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I looked at Adrian, who didn’t seem half as confused as I was.
“It seems that you, my dear, became this boy’s mirror,” King Melchior said. “The darkness in his heart changed because of you.”
CHAPTER 35—REFUSAL
“I’m not leaving,” Adrian said, his arms crossed as he leaned against the hallway wall. “You heard what the king said.”
Jacques rubbed his hand over his face and groaned. Looking at him now, he had somehow aged ten years in the last twenty minutes.
Before sending us out of the throne room, the king had made the decision to let Adrian and the others stay three days to prepare for departure. Adrian was allowed to visit Henrik during that time, just as long as he didn’t interfere with Jacques’s work.
I was relieved. Luc and Jacques, however, were not.
“Too many humans in the Den of Sirens will end badly,” Jacques said. “Especially if they’re pirates.”
“Haven’t my men been deemed pure?” Adrian replied with a shrug. “Isn’t that the verdict of the spiritual realm?”
“You’re still a risk.”
Adrian licked his bottom lip with a smile.
“Let’s be honest, mate,” he said. “You just don’t want me making a pass at Esmeralda.”
Adrian reached out and tickled a finger under Jacques’s chin. Jacques swatted his hand away with a furious grunt.
“Your feelings for her aren’t real, you idiot!” Jacques replied. “You’re under a spell.”
My stomach sank slightly at the truth, but Adrian didn’t seem affected. His eyes met mine, the mischievous twinkle in them dark and inviting.
“Isn’t all love a spell?” Adrian replied softly.
My heart fluttered.
Luc stepped in between us, his wings half extended to separate me from Adrian.
“She won’t be anywhere near you,” Luc said coldly. “I’ll make sure of that.”
I reached up and touched the top of his wings to calm him. “Luc…”
“You’re allowed to stay here for a few days,” Jacques reminded Adrian. “But for the sake of your brother, don’t cause us any problems.”
The playfulness in Adrian’s eyes suddenly dimmed.
“What will it take to heal my brother?” he asked.
“Nothing that you can do,” Jacques said. “Only a Judge can extract a demon, and you are not one. Tend to your men and prepare them for departure. That is your duty.”
Adrian’s face remained blank. I wanted to reach over and comfort him. I could see the world on his shoulders: parents succumbed to illness, the majority of his crew lost to the underworld, and his brother tormented by demons.
How could he still stand after all that?
“These sirens will take you and your men to your quarters,” Jacques said, pointing to the sirens standing in the hallway with us. “Even though you have been found pure, that doesn’t mean the Den of Sirens will tolerate any form of rebellion.”
Jacques’s eyes met mine, his jaw suddenly clenching.
“Luc— Rhys, or whatever your name is, take Esmeralda with you,” Jacques continued. “Make sure she stays away from them.”
I stepped forward. “Now, wait a moment—”
