Page 18 of The Prince's Fealty

Pel was silent for a moment, and then he said, “I asked the same thing. Tama said it was the bond.”

Shock echoed through Tor as he learned how he’d apparently unconsciously protected the connection he had with Pel, and the connection had in turn sustained him when he’d had virtually no magic of his own.

“Uh, wow,” Tor said inanely, and Pel laughed a little, looking relieved. “Thanks for taking care of me.”

Pel smiled a little. “You’re welcome.”

Tor simply wouldn’t think about the fact that he could have drained Pel without even knowing that was possible. He shivered.

It seemed like Pel knew where his mind had gone, because he nudged Tor. “We’re going to take care of one another, right?”

“Right,” Tor agreed. Then he admitted, “I feel like that’s extra hard to do right now.”

Pel’s expression was rueful. “Agreed. But we need to try anyway. There’s a lot going on, and I’m not about to ask you to not protect your family—just like you’re not going to ask me to sit this out.”

Tor huffed a laugh at Pel’s stern expression and the fact that Tordidwant to ask that of him. Pel no doubt wanted to ask Tor to do the same, and neither of them would be themselves if they didn’t do everything they could to protect the people they cared about.

“Thank you so much for being amazing,” Tor told him instead. “I’m so glad to be here with you now, and I’m delighted that your magic was able to sustain me when I couldn’t sustain myself. I know that’s been a bit of a sore spot for you. I think I said once that I didn’t need your magic. I stand corrected. I need all of you all the time.”

Pel’s cheeks tinged pink, but he was smiling as he tugged Tor closer. Their kiss was soft and sweet and everything Tor wanted. If only they didn’t need to go save Tor’s family and figure out how to stop a coup.

He made a face as he reluctantly pulled back from Pel.

“How are we going to convinceVarexthat his wife is up to no good?”

Tor might never have liked her, but time had proved how devoted his brother was.

Pel said firmly, “We’re going to have to let him come to his own conclusions. We can only point out what we’ve learned or guessed.”

Tor kind of wanted to ram the truth down his brother’s throat… but Pel’s approach was probably more sensible. After all, didn’t Tor keep getting annoyed because Varex was trying to make his decisions for him?

Tor sighed. “You’re right. We’ll have to present the facts. It has to be someone highly placed who’s behind it or involved, right?”

Pel nodded, but Tor realized even as he said it that this didn’t entirely help. Tor qualified, after all. He hoped that his recent actions proved the truth of his allegiance, but he couldn’t count on that.Torknew for absolutely certain that he wasn’t involved, but Varex wouldn’t, not after everything that had happened.

Grimacing, Tor said, “I’m worried that we’re running out of time. Attacking the castle was so brazen.”

Pel brushed a hand down the side of his face. “But it didn’t work.”

“True.”

It had almost worked, though. Tor was getting through the days only by assuming that Pamuna had gotten Cala to Varex just like Tor had instructed. No other outcome was acceptable. But had other people been injured? Had they caught anyone involved? Tor assumed that mercenaries had been chosen for a reason and wouldn’t be able to point back to the organizer.

“I’m sorry I left you in the dungeon,” Pel blurted out suddenly.

Tor laughed. He was pretty sure they could keep apologizing to one another for ages. He was well aware who was more guilty here.

“Don’t be. I might not have committed treason, but we both know I was selfish and thoughtless when it came to you.”

“You didn’t go through with your plan,” Pel kindly pointed out.

“But I intended to,” Tor admitted. “Even when I started to like you, I spent weeks thinking I could still make the split happen because I couldn’t figure out how else to ensure that I didn’t have to bond with Terila.”

Pel snorted. “You know, if you’d just told me what you were up to, I would probably have helped.”

Tor stared at him, stunned, and Pel laughed at the look on his face. It was very true that there was no love lost between Pel and Terila, though there would have been no way for Tor to have known that at the beginning.

Clearing his throat, Tor said, “I can honestly say the thought never crossed my mind. Which just makes me sound like an ass.”