Page 56 of The King is Dead
But there was nothing.
I remembered the pain he’d felt and gasped. “Melek, are you—” I whirled to grab his hand that was pressed to his chest, pulling it away and tearing his shirt open, terrified I’d find blood, a desperate wound. But there was nothing but his skin and those scars.
Melek shook his head without stopping his scan of the room, and took my hand, squeezing it.
“I’m fine,” he rumbled. “I’m fine. It was… it was all just… an attempt to tear us apart.”
I stared up at him until he finally sighed and rolled his shoulders, wincing as if something hurt—and then I remembered we’d fallen. But he shrugged it off and finally looked down to meet my eyes.
“Melek… what the hell was that?”
“One of the Fallen. Lucifer, I believe,” he said darkly, his eyes cutting back to the room before returning to me.
“But…why?”I spluttered.
“I don’tknow. None of the Fallen have ever revealed themselves to me before. But it’s clear he didn’t want me coming back to you,” he said quietly.
I went still, staring up at him. “You’re serious? Why?”
“How the fuck would I know?” he snapped, but he was still gripping me, pulling me against him.
My nerves spiked at the anger in his tone.
Then he took a deep breath and tore his eyes from the room again, to stare down at me. “Why do shadows gather around you, Yilan?”
I frowned. “They don’t!”
One of his brows arched to argue with me, but I shook my head.
“I have never had anything to do with the darkness, or shades, or the Fallen—nothing, Melek.”
“Well, clearly, they want something to do with you… ohshit.”He cursed and whipped around to face that window again, his arms back, keeping me behind him.
I thought the Fallen was back and startled, grabbing for Melek. “What? What do you—?”
“He claimed you,” Melek breathed, creeping forward, pulling me with him, until he could look out the window, then shook his head and turned, his eyes wide as he stared down at me.
“No,” I insisted. “Melek, I am telling the truth! I’ve never sought or served darkness—”
“That’s not what I meant,” he rumbled, staring down at me like he wasn’t sure whether to be angry. “Heclaimedyou.”
“That’s not his choice!”
“Fucking right it’s not, but… I think… God, Yilan, our Nephilim customs, our ways… they come from the Fallen. Our claiming, our traditions, the Fallen began them all. No Nephilim can deny a Fallen if he claims a woman. So, the higher a Neph stands, the fewer males can challenge for his female. You saw—only Gault could challenge me for you once I made the claim. The others would have had to fight me to the death to take you. It’s so that’s there’s never question who sired a child. But this… If Lucifer is claiming you, that meanshewants to breed you.”
My blood ran cold.
19. Resist
~ YILAN ~
“WHAT?”
Melek growled and pulled me hard against him, but his eyes were darting, searching, as if he sought answers and couldn’t find them.
What the fuck? What theactualfuck?
“Melek,” I said, grabbing his chin and making him look at me. “I amnotdoinganythingwith a fuckingFallen Angel!”
