Page 32 of The Broken Elf King
What is happening?
“You’re pacing,” he observed.
“I’m processing a fake marriage with the elvin king,” I deadpanned.
He inclined his head. “I would of course increase your pay. It would have to be believable. I cannot have the council getting wind of this in the middle of a war with the Nightfall queen and then take my funding.”
Increase my pay. Apaidposition.Ouch. The knife he’d stabbed in my heart twisted deeper.
“You haven’t said anything,” he said, nervousness creeping into his voice.
“Still processing.” I lapped the small room, wearing lines in the carpet.
A fake marriage to the king. Like… with kisses and sharing a bed and stuff? “Would we… consummate this marriage?” I blushed as I said it.
He looked surprised by that. “No. It’s fake. No one needs to know what goes on behind closed doors. But hand holding and the occasional kiss would be required.”
Best. Friend.
Kissing him was something I had thought about—before he’d called me hisbest friend. Now I just wanted to die. I was so grateful I was the empath and not him.
“Increasing my pay for it feels weird. I’m not a whore,” I finally said, and turned to face him.
He flinched as if I’d slapped him. “I don’t think you are—I wouldneverthink that. I was merely trying to make the arrangement attractive to you.”
“How long are we talking?”
Was I seriously considering this?
“However long it takes me to win a war against the queen. I’ve already gotten the king of Embergate to agree to join me. I’ll be working on Lucien Thorne and Axil Moon next.”
Wow, he’d gotten the word of the dragon king and would be going after the fae king and wolf king next? “You plan to go after the queen united?” I asked in surprise.
He nodded. “Only way it will work. She’s regrettably too powerful otherwise.”
He was right. I was feeling more confident about his war efforts now that I knew he had planned to get the others involved.
“I want my aunt healed,” I blurted out. “I don’t want extra money, but I want you to extradite my aunt and heal her, set her up in a home here. I don’t want her living in there if you will bring war to the Nightfall realm.”
He stood. “Done. I’m sorry I didn’t offer to heal her earlier.”
Done?Just like that? I wondered what else I could have asked for.
“The council said they expect a child next year.” I blushed.
He nodded. “I’ll tell them we are trying. You are half human, so that could be to blame for a few years.”
Holy Hades, was I really saying yes to this?
Raife sidestepped the table and took both of my hands in his. “Kailani, ever since I was fourteen years old and the queen robbed me of the privilege of a family, I vowed to get revenge. To get justice for my mother, my father, Trini, Raelin, Dane, Akara, Gwen, and Sabe.”
Hearing their names caused tears to line my eyes. I could feel the emotions rolling through him like waves. Excitement at this idea, that it could work to appease the council, anger at the queen, protection and adoration for me.
His hands pulled away and he cleared his throat. “Do me this favor and I will deny you nothing. For so long as I live, whatever you ask I will grant it. Please, Lani.”
Whoa. He was all but begging me.
So we would marry, defeat the queen and then we divorce? I guessed there were worse ways to spend my twenties.
“Okay, Raife. I’ll do it. For you and for your family.”
He grinned, rushing forward to pick me up. His arms came around the back of my legs as he stood, vaulting me into the air and spinning me around. Laughter bubbled out of me as pure elation rushed through him and into my body. This moment right here made being an empath a wonderful thing. Feeling someone else’s joy, sharing in their elation, it was beautiful.
He set me down then and slammed his open hand on the table in excitement. “It’s time to plan a wedding. And then a war.”
I mean, it wasn’t what every blushing bride wanted to hear, but I’d take it.
