what was their best plan of attack. What would ensure that they would be successful in not only saving Kallie but also—and more importantly—convincing her that what they said was true?
And even though Esmeray's gift was the key to it all, she could not leave Pontia for the kingdom needed its queen to remain.
Still, maybe they shouldn't have kept Kallie restrained. Maybe they should have trusted her so thatshewould trustthem. But they didn't.
How could they when she had been under the care of the man who had taken everything from them? Their princess and their king, their sense of security and peace.
On the one hand, King Markos was lucky. Death was a far better fate than what had happened toher.
They knew she was too young when she was taken to have any real recollection of her life here—her life with them. And they had spent the years in between preparing for the moment when they would take her back. But they could not barge into Ardentol. Not with the treaty. They had to be smart, level-headed. And as a teenager, Graeson wasn't. None of them were.
Armen had informed them early on in one of his letters that Domitius had the palace well fortified and rarely let her out of his sight.
