Page 46 of The Alliance

Kingsley swallowed and I followed the bob of his Adam’s apple with my eyes, sending out protections to wrap around him. He didn’t need any more protections, not right then, but I wanted him to feel safe.

My support may or may not have been what made him decide to offer, but I was glad I’d done it anyway. Kingsley was so brave, he might have done the same thing whether I was there or not. Nobody had courage equal to my mate.

“If you like, I can add some spells to the sword to make it stronger. It’ll be less likely to break and won’t need to be sharpened nearly as often. If you give me a few weeks, I can—”

Kingsley broke off and swallowed again. He radiated fear and nerves, but his posture never gave that away.

“I can make it abiorachblade. The strongest sword.”

Lew actually gaped at Kingsley for several seconds. His mouth hung open until he shut it with aslapping sound, as though suddenly remembering how to breathe properly.

“You could do that?”

Kingsley nodded.

“And you’d do that for me? For the Hoskins clan?”

Kingsley nodded again. “If Glimmer approves. He’s the Guardian.”

I pushed against his strong body and whispered, “We’re both Guardians, Kingsley. I didn’t know you could make abiorachblade.”

He hesitated. “It’s difficult but I can do it. The blade will be unbreakable.”

Something about the way he said it made me nervous. “Will it hurt you to make it?”

“It’s difficult,” he repeated.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Yes, it will hurt. But I’ll heal.”

“You’re not doing it.” I absolutely wasn’t going to allow my mate to hurt himself just to give Lew a nicer sword.

He gave me a wobbly smile, which made my heart clench painfully inside my chest. Damn, he was everything.

“Having abiorachsword will make Lew a more deadly warrior and better able to protect your treasures, Glimmer.”

I drew back and folded my arms. “Don’t try and manipulate me by promising to protect my family.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s working, that’s why not. I want them to be protected. But I don’t want you hurt, either.” I cocked my head to the side. “Howmuchwill it hurt?”

The sudden fear in Kingsley’s scent was the answer I needed, even though outwardly he didn’t seem bothered at all. He shrugged. “A bit. I’ll heal, though.”

Lew ended our argument.

“Kingsley, thank you for the offer but I don’t need my sword to be abiorachblade. It’s a good sword and the harness means I can transport and draw it easily. The sword doesn’t make the warrior.”

At that, Kingsley relented. “Yeah, I know. But it helps. I miss my sword.”

His ownridiresword had been a bit… crushed by rocks. He hadn’t found one he liked as muchyet. They weren’t balanced in the same way so no matter what spells he added to them to make them stronger, they didn’t feel right in his hands.

Darren stepped forward and I nearly jumped. I’d forgotten he was there, he’d been so still and quiet.

“Would making the sword stronger also hurt?”

“No. Those are spells I’m familiar with. It will only take an hour or so to put them on, though I’ll need a few things.”

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