Page 13 of King Foretold
“Give yourself some grace.” He nudges his knee against my calf. Where we sit side by side on the ground, his legs stretch on way longer than my puny ones. “Not everyone can claim to have magic gi goggles.”
“Actually,no onecan,” I mutter morosely. “Extra special, remember?”
“How can I forget?” Ethan tugs my head onto his shoulder. “You’ll figure it out. You always do.”
I want to lean on him and let him tell me everything will be okay. But what good has that ever done?
“I better get going.” I hop to my feet before I change my mind and swat dirt off my ass, but I don’t step away.
Turn around, Sunny. Leave.
“I’ll walk you back.” Ethan scrambles up next to me.
“Why would a fancy emissary escort a humble cadet back to the barracks?” I cock my eyebrow, even though I would give anything to spend more time with him. “Besides, how do you know I’m not moon shifting back?”
“I doubt they have bowls of water outside the barracks to make sneaking in and out easier for the cadets.” A muscle jumps in his jaw. “But if I’m wrong and you can moon shift back, I won’t be able to accompany you.”
“Why not?” I frown at his obvious frustration.
“Grand—” He curses under his breath. “General Bak is adamant that I don’t use my magic.”
“What?” I breathe. Ethan’s magic is much too powerful to leave untrained. He needs to master his powers for his safety, as well as the safety of others. And ...oh gods... if he can’t master his magic, we have no hope of stopping the King of Mountains without a war. “Why the fuck not?”
“He’s worried my magic trace will reveal that I come from two life sources,” Ethan says with a heavy sigh.
How can anyone discern Ethan’s two life sources if I’m the only one with gi goggles? The traces left behind by beings of the Shingae are more like fingerprints than DNA samples. They allow you to identify a person, not analyze their genetic makeup. Something doesn’t seem right.
But I nod as though I’m convinced. “He doesn’t want your cover blown.”
“Yeah,” Ethan mutters.
I let my gaze trace the lines of his features. I can’t imagine what he must be going through. If he can’t defeat his father—if he can’t stop the war—Ethan will blame himself for every life lost. He must be drowning in helpless anger and frustration. But his relationship with his grandfather is so new, so precious, even I wouldn’t want him to endanger that by opposing the general outright.
“Hey.” I tap the tip of my shoe against the tip of his. “Did you know you were a miracle?”
“A miracle?” He side-eyes me.
“Yup,” I chirp in an awkward attempt to cheer him up. “Apparently, it’s basically impossible for beings of two different life sources to have a child together.”
“Ah that.” He shrugs with a bittersweet smile. “Basicallyimpossible isn’t the same as impossible.”
“Wait.” My brows draw together as I come to a belated realization. Shinbiins from different kingdoms are forbidden from marrying each other. “How did your parents ...”
“My father trapped my mother into marriage.” Ethan grits his teeth. “And no one dared to stop the King of Mountains.”
I clap a hand over my eyes. “Why can’t I say the right thing for once?”
“I love everything you say.” He tugs down my hand, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I would give anything to spend a day with you, listening to the things that come out of your mouth.”
“You’re such an idiot.” I give him a tremulous smile, and his gaze drops to my lips. The heat and yearning in his eyes make my breathhitch in my chest. Before I do something very foolish, I squint up at the sky. “It’ll be dawn in a few hours. Wh ... what are you doing up so late anyway?”
“Shit.” He cringes. “I promised Draco I’d stop by tonight, but I wanted to make sure everyone was asleep before I left.”
“Why? Have you not told General Bak about our lovable dragon shifter?” I cock my head to the side. “Don’t you trust your grandfather?”
“I trust him with my life,” Ethan answers without hesitation. “But I’m not taking any chances with yours.”
“Mine?” I draw back in surprise.
