Page 120 of The King is Dead
Which was when I realized my hand was visible because I’d moved away from the tree without shrouding myself.
I was mentally cursing myself for thoughtless stupidity when something deep and black whipped over my head and a chest and arms almost as broad as Melek’s lifted me off my feet. I sucked in a breath, about to sink into shadow and smoke and loose myself, when there was a grunt.
My head sang with a blow that sent lightning behind my eyelids beforeeverythingwent dark.
44. Past Tense
~ MELEK ~
I was flying back towards the Palace from the forest beyond it when I felt the rush from Yilan—a wave of… approval. Esteem laced with want.
I smiled, wondering if she was dreaming, or still awake. There was an ache deep in my chest—I yearned to be close to her. But Turo had sent a messenger not long after I’d returned to the royal suite. There was an issue with Gall not wanting to allow the guards to take Istral and Harris without him. I had been needed to reassure Gall, and explain.
They’d intended to send me with a dozen guards, but the minute we left the Palace I’d taken off in flight. The guards were at least experienced enough not to shout and draw attention. But their hisses of warning and muttered curses told me I’d be returning to a furious Turo, and some ruffled feathers to soothe. It couldn’t be avoided, though. I needed to get to Gall as quickly as possible so he didn't get overstimulated and start causing problems no one needed right now.
In the end, I’d reached the little cottage quickly, convinced Gall to shadow the guards taking Istral—pointing out that he was uniquely equipped to watch for any Nephilim attackers. And he’d settled from defensive into determination.
I’d been proud of him—instead of giving in to his fear and frustration, he’d taken the instructions and grasped the vision.
Now, somewhere far behind me, he was hovering just beyond the circle of guards escorting Istral and Harris through the night. We would have another battle with him when they reached the Palace and Turo wanted to house them separately because he—quite rightly—recognized a vulnerability for both Yilan and I in our loved ones.
I didn’t anticipate sleeping tonight. I would return to the Palace, soothe those who were aggravated by my independence, then prepare them for the confrontation I’d need to have with Gall when they got inside.
I didn’t want him scaring anyone. They needed to leave him to me. Worst case scenario, I could wrestle him into submission. I didn’t want to have to do it though. I was praying he’d listen.
There was a little knot of irritation in Yilan—something directed at herself—but it faded almost as quickly as it appeared, then there was nothing. She must be dreaming.
I entertained the vision of going to her, slipping into her chamber, into her bed, waking her with kisses and strokes and telling her not to worry about her dreams.
But those thoughts only spurred frustration in my body that wanted desperately to be close to her at a time I knew I couldn’t.
And besides, when she learned that I dodged my guards, she’d be angry. I knew this whole strategy of keeping us separate was grating on her nerves. It would annoy her that I’d slipped away from the restrictive guards when she was still stuck.
Since I knew I wasn’t going to sleep, I decided to hurry back to my chamber where I’d told the guards to wait, and let them feel like I’d given them back their jobs. I’d need to apologize to them, and recognize the stress I’d caused. That way, hopefully, they’d be ready to return to service when I had to go help with Gall.
I could enter the suite through Yilan’s chamber. Those screens still hadn’t been fixed, which was why she wasn’t allowed to return there yet. I’d get back to my guards faster if I didn’t have to navigate the entire Palace on foot. And before I revealed myself I could take a quick turn around the chamber and see if they’d missed any clues left by my brothers.
Two birds, one stone.
Nodding to myself, I shifted my trajectory in flight, thankful that the moon was a bare crescent offering virtually no light tonight. Itwas unlikely any of my brothers would just happen to be watching the sky in the right place as I passed over, black against black. While I was still some distance from the Palace, I pushed higher in flight so I could glide the rest of the way without flapping, then turned for that breach on Yilan’s balcony screen.
Minutes later I dropped silently into the covered verandah and remained unmoving for several moments, scanning the space, peering through the dark.
The hair on the back of my neck was up. I wasn’t sure if it was because I’d subconsciously sensed an intruder, or I was only reminded how close they’d come to killing my mate.
I bared my teeth at that thought. When I found out who’d taken that shot, I would call the male out, making certain they knew, whether I was in attendance or not, that attacking her was attacking me.
With no sight or sound of another intruder, I straightened in my stance and started across the verandah and into the bedchamber, stopping dead in my tracks when I was only two steps into the room, as a black shadow separated from the corner near the door and coalesced into the tall, broad form of a Nephilim.
I growled and tensed. “You will not find a cowering victim here—”
I froze as Jann stepped far enough into the room that the very dim light from outside filtering through that hole in the screen hit his profile.
His eyes were dancing as his warm, deep voice reached me.
“The man himself,” he muttered, but I could see his teeth because he was smiling.
“Jann?! What the hell!”
