Page 64 of The King is Dead
I rolled onto my side to face her, reaching up to comb her hair out of her eyes.
“I want to meet them too, Yilan… but they need to see me as a man before they can see me as a King.”
She went still under my hand, her smile fading. “Melek… I’m not putting off telling them anymore. It’s beentorture.And they keep accusing you of… ofcompelling me.They don’t understand—”
“I need some time, Yilan,” I said grimly. “Time to plan a route through this—and to show them who I am. Let them see me as I am without the crown first.”
“But—”
“Then, when you tell them who I am, it will seem fitting, rather than an enemy forced upon them.”
“Melek, I’m not leaving you in a cage—”
“No, I need to be free. They have to see that I choose not to harm them, but to help. I’ll… volunteer to advise on how to open lines of communication with the Nephilim. I’ll be an advocate.Let them meet me as political asset, and learn my heart and mind.”
Yilan blew out a breath. “I agree it’s a good idea, but there’s no time. And Turo—”
I stiffened at his name and she grabbed for me, clearly afraid I would leave. I wouldn’t. But I wanted to snap my teeth.
Our eyes locked and hers were as stern as they were pleading.
“Melek, he’s already figured out that I’m pulling away from him, but I need to tell himwhy.He thought you raped me. I had to tell him I gave myself willingly, now he’s hurt by the betrayalandthinks that you’ve somehow coerced me—”
“Then tell him the truth and ask him to delay the announcement to others.”
“If that was an option I would have told him right away. He’s such a stickler for protocol and tradition and keeping the peoplesecure by maintaining the old ways. Even though he’ll hate it, when he understands that you’re my mate and our King, he might be cold, but he will be the fiercest advocate of your status and authority, and—”
“Yilan, he already spoke to me,” I muttered darkly.
She cut off, frowning. “Hewhat?”
“He confronted me when you left us here alone. As you said, he believed I was holding some power over you.”
“Oh, dear. What did you tell him?”
I rumbled at the fear in her eyes—did she fear the man’s reaction and subsequent political fallout? Or did she still have feelings for him?
I watched her closely, measuring the bond for her emotions. “He is not quite the stickler for the rules that you think,” I growled.
She blinked. “What do you mean?”
“He is deeply in love with you. And there’s a stick so far up his ass I’m surprised he doesn’t choke on it. Yet, he was genuinely hurt. Angry. Convinced that you’re protecting me because of some terrible secret spell. But by the end… Yilan, first he threatened to kill me. Then, he offered me freedom if I would leave—and leaveyou.”
Her head jerked back. “No… he wouldn’t undermine—you must have misunderstood.”
I growled again. “He offered to free me if I’d leave the country and have no further contact with you. He believes my hold on you will fade if I’m not nearby.”
Her eyes closed and she covered her face with her hands. “I’m hurting him so badly, Melek,” she breathed. “He doesn’t deserve it.”
“Then tellhim,”I urged her. “But ask for a few days—let the others see me without the throne first, so they aren’t blinded by the crown. Yilan, I am unknown to them—”
“I already agreed it’s a good idea, but there’s no time! Even if I could convince Turo not to tell everyone, his admiration for the crown is such that he’d still bow to you. Submit. Even with distaste. And the others would notice. And then they’d think you clawed those magik talons intohim. No, Melek. We have to do this once, for all.”
“Then he can’t know. It’s that simple.”
“But—”
“Together, Yilan. We have to do this together. No matter how—”
