Page 11 of Courting War
They croaked a song of his failure.
Cawing, and cawing, and cawing.
Each call a nail in the coffin of his reputation.
Caw.
Croak.
Caw.
The song of his destruction.
Caw.
Croak.
The sound of his secret crumbling around him.
Caw.
Caw.
Caw.
Kellyn sucked in a poisonous breath and tried again to find the champion’s name. He scanned the paper, his panic a visceral thing clawing at his chest. He needed to do something—fast.
If people learned of his affliction, his parents would disown him and name his younger brother the heir.
Kellyn needed a solution fast.
He could, like Emmett suggested, call out a random name. He could even call one of his cohorts he didn’t quite like. Theoden schooling created enemies and unbreakable allies. It was its way. Gallagher’s name came to mind—and it would be the perfect form of revenge. But Kellyn didn’t have that type of vengeance in his blood. Instead, he’d take on the burden rather than condemn the wrong person to death. His eyes scanned the now crumpled paper again.
Nothing.
His heart stumbled in his chest, and he searched all his options.
He had to name a champion but would sentence them to a gruesome death if he called the wrong name. But if he remained silent for much longer, the entire country would know his secret.
If he stayed silent, he’d lose everything. If he asked someone for help, he would lose everything. It was his father’s motto:Ellis’s don’t need help; asking for help is a form of weakness.Under no circumstances could Kellyn ever seek help. And he couldn’t find it within his soul to name someone else. Kellyn was many things, but he wasn’t a murderer.
He wasn’t cruel.
Honor burned in his blood, and he knew the only honorable thing left to do, but that didn’t mean he liked it.
Kellyn’s hands trembled as he crushed the paper between his fingers. His stomach turned to pure ice, and every part of his body resisted what he was about to say.
“I have decided . . .” His voice came out in a low rasp, almost like his vocal cords revolted against the following words. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I have decided as it is my rightas the heir of Theoden to break the tie and name the person, I see most fit as the champion.” He swallowed hard and rolled his fingers into a ball to keep them from trembling. “I shall be this year’s champion in the Sacrifice.”
A shattered silence descended among the crowd. People looked at their neighbors as if they hadn’t heard the prince correctly.
Once the retinue on the stage stumbled out of their shock and began whispering in concerned tones to each other.
Kellyn gritted his teeth and inhaled sharply before repeating for another time. “I name myself, Crown Prince Kellyn Ellis, this year’s champion in the Sacrifice.”
Chapter Four
KELLYN
