Page 73 of The King is Dead
He stared down at me, his expression solemn. “And yet, even in that…together. Right?”
“Right,” I replied tersely.
Melek frowned. “Yilan, I’m not looking forward to it either, but do you see a better way through this? If you do, I’m listening.”
I wanted to argue, but I couldn’t. Instead I just stepped forward and put my head on his chest.
As his arms wrapped around me and we stood there, I prayed that somehow we could find our way through this without the chaos. Quickly. Smoothly. And together.
When my tension had eased some, I straightened to find Melek staring down at me with the hint of a smile on his face.
“What?” I muttered.
“You’re pretty when you’re pouting.”
“I’m notpouting!”
He leaned down quickly and kissed me. “Well, you’re pretty when you’re… doing whatever it is you’re doing right now. Even with your hair messy like that—though you might want to straighten it before we walk out.”
I slapped his chest, but as he grinned, I quickly pulled my hair back and twisted it into a braid. Melek’s eyes dropped to my chest which was raised because I had my arms back and up. He gave a low rumble and slid his hand into the hollow of my waist, but I growled right back at him.
“You don’t get to tell me all the reasons we have to walk away from this solitude, then give me reason to stay,” I muttered as I quickly braided the last length of my hair. “If we’re doing this, we have to do it before dinner, so things can calm down and everyone can see that you’re not a brute, but a… wait… what are you?”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… are you considered noble in your society?”
His charming, teasing expression faded quickly into sour darkness. “Yes,” he muttered. “But Gall is not.”
Our eyes locked at Gall’s name and I pushed a wave of comfort and reassurance to him through the bond. We’d both been avoiding talking about the details that would face us personally outside of this room, focusing instead on the immediate priority of getting him free, and crowned. But I could feel how heavily Gall weighed on him.
“Do you trust that he’ll come around?” I said quietly.
“I don’t have any choice but to believe that I can appeal to him. Perhaps when he sees me, perhaps it will take more than that. But I trust his heart. He is good to his core, and forgiving.”
“I’ll help however I can,” I reassured him.
“You have enough on your plate. Leave Gall to me.”
Then we both went quiet, and it was time. I looked towards the door, chewing my lip.
“Shall we?” I said reluctantly.
But to my surprise, Melek shook his head. “You first.”
I looked at him sharply. “What? Why? You said we hadto—”
“They must see me without you, Yilan. Just for these first hours. You go first, give your orders—tell them not to kill me, and give them whatever instruction you want them to have. Then… leave me to deal with them. I will show them who I am,” he said, that powerful gleam in his eye.
My admiration for his courage and strength took another deep surge. I wanted to throw him on the bed and make him remindmewho he was. But I just huffed a breath out and put my hand to his chest again. “I love that you are so willing to just walk straight into the fray,” I said quietly. “I admire that about you, Melek.”
His brows rose. “That is… touching,” he said softly, stroking my face with one hand. “And a trait I admire about you, also. When it isn’t getting me drugged and abducted,” he added dryly.
I gave him a flat look, but let the tease pass, and instead stroked the front of his jacket. “Your strength in that way is why I know you’ll be an incredible King,” I said.
He grunted, then leaned down to kiss me—slowly. Softly. His fingers curling into the hair at my nape. But he didn’t deepen it. Just lingered. I had to force myself to only kiss him back, not cling.
When he broke the kiss and stroked my chin with one finger, I turned from him and took a deep breath before marching out of the cell, then yanking open those anteroom doors and starting down the stairs, reaching for Diadre in my mind before I got to the guards.
