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He didn’t dare run, or attempt to hide.
There was regret in his eyes, which I supposed was a good sign.
If Ayla hadn’t been so insistent that I not kill him, he’d already have lost his head. When I gave my people an inch, they took a mile, so I didn’t allow inches.
Not usually, at least.
For my female, though, I would deal with the fallout.
The guard, Gulf, remained still as I slowly buried the knife in his back, in the exact same place he’d buried his in my female’s skin. The cut he gave her hadn’t been deep, but the one I gave him was.
He remained solemn as I dissolved the knife, leaving him bleeding profusely. I released his throat, signing, “If you touch her again, you lose your head. Hurt her again, and I’ll ensure you have a longer, more painful death than you could ever imagine.”
He jerked his head in a nod, and I moved back.
Ayla’s arms were wrapped around her abdomen, and her forehead was creased with some emotion I couldn’t read as I stepped away from the guard and made my way back up to my throne.
My hands moved slowly as I spoke to everyone in the room. “I will go into the Aboa and put Heliai back to sleep. You will organize search parties to make sure Crest hasn’t holed up in any of our other cities. When I return, I will find my brother, and kill him.”
My gaze slid over the fae, lingering on the gorgeous redhead in the middle of the room.
Could I leave her?
If I brought Ayla with me, she could get hurt.
I could lose control of my instincts again.
But if I didn’t…
Another guard could hurt her.
My fists clenched at my sides.
She had said that my people hated her. No one had informed me that she was being mistreated, ignored, or otherwise disliked in any way. That meant I was being lied to.
I’d deal with that fact when I returned.
Until then, I couldn’t risk leaving her alone.
She would have to come with me.
I slowly unclenched my fists and then signed to my queen, “You will come with me back into the Aboa.”
If my people protested that announcement, I didn’t give a damn.
She signed back, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Frustration welled up within me at not hearing her voice. Though I understood that she wanted to continue learning, I had gone months without hearing her voice more than a few times a week, and it was driving me mad. Staying away from her had been for her safety, but I hated the silence.
I had never minded the quiet before her. It felt natural to me.
But then I’d met my female, and my world had filled with her voice. With her happiness, her hope, her wisdom, her laughter.
And now, the silence of her absence drove me to misery and madness.
“It’s the only option,” I signed back to her. “I won’t leave you here alone.”
She pressed her lips together in a thin line, but nodded before signing, “I need time to grab a few things. I don’t want to go in empty-handed again.”
