Page 161 of A Promise so Bold and Broken

Lessia snapped her head up, and Merrick’s grip tightened as he stared back at her, that muscle in his jaw flexing.

“What does he mean?” she whispered, unsure whether she truly wanted to know.

“I’m fairly certain he means get the fuck out of this realm.” Loche tapped his fingers against the solid wood of his desk as he dangled another piece of paper before her. “I received this letter at the same time as Raine’s eagle broke through one of the windows, waking up the whole damn castle.”

Lessia glanced at the two Fae males by their side, and she really didn’t like the tension pulling at their features.

Snapping the letter from Loche’s hand, Merrick ignored the regent when he scoffed at him and sat down on the armrest of her chair, allowing her to read the note with him.

Regent,

I’ve understood you’re harboring the fugitives we both sought to punish.

I am confident that this is a misunderstanding, but I’d like to ensure the alliance between Ellow and Vastala remains intact.

My ship will be waiting for you tomorrow at dusk, in the spot we met when you were elected.

Should you not show, I will take it as an act of war and act accordingly.

King Rioner Rantzier

“He’s worried,” Merrick mumbled as he stared at Raine and Kerym.

Kerym nodded. “It would seem so.”

They all froze when the door flew open, but it was only one of the guards who had been posted behind Loche at dinner.

His masked face nervously turned from Raine and Kerym by the bookshelf to herself, Merrick, and Loche by the desk until Loche waved him into the room.

The clinking of glasses interrupted the thick silence, and Lessia realized the guard carried a tray filled with cups of liquor.

“Thought we might need something stronger than wine to deal with this.” Loche inclined his head when the guard offered him one first. “Thank you.”

Accepting the glass, Lessia took a sip when Loche raised his, letting the warmth drive away some of the cold that seeped through her veins after reading the threatening letter.

The other Fae did the same, Raine downing his in one go, as usual, while Merrick sipped slowly, and she could nearly not tear her eyes away when he licked his full lips as he set it down.

“Why is he worried?” Loche demanded as he placed his glass on the table, once again thrumming his fingers against the dark surface, tapping an ominous melody that started an ache in Lessia’s head.

Merrick didn’t bother looking his way as he responded; instead, his eyes fixed on Lessia’s, and his hand moved to clasp her shoulder. “Because of us, I expect.”

He threw his other hand toward Lessia and then to Raine and Kerym. “He probably believed Raine and Kerym to be dead, and I was blood-sworn to him for so long he forgot that I’m a threat. And powers like those Lessia and Raine wield have always frightened Rioner.”

Merrick’s eyes found hers, and his hand moved to her neck, his thumb brushing her cheek as he lowered his voice. “I’m guessing he started to piece things together when he learned about Frelina. He must have realized whatever Alarin knew, we now know, and he’s scared you’re about to compel Loche to go against him before his plan can be executed.”

“So… he’s coming to take us out?” Kerym moved to stand beside Loche, a smirk slipping across his features. “I can’t wait to see him try.”

Loche’s eyes hardened. “Should I be worried for my people?”

Raine broke in. “I doubt it. He likes to pretend he’s this noble leader, so he wouldn’t try anything. Not by himself. But you should be worried for us—he surely has something up his sleeve if he’s proactively proposing to meet.”

Loche nodded, and for a moment, it was silent—so silent Lessia felt it press down on her, squeeze the air from her tight lungs, as if Rioner had already used his magic on her, replacing her breath with water, as she’d heard he liked to do if someone talked back to him.

But as she leaned into Merrick, letting his touch distract her for the second she needed to draw a steadying breath, she forced the fear out of her mind.

“Then we need to come up with an advantage of our own.” Lessia stared right at Loche as she said it. “We need that stone, Loche.”

Loche’s eyes trailed from the hand Merrick still kept around her neck, down to where her body aligned with the Fae’s, then finally up to her own, and she almost shivered from the frost filling his grays.

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