Page 89 of The King is Dead
“So, you hide a loss of nerve behind discussions of peace?”
The dry, cracked voice came from the other elder in the room, a man named Wellhurst, whom Yilan had mentioned only in passing, and who seemed on the outer fringes of this circle. I hadn’t seen any of the others meet his gaze or communicate silently the way brothers-in-arms did.
Gray, and growing frail like Hughes, this man was sullen and quiet. When this was done, I’d intended to ask Yilan why he was there since even she seemed slightly uneasy around him. But this was the first that he’d spoken.
I bristled and had to take hold of myself before I responded.
Letting the tightness of my jaw tell anyone watching how unimpressed I was with the accusation, I turned my head slowly to meet his narrowed gaze.
“No,” I said simply, though my tone was more growl than I’d intended.
But the man had found his voice, and he huffed to make it clear how little he trusted my word.
“You admit that you fear the struggle of holding the land and peoples you’ve already taken. Perhaps the Continent was not as easily won as you want us to think? Perhaps your appearance here is less to do with our Queen’s initiative, and more a reflection of your subterfuge.”
I wanted to roar—he didn’t just question me, he dared to imply Yilan was a liar?!
Leaning towards the man, I fixed him with a furious gaze. “I am not a coward, nor a liar—and neither is your Queen.”
Diadre’s expression screamed that she wanted to speak up, but Yilan’s hand on her arm stayed her tongue.
I shot a look at Turo—he should be standing for Yilan’s honor, even if he didn’t stand for mine.
But the Fetch General only rolled his jaw. “It is awfully convenient that this heart for peace comes here and now—when you are already behind our defenses, and your people are in chaos.”
“My people are fearless and require physical strength of our leaders. What you call chaos, my men call just another Secondday.”It wasn’tentirelytrue, but I knew that while the Neph hierarchy was in flux, their behavior would appear to be anarchy to these uptight motherfuckers. Neph responded to strength, so until theyknewwho outranked them, they’d fight anyone and anything to increase their own position. But that apparent bedlam would settle immediately when the right leader took the throne and the ranks beneath him became clear.
An echo of Yilan’s remembered voice rose in the back of my head, insisting that that leader should beme.But I pushed it away. Even if it were true, a thought I was still struggling to accept, I couldn’t give my energy to winning the Nephilim. Not while I stood in the sanctum of an enemy.
But not an enemy,I reminded myself. They were Yilan’s people. Yet, they were also mine. And I needed to bring them together with the Nephilim to keepeveryonesafe and…
Shit.
There wasn’t enough space in my head for it all. So I turned back to the problem I could solve now. I opened my mouth to remind the men at this table that we were here forpeace talks,when Wellhurst shook his head and turned on Yilan.
“Have you truly fallen for this deception?” he barked, throwing an open hand towards me.
“I am not lying to youorto her,” I snarled, but the man ignored me, his eyes blazing with judgement.
“I know you faced real danger at the hands of these brutes, but forgive me, Majesty, one animal showing a modicum of sense among a ruthless herd does not mean he holds honor—only that he is intelligent enough to know how to play to your emotions.”
Yilan blinked and drew herself up, her chin rising in offense. “Wellhurst, you would do well to reconsider your words,” she hissed.
“We are here to advise, let us advise,” he insisted. “This man has used the trauma of your experience to blind you to the truth. He has successfully manipulated you to bring him and his comrade through the Shadows of Shade, and now you ask us to respect a man who has personally held every nation on the continent in a death grip! This is not a leader for peace!”
“How many times must I say it—” I snarled, but the man groaned.
“Words, words, words! You are a Nephilim.TheNephilim if reports are to be believed. The very male who carried your peoplethrough bloody murder and mayhem, devastating every nation in your wake. Our Queen is young and has a pure heart, so I don’t blame her for not seeing through your machinations, but I am a grown man. For fuck’s sake, men, are we all just going to stand here andentertainthis?!”
There was a murmur around the table, a shifting as the gathered men heard their own thoughts reflected, albeit in anger. They began shifting in their seats and eyeing each other as Wellhurst continued in his tirade, pointing at me.
“This male is a spy and a warrior who keeps his murderous intent hidden while he knows himself to be surrounded by those of us strong enough to overcome him. But the moment we fall for this shit, we will have no one to blame but ourselves when he carves his way through this Palace, takes our Queen—again, by all accounts—and then leads his people to conquer our lands!”
The warning growl began in my toes, but Yilan shot me a look as she pushed to her feet.
33. The Queen’s Ire
~ MELEK ~
