Page 111 of Winds of Ruin
The Prince walked us out into the ill-lit entryway. He leaned in to whisper something to Lark. Her eyes widened, and she nodded. I wished for the ability to hear thoughts as she could. Her winning of Regon’s trust could bode well for us all long-term.
“And tell Hurley I said hello and to stop being such a stranger,” Regon added as I stepped closer to say farewell.
Lark’s brows rose. “I didn’t know you were so close with my cousin.”
The Prince smirked. “Sure, if by close you meancloseto winning everything he owns in cards. The man’s face is so readable he may as well lay them down on the table before we begin.”
Emmerick’s shoulders remained stiff as we exited into the courtyard, leaving the young royals to chat amongst themselves for a few moments before we departed.
“He wanted tomarryyou?” he ground out.
I shrugged. “It is an attempt at a power grab. If anything should happen to Lark, then the Central Corridor’s rule turns to me. If anything had happened to you, the same of Helos. I considered it for only one reason...” I blew the whistle around my neck, and Mayra descended from the clouds.
“What reason could possibly be good enough?” His eyes bore into mine with an intensity that halted me.Jealousy?
“Permission to search the West Corridor for relics… and a way to wake you. He’s got watchtowers stationed from one end of the border to the other, and since the land is flat in the countryside, it’s near impossible not to be seen. Even if I flew or Lark Shadowed us in, we’d still need time to search. We’d be spotted before we found anything of use.”
He ran his fingers through his curls, pulling at them, with a furrowed brow. “You aren’tstillconsidering. Are you?”
Bringham had a shorter lifespan than I did.
He hadn’t been wrong when he’d said I’d agree to almost anything to find the relic we needed.
“It is a last resort,” I reassured him. “Time is not on our side. Who knows how long we can keep Caym trapped in that mirror? Who knows what will happen during the next black moon? We may need to negotiate soon, and Lark’s hand in marriage is not an option.”
He took a deep breath and looked at the sky. Mayra let out a shriek of dismay that we weren’t back in the air yet. When I stepped up to Emmerick, I pulled his chin down to force him to meet my gaze.
His breath heaved in and then out before he said, “Your hand in marriage is not a part of this negotiation either.”
He licked his lower lip, like he wanted to say more. I tracked the movement, heat snapping through the air between us.
“I’m your advisor. I will not make decisions that risk weakening the North. It is alastresort,” I repeated.
His face fell. “I didn’t know how engrained you were in the affairs of Helos. You never told me.”
He leaned down, his expression warring between betrayal and longing.
Krait and Sybilla put their trust in my leadership. However flighty they deemed me, they knew I wouldn’t let the Corridor descend into chaos. I’d done my best.
It hadn’t been easy to convince the northern lords that the magic they feared could be their salvation. They had herds to feed, and debts to settle, and land to tend. Life went on ever at the precipice of doom. They just wanted to feel heard, safe, and cared for.
“I couldn’t burden you with it,” I answered. His expression softened in understanding. If I stood on my toes, I could claim his lips.
Lark rounded the corner and approached Mayra, thankfully interrupting whatever built between us. I retreated and busied myself checking the cinch attached to Mayra’s saddle.
Lark pressed a kiss to the menace’s beak, whispering sweet nothings that were met with a happy purr and quiet chirps.
“What did the Prince say to you?” I asked, my curiosity burning.
In a hushed tone, she answered, “He told me to watch the borders. His father is up to something, and he does not know what—says he’s been cagey and out of sorts.”
Emmerick hummed in thought. “It was a risky choice to tell you that. But I agree. He seemed senselessly angrier than I remember him.”
Lark nodded. “I don’t want to hold too much weight in the claim. Regon could be wrong. Though, he isn’t dim—he knows a war waged against the rest of the realm will end in their demise and losing his future reign. He can be reasoned with.”
Mayra snapped at her sleeve, requiring more petting, and Lark happily obliged. I mounted and picked up the reins. Emmerick rested his hand on my knee. Little touches—they kept occurring too easily. When I met his stare, my heart skipped.
I didn’t deserve adoration from him—and the way he looked at me was unnerving.
