Page 165 of The King is Dead
“That’s all I want to do,” he said earnestly.
I grabbed his shoulder and squeezed, because I knew he meant that.
“The thing is, safety in lovemaking is very different to protecting her from others,” I said carefully. “When you’re intimate with your mate, you have to protect her fromyou.”
Gall frowned. “Because I can hurt her?”
“Because you might hurt her heart.”
Gall’s frown deepened and he looked at the trees ahead. “I only ever want to make her smile and be happy.”
“I know, son. I do. I’m just tellingyou…”
I did my best to explain to him how to check in with Istral, how to make sure that shewantedhim before they even started. And how to help her find out what she liked and what she didn’t. “…And if she wants to stop, or tells you to stop a thing, don’t resist. Do exactly as she asks—and don’t get angry about it. That’s how you keep her safe.”
Gall nodded like I’d assigned him a task. “I will.”
I squeezed his shoulder again. “I know you will, Gall. You’re a good man. You have a good heart. You will be an excellent mate.”
Gall’s shoulders rose and fell with a weighty sigh. “I hope so.”
When we stopped to make camp that night, I could feel Yilan's unrest. I stayed at her side, both of us watching Gall and Istral like hawks. The pair might as well have been tied together, they were so unwilling to have space between them.
Even when she was plastered to his side, Gall’s eyes darted left and right, examining everyone nearby with a suspicious fervor. It was obvious he was fighting the fear that they were being tricked and that if he turned his back, someone would whip her away. I grieved for all the ways he'd been outsmarted in the past, and silently begged God to hedge them both in protection from a ruthless world.
And yet, as I watched them take joy in each other, a part of me was thrilled for them. For my son to finally have someone other than me who saw how special he was. And who would choose him.
Yilan was no longer angry or frantic, but her tension was palpable. And even when I caught her staring at Gall and Istral as they sat hip to hip to eat their evening meal, it wasn’t a smile on her face as much as worry.
“Maybe when Jhonas arrives he’ll have some runners with him and one of them can chaperone the two back to Theynor,” Yilan whispered at one point.
I shrugged. “Even if they can, it will need to wait until after I’ve won the crown. Gall needs to be close enough to attend the ceremony. I need to establish his position while everyone is humbled and submitted. Otherwise we’ll have problems later.”
Yilan sighed, but nodded. I rubbed her back.
“Don’t worry. We all want to help them. Jann is especially committed to keeping Gall safe. And now that he’s a true warrior, he won’t be targeted as much by the younger Neph who are always looking for a problem.”
Yilan dropped her face into her hands. “I can’t put her among them, Melek. She doesn’t have thefightin her to defend herself.”
“Of course not. But… let’s acknowledge that as Gall’s mate, the chances of her avoiding the Nephilim completely are pretty small. But Gall will watch for her.”
Yilan’s head came up and she stared me down. “Melek, I love him. And I love you. ButGallis often outwitted, or overpowered by them. He will fight for her even more fiercely than he fought for me. But even you can’t overcome a group if they turn on you.”
I couldn’t deny that she was right. “All the more reason to make certain that his position in the new hierarchy is well established—to minimize the chance of those kinds of problems.”
Yilan sighed and nodded, then leaned into my arm. “God, this is such a mess.”
I couldn’t deny that either, but I sent her a rush of reassurance and love through the bond. Which was when she kind of stiffened, then looked up at me again.
“Why do you think I can’t speak into your mind? If Istral can do it with Gall… what’s stopping us?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea. That’s a Shadekin talent. You need to tell me how we figure that out.”
Yilan sat up straight and put her hand to my face, staring into my eyes, concentrating. I felt her in my mind, saw flashes of images—her fear, her gratefulness for me, her self-loathing over having hurt Istral in the past. But even when she closed her eyes, there were no words.
She slumped, shaking her head. “Maybe my sister isn’t a child, but a savant,” she said dryly. “Or maybe I’m the real problem here. Melek, Istral thought… she thought that all those years ago, when that man took advantage of her, I blamedher!”Her voice was tight, horrified, and on the verge of tears.
My heart flashed—worry, sympathy, and a desire to protect that always spawnedneed.I cursed my body for the response as I pulled her closer. We were both weary, but I could feel the growing fear in her.
