Page 48 of The King's Man
“…it’s true that finding Gall is a top priority. He’s a weapon in the hands of our enemies if he’s been taken,” Jann said grimly to Melek. “Yet, I find myself far more concerned about the obstacles you might face from within the Nephilim, rather than other nations. You’ve already proven you can conquer lands and fighters—”
“Our force has been decimated,” Melek muttered with a twist of distaste on his lips. “Half our men slaughtered at our own hands.”
“Your enemies don’t know that. New men from the former war camp join us every day. They’re being assessed individually by our strongest fighters. Those who are willing to fall in line with your priorities will stay, those who don’t will not,” Jann said bluntly. “Whenever you choose to return home, you will do so with a united force—even if it is smaller than expected. It’s only smart to leave forces in each conquered nation to watch over them. Plus, even Neph war has casualties. Most won’t see enough to question the numbers—they’ll assume we’re traveling in bands. If anything, the proof of your ability to both conquerandform alliance with the strongest on the Continent will only add to your legend.”
Melek huffed and looked at Yilan. She sat too straight. Her grief and fear for Istral barely hidden beneath the surface, though these men were unlikely to perceive it. But I knew her. She wanted nothing more than to personally hunt for her sister, and kill any man who had hurt or violated her.
But my best friend was also a Queen and understood that her responsibility outweighed her personal loyalties and pains.
She could not walk away. She wasneededhere. She wouldn’t deny it.
What surprised me was how quickly talk had turned to Melek and Yilan returning to Ebonreach.
“…the men here, the forces, the alliance with Theynor—these are the true weapons that will stifle your enemies before you even step foot in their lands,” Jann said confidently. “And if any of them attempt to resist, they’ll deal with me and our remaining forces.”
The implication that every man at the table accepted without question was that any enemy who attempted such a mutiny would pay the price dearly, at the hands of Jann himself.
That was the moment I saw why Melek trusted him. And understood why Yilan had urged me to do the same.
Jann did not see himself as a dog on Melek’s leash, only waiting to be freed to take control.
He was a wolf, happily serving his Alpha, and would put down any imbecile who was stupid enough to believe that being out of Melek’s sight made them safer.
Anyleader at any level would be bolstered by that kind of support coupled with genuine strength. But for a King?
For a King, that kind of loyalty was priceless.
And it was exactly how I felt about Yilan.
My assurance to her had always been she need only point, and I would fulfill her instructions whether she was present ornot. That she need only express the need, and I would fill it without her offering a second thought.
It was… humbling to watch a man—inarguably a stronger, more powerful man than me—do the same.
I spent the rest of the meeting squirming in my seat, trying to accommodate this new view of Jann, and wondering how I’d missed this quality in him before.
Oh wait. That’s right.
Because he’d never stopped fucking flirting.
Until now.
That hand appeared on my knee twice more in the course of the afternoon. Never sliding higher to my thigh. Never squeezing in warning. Always pressing to remind me of the solid earth beneath my feet—and the solid strength of the body that sat next to me.
At one point I found myself emotional purely because here he sat, not only aware of me and attempting to assist in my difficulty, but also articulating wise counsel for his King, and a stabilizing loyalty that would bolster the confidence of the other men, whom he outranked.
He wasleading.And doing it better than I did.
Shit.
When the decisions were finally made to separate the mission to find Gall and Istral from Melek and Yilan’s progress—to give no outward indication of their worry or preoccupation—I met eyes with Yilan.
She looked away immediately, but I already knew.
This would kill her.
Leaving her sister’s protection in the hands of others—even Jhonas and his ranks—went against every way that Yilan loved. But she kept her chin high and her eyes clear. And seeing her dignity, even knowing how broken she felt, it chastised me.
I had been falling apart. Allowing myself to spiral.
