Page 129 of The Stolen Kingdom

Maybe talking about it might help the boy come to terms. Cai nodded, facing away from her as if he was ashamed of his actions. Maris gathered him in her arms, pressed her lips to the top of his head, and allowed him to cry.

It wasn’t his fault. Cai was no older than sixteen. He was doing what he thought was right.

Maris pulled back and cupped his face again. His features were painted with regret, and Maris couldn’t help but see Valda reflected in Cai’s expression.

Interrupted by a wave of gasps, Maris’s attention went from Cai to the city gate as Eyphah and Valda dragged Isen inside.

The smell of blood hit Isen’s nose the second he made it to the square. He wasn’t the only one injured. Chaos unfolded before him as he took in the people crying and holding each other. Then, he noticed the wrapped-up body of his mate lying at the far end of the center, and his heart shattered again.

Isen held on to Valda’s shoulder and muttered Melvian’s name. Eyphah tried her best to hold on to him, but as Valda lowered him, his heavy body fell against the ground.

Eyphah cursed before wrapping one arm around his waist and helping him sit. As he straightened, Maris walked to him, kneeling to check over his injuries.

His eyes never left his mate’s body, which lay away from everyone else. He stared, unaware of Maris touching his shoulder to check for injuries, of his sister calling his name. His mission to bring everyone to safety had been pushed to the far corners of his mind. The only thing he saw, was Melvian, covered in a thin sheet dead.

He never thought the silence within him or the sudden emptiness would feel like literal suffocation. His injuries were nothing to the horrible, deafening muteness within him.

Maris shook him, snapping him back to where he was. He wasn’t alone, he was still with people that cared for him. His sister, his queens. They held on to him, grounding him. But still, it was as if the air couldn’t reach his lungs…

As Maris stood to go around his back, he grabbed her wrist tightly, earning a pained groan from her and a snarled warning from Valda.

“Isen! You are hurt—”

“Where are my children?” Isen asked, turning to look at Maris, her image coming in and out of focus. “Are they—”

“They are with Coral,” Eyphah answered, grabbing his arms, and unhooking his grip from Maris’s arm, who hissed and rubbed her skin. “They are safe, they were fed, they are warm. No one touched them. They are waiting for you.”

Isen released an anxious sigh. They were safe, and alive. That’s what mattered now. Leaning forward, he felt the injuries on his back stretching out, but he didn’t utter a single word of pain. This was punishment for not keeping Melvian safe, for not being near her.

“Let me help you,” Maris whispered, touching his shoulders, but Isen shook his head.

“I am fine,” he lied.

He blatantly lied. He wasn’t fine. If anything, he was sure he wasn’t going to survive. Not without Melvian. Not with this emptiness.

“You are not fine. Look at your back—” Desperation washed over Eyphah, and Isen didn’t blame her. He would be overprotective of her too, were the circumstances reversed. Even so, he didn’t have enough time and needed to say a proper goodbye to his mate.

“A bomb exploded behind me, but the blast was weak. I can assure you.” He groaned and stood straight, towering over Maris and Eyphah. “See? I am fine.” He hit his chest twice, then peered back at Valda. “I am fine.”

At first, Valda looked at him with concern, but then her gaze softened, and her jaw tensed. It was almost as if she knew what he was doing. She slipped her hand over his shoulder and squeezed him before she turned to Maris. “Let him be.”

“Valda…” Maris shook her head, but Valda’s raised hand silenced her protest.

“I need to say goodbye to my mate,” Isen muttered, swallowing the knot in his throat. “Allow me a moment to be with her. Please?”

Maris took a deep breath, peered at Eyphah, and then back at Isen. “Fine,” Maris muttered before pointing a finger at him. “Don’t leave your sister’s side. If a bomb went near you, we must keep an eye on you.”

Isen gave her a rueful smile and nodded. “Yes, my queen…” He attempted to bow, but pain shot from his lower stomach all the way to his chest.

Maris’s chin trembled, and before he could walk away, she wrapped her arms around him, pressing a tender kiss to his bearded face. The embrace was warm, sisterly even, and Isen returned the affection with an overbearing hug.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Pulling back, Maris stared at him one last time before allowing Eyphah to walk next to him. His steps were heavy, more so now that he was trying to hide how severe his injuries were. Thankfully, and by the looks of it, Eyphah was slightly better, strong enough to walkon her own. She would survive this war, and if the gods allowed it, she would be a great aunt to his children. He never said it to her, knowing how she always got when talking about her feelings, but Isen was proud of the woman his sister had become, regardless of the fights that separated them.

Eyphah gave him a knowing look, and he couldn’t help but smile as he touched his tattoo. “Mine is prettier.” Eyphah said, and he knew damn well she was trying to alleviate the situation as she had done when they arrived in the Sky Kingdom years ago.

“It is,” Isen said, a chuckle emanated from his chest before it changed into a coughing fit. Eyphah quickly grabbed on to him, rubbed his back and got him closer to his mate. She helped him settle down next to the corpse but yet, she didn’t move away.

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