Page 44 of The King is Dead
I would have laughed. To Jhonas, Diadre wasforeverthe little sister. To a soldier, they were equally ranked. But he would always remain her superior because he’d been a Captain longer. Jhonas took great delight in reminding her of that.
“I’m serious, Yilan, you can trust me. Speak. Get it off your chest. I will leave this room and never think of it again, if that’s what’s needed.”
I hesitated, but Ididfeel like I needed an objective opinion. And perhaps specifically a woman’s eyes on it, as well.
So, I took a deep breath, turned around in the chair to sit with my feet on the ground, and I told her.
All of it.
Start to finish. From the moment Melek strode into the King’s tent and I recognized his soul, to Jannus and Gall, and the Fallen King himself.
Her eyes got wider and wider.
Then I told her about the lake, about Melek’s wings, and my lust for him.
I told her about the Shade, and the King’s maneuverings.
I told her about Gall being left alone to guard me, and the attack from the young Neph. I shivered recounting that, and Diadre looked alarmed. But when I described how Melek returned and hid his true intentions behind their brutal traditions…
“He knew I was his mate before I did,” I murmured.
Diadre choked and almost spat out the mouthful of wine she’d just taken.“What?!”
I nodded, squirming. Yet I warmed with pride as I told her that it was Melek who had recognized the bond and confronted me, forcing me to face it or denyhim.
She just gaped.
Then I told her about the King’s manipulations, Gall’s attack on his true father, and how I had finished Gault off.
And then…
I swallowed hard. Diadre hadn’t moved or spoken in a long time. She stared at me with wide eyes, clutching that goblet so hard her knuckles were white.
“Melek made astupidplan…” I hissed. “Heinsistedthat the only chance for all of us to survive was that he take the blame for Gault’s death and tell them all I escaped and fled with Gall. And then he would try to convince them all to forgivehimfor killing Gault in defense of his own life. But they wouldn’t… I knew they wouldn’t. Those that truly followed Gault would have descended on him the moment he made the admission. There would be notimefor him to reason with them.”
Diadre nodded, but her lower jaw was slack.
“So… I drugged him,” I said, grimacing. “I took him forcibly, brought him here, and imprisoned him because I feared his wrath—and to keep Turo and the others safe until he’d had time to calm down and think. But now…”
“Now he thinks you betrayed him?” she whispered.
I nodded.
“Holyshit,Yilan!”
“I know.”
“He’s your mate?!”
I nodded, smiling a little. “He figured it out first. But as I’ve had time to think, I’ve realized… I was drawn to him from the first. As if I understood something of him. I didn’t question it—I’m used to trusting my instincts. But now… now I know it was the bond. Singing to me.”
Diadre blew out a breath. “And… you’re sure it’s real?”
“Deadly certain,” I said fiercely, but found I couldn’t meet her eyes. I tapped my chest. “He’s here. He’swithinme. Though he’s fighting it now.”
“Fighting it?”
“Wavering. I think… I think he’s considering severing our tie and…God,I can’t breathe just thinking about it.”
