Page 86 of Courting War
Champion of Theoden
INFIRMARY, CITY OF THE GODS
The sight was sickening. It felt like maggots in his gut, eating from the inside out. Envy’s fangs ripped him apart from the inside out.
Morrigan hovered over Emmett, her lips inches from his. Intimate. The sight was personal, romantic—sinful. A growl climbed into Kellyn’s throat. He wanted to pull them apart and punch his friend in the face. He wanted to roar. But what right did he have?
Morrigan wasn’t his.
She wasn’t anyone’s.
“Oh,” Kellyn gulped, announcing his presence. And because Kellyn was utterly useless at speaking and saying what he meant, he grunted, “Oh, I’m sorry to interrupt.”
Morrigan glanced over her shoulder, but Emmett drew her closer and whispered something into her hair. Kellyn averted his eyes.
“Tempting offer, but you two should talk.” Morrigan raked a hand across Emmett’s chest and flashed him a mischievous glance that promised so much more as she sauntered away, her hips swinging. A temptress on full display.
Emmett responded with a betrayed look, sayinghow dare you leave me with him.
Kellyn sucked down his jealousy and timidly approached his best mate. After all, Emmett was awake and flirting, meaning his mind and faculties were perfectly intact. All good things. Emmett’s health was what mattered, and hopefully, Emmett would feel well enough to get back into the games because they’d lost three days to the sickness. Now, Kellyn had only two full days left to play three games.
A daunting prospect.
“How are you feeling?” Kellyn asked, holding his breath.
“What does it matter to you?” Emmett bit out. “I thought you took my place in the Sacrifice to save my life, and here you are, nearly killing me.”
The words felt like a knife to Kellyn’s gut. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t lied. Their positions would probably be reversed. Emmett, the champion, and Kellyn, the poisoned.
Kellyn’s intestines twisted, and his tongue was thick with worry. Apologies and truth—conflict resolution—were some of the scariest words one would ever say. Because what if he got them wrong? What if he buried their friendship even more?
He sucked in a breath, the vein in his neck pulsing with the ragged beats of his heart. “I’m sorry—”
“Sorry for what?” Emmett snapped back. “Intentionally trying to kill me? What a useless word, Kellyn.”
“You’re right. It is useless because I should have told you my secrets long ago.” Kellyn fell like a heap into the chair beside Emmett. The chair rocked slightly from Kellyn’s sheer size, but he steadied it. “The truth is that I didn’t mean to name myself as champion—”
“Didn’t mean? What utter bullshit.” Emmett shook his head. “If I had enough energy to leave, I would. I don’t want to listen to more lies, Kellyn.”
“I'm a liar—”
“Yes, you are.” Emmett’s brow furrowed. He didn’t expect Kellyn to admit to it.
Kellyn rubbed the beginnings of a beard, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Would you hear me out? If you don’t like what you hear, I promise I’ll give you space and not ask again.”
Emmett gritted his teeth and balled his fists. He didn’t want to listen to anything. Probably livid from the loss of his honor and the poisoning. Kellyn couldn’t fault him. He was supposed to be an expert in herbs, yet he failed spectacularly at the second challenge. It wouldn’t make sense out of context. “I’ll listen if you promise me that if we both live through these games, I never have to see you again.”
Kellyn’s heart crumbled. The words were squeezing it to death. “I promise to do my best to avoid you after the games if it’s still what you want.”
“It will be.”
Kellyn nodded. “I can’t read.” He rubbed his temples. “I see the words on the page, and I have a hard time making sense of them. Understanding anything written takes me at least ten times longer than everyone else, and even then, my comprehension isn’t good.”
“You can’t read,” Emmett scoffed. “Then how did you get through the Agoge?”
“I cheated.” Kellyn blew out a breath. “I stole the assignments and tests beforehand, wrote codes on my arms to remember things, refused to do things, and acted like a privileged dick. I did everything I could to avoid reading aloud.”
Emmett glowered, but he seemed to be at least taking in some of it.
