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I reached over and tapped Jax with the hand that wasn’t wedged against his ridiculous muscled chest. “We talked about this, big guy, remember?”
He glanced down at me, frowning not in displeasure but confusion, lips pursed and a little line forming between his brows. “We have spoken of many things, Wesley. To which item are you referring?”
“I’m not a helpless kid. I can handle this stuff myself.”
He quirked a brow at me, as though to ask, “Then why am I carrying you?” but he didn’t say the words.
Which was good for his health.
“I’m a little tired, Jax, not helpless.” I leaned my head back onto his shoulder, trying not to close my eyes. Maybe he was right, and I was closer to sleepy than fully awake, but I was not missing this conversation for anything. It was too important, and if I was going to spend the rest of my life with Jax, the next hour was going to be fundamental in what that future looked like.
I didn’t want to spend it fighting with Marex and his people because Crux was an asshole and Thorzi warriors were stubborn.
Not that I thought Kaelum would deliberately lead his people into an unnecessary war, or that Jax would suggest it, but like I said, Thorzi warriors were stubborn.
For a moment, everyone was silent, all of us watching Jax, waiting for him to respond.
Finally, he gave a deep sigh and nodded, turning to Marex. “We should speak somewhere that Wesley can sit. He wishes to take part, but he is tired.”
Marex was nodding even before Jax finished the first sentence. “Of course. I would be happy to provide the meeting place. If the prince is willing to enter the tunnels?”
A full Thorzi warrior standing a dozen feet behind the prince made that weird throat-clearing vibration, and Kaelum glanced over his shoulder, meeting the guy’s eye, then waving dismissively. “If Jax says the Zathki mean us no harm, then the Zathki mean us no harm. He has the tactician’s mark, and he knows the minds of his enemies and his allies, as well as who is which.”
Jax bowed his head, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “As long as it took me to realize it because of our old hostility, yes. It is true many Zathki dislike us, precisely as we dislike them, but none I have met want a war with Thorzan.”
Far from Jax’s initial anger and distrust of the Zathki, Kaelum looked intrigued, glancing over at Marex. “It would be very impressive to fool my future Proeliator into believing you didn’t want war if you did.”
Marex, as tense and nervous as he clearly was, twisting his fingers together like any fidgeting human I’d ever met, softened his expression and bowed to the prince. “Your Highness, it has been a very long time since the Zathki wanted war with your people. Modern Zathki know too well that our people’s atrocities against each other were ill conceived and should never have been committed, let alone continued. We are ready for peace, and would like to speak to you on it.”
“Not to mention Crux,” Jax growled, his lip curling up in something almost like a snarl.
At mention of Crux, Marex sighed deeply and nodded to Jax. “And Crux. We will most definitely need to speak on him.”
Kaelum didn’t seem any happier to hear about the kidnapping asshole than the rest of us, so I figured that might be a good sign for everyone’s ability to work well together. Hell, maybe Crux had unintentionally given the Thorzi and Zathki a much-needed path to peace, through mutual hatred for him. Maybe not what he intended, but for us humans? Score.
CHAPTER34
JAX
Marex took us back to his chamber, and I was happy to give Wesley somewhere to rest—preferably atop me. We sat together on the seat, his legs draped over my lap, and I used the knuckle of my first finger to massage the back of his calf while I kept my other arm around him loosely.
He melted against the back of the seat we sat on, but his eyes were alert when he looked my way. He was hopeful, and he was recovering far faster than I had feared, if his impatient squirming through the conversation was any indicator.
Marex told Kaelum all that he knew about the deal between our people and the Zathki—how Crux had promised them supplies and aid in exchange for the technology we needed to save our kind.
Crux had not followed through, and as Kaelum listened, his face hardened. It was strange to see him, the prince who had never had power and always lamented his father’s doubt, sitting there with the same heavy scowl as King Xyren. He believed Marex.
And just as importantly, Kaelum intended to do something about it.
“I need to think,” he said, rising from his seat.
Marex stood as well. “I can show you somewhere you can take some space and time in comfort.”
I expected Lucas to follow him, but he came over and pressed his knee into one side of the seat, just beside Wesley.
“Feeling okay?” he asked. He tilted his head, his indigo eyes scanning over every inch of Wesley’s face.
Wesley nodded, sitting up straight as soon as the focus was on him. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Totally good.”
