Page 183 of Heir of Blood & Fire
“Your presence here is necessary. Not every battle is yours to fight.” His kind brown eyes hold mine.
“How can you be so calm?” I shake off his touch and pace around the room, hands on my hips. “This is the very thing we feared happening from the start.”
He turns to me. “We’re doing all that we can short of starting a war.”
“You don’t think she’s worth a war?” I snarl. He sets his jaw.
“Hasty decisions lead to sloppy execution. There is no room for error. You’d do well to remember that.” His voice is laced with royal authority.
“We’ve wasted too much time already,” I argue, staring out the stained-glass window.
“I won’t send you to Vod unless we know for certain that’s where they are. We need to consider the alternatives,” the king points out.
“There are no alternatives. They’re in Vod. They have to be. I should have seen it sooner, should have connected the dots,” I mutter, disgusted with myself.
“No, it’s I who should have been more cautious about welcoming Kylian into our home. My court has become overrun with traitors. Ilspeth, Mal, and Kai have committed treason.”
“Not Kai. I know him. He hates his brother and mother—he didn’t know about this.” I shake my head.
It’s Mal’s betrayal that stings the most. I trusted him. Fought beside him. Even considered him a friend. I always attributed his fierce loyalty to Ilspeth to being her sworn protector—simply doing his duty. I thought nothing of his little crush, but now I think there was more to their relationship than any of us knew.
Why else would he betray his kingdom? His brother?
I try to slow my breath to quell the rising panic. “The fact that Prophyria can’t even locate her means they’ve bound her magic. She’s alone, helpless, and at their mercy. They don’t need her whole; they just need her alive. Let me go,” I beg, wearing him down.
He studies me for a moment before turning back to his map. “I will ready a fleet to sail for Vod.”
“She doesn’t have that kind of time! It’s been too long already!” I shout, slamming my hand down on the table. “Let me go. Now. I can make it there faster without a troupe.”
“You need backup, Jace.”
“I need to get to her. Every minute she’s in their clutches…” I trail off, chest heaving in anger, fists aching to punch a hole through the wall. Vod has taken enough from me.
They cannot have her, too.
Derek puzzles over my state of rage, his brows knitting together. Then his expression shifts into realization.
“Jace.” He comes to stand at my shoulder, turning me to face him. “You love her.”
I say nothing, setting my jaw firmly.
I don’t care that he sees, I don’t care that he knows, or that I’m engaged to his daughter. The only thing I can think about is Serena and her safety.
It’s all-consuming.
“If you care about me at all, you will let me go,” I grit.
Shock flashes in his eyes as he removes his hand and nods sharply.
“Find her. Your men will be right behind you. Get her back, and then we will figure out what comes after.”
I throw my arms around his shoulders, and he claps my back twice.
“Thank you,” I say against his shoulder before tearing from the room to find the female I once detested.
To find the little witch I fell in love with against all logic.
To search for the source of my assured ruination.
TO BE CONTINUED….
