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I am not really allthat surprised, in case you are wondering.
“Well, that makes one of us.” I was pacing under one of the big trees at the meadow around the pond of the human sanctuary. Thinking. Fretting.Longing.
It happened, Keir. The only question being: what you are going to do about it?
My footsteps stilled for only a moment at his question before I spun on my heel to continue pacing. How was he being this calm about things? “What am I going to do about it? What can I even do about it?”
Whatever you’d like.
“What I wouldliketo do and what Icando are not options here. Believe me, I have known my entire life that what I would like to do is not a privilege I am extended.”
He shook his head aggressively.You royals are something else.
I let out a long sigh in defeat. “I am in love with my greatest enemy, Malachi. I’ve been fighting hard against this.” I gestured toward the castle. “She is the most infuriating yet enthralling creature I have ever met. I know I do not have a fighting chance, but dammit if I don’t want it all the same.
Want what?
“Everything. Everything, Malachi.”
Then fight for it, yeah? Don’t you think she deserves a furious and tenacious love? A partner who will go to war with her, compliment her, and help her?
“Yes. Of course, I do.”
Then why are we standing here trying to talk you out of it?
“Because I will never be accepted as king. Nor do I really want to be one. I just gave away a crown, did my best to avoid them.”
Malachi turned back to his human form, leaning against the tree he had been standing in the shade of. “King consort, Keir. Not king. So does it really matter? Would you see her forced to marry without that, forced into the duty of heirs in a loveless marriage?”
“Of course not.”
He gave me a quick smile. “Then you fightforit, Keir. Not against it. It will be a long battle. The first and longest of which will be in convincing Esta to choose her own happiness, but you yourself said you thrived in the long game.”
I gestured with my hands out. “Why are you even helping me?”
He considered that a moment. “Because you saw her when no one else did. When everyone else had given up hope, contingency plans coming to fruition, you rolled up your sleeves and got to work.” He paused. “You may not have been born here, you might even have the blood of the evil king in your veins, but your heart is that of a warrior. You are one of us, brother. I knew it not long after you arrived here. From the moment you saved Kian. So if you want to fight for her, fight. And I will help you. Otherwise, I fear they will force her to marry, and marry quickly. Should it be Zaire, she will never be happy. Maybe back when they were betrothed it could have worked, but not now. She is my oldest friend. I don’t want that for her.”
At his name, I thought of how Zaire suspected this of me all along. “They will never accept me as king consort or her lover.”
“Then you don’t allow them the option not to. Dra Skor respects power above all. You may not be a shifter, but you are still a damn powerful Enchanted. Do not let them forget it.”
I inhaled deeply. “I need a gameplan.” My eyes went to my friend I was still not used to seeing in his human form. “Thank you for letting me have a moment.”
He winked before immediately turning back into his winged form.
* * *
With a waveto Malachi as he dumped me on my balcony, I opened the door to find Emric and John chatting to Amory.
“Miles,” I said to the man at the door. “How quickly can you get correspondence to Wylan?”
“Given a shifter to fly me to the ship, later today,” he commented.
“Excellent. Someone fetch me some parchment.”
John looked at me over the top of his glasses as if he knew exactly what I was up to. “Care to fill any of us in on whatever plan you have brewing, Keiran?”
I cocked my head. “Not just yet. Might be my worst, most reckless plan. And that is truly saying something.”
