Page 93 of The King's Man
Her head snapped up to look at me, and I gaped at her and…
“Was that you?” I asked her breathlessly.
She blinked, but nodded quickly, biting her lip.
Holy shit. Was this what they could do with their Fetch magik? Melek had mentioned something about minds linking, but—
“Diadre, are you certain? Are you… really sure?” Unaware of what had happened in our thoughts, Yilan had put herself in front of us, eyeing where our hands were bound with concern.
“I’m sure,” Diadre said, but her voice was small. Too small for her.
I looked at her worriedly, but she nodded, encouraging Yilan not to be angry.
While the two tipped their heads together and Yilan whispered—words I could hear, but chose not to since they’d only offend me—Melek came to my other side and offered his hand to clasp.
When I clapped my palm into his, he embraced me, pounding my shoulder. “Congratulations brother,” he said with a low laugh. “I have to admit, I wondered how that would go.”
Yilan and Diadre continued to whisper for a moment, but then she leaned into my side and shook her head. “It’s all well, Yilan. I promise. He has been… very thoughtful. I just… I didn’t believe it was a bond. I thought I’d been deceived again. I was frightened. That’s not his fault.”
Yilan’s lips twisted and she shot me a warning look past Diadre, but she nodded. “That’s debatable,” she muttered.
I rolled my eyes, but Melek cleared his throat and drew all our attention back to him.
“I know this is an important day—and it’s been a long one. But it’s good that you’re back. We were about to go join theCouncil. We’ve called them together because we’ve made some decisions,” he said grimly.
Yilan looked at him, and grief and worry overwhelmed the irritation in her expression. She stepped over to her mate to take his arm like Diadre held mine.
My chest warmed and I looked down at my mate. Her eyes glowed like she’d heard the thought.
Holy shit.My mate.
I tore my eyes from her—and my mind from all the things I wished to do to her—only to find Melek staring with one brow high, and Yilan’s lips pressed thin.
I cleared my throat. “We’ll do our best to stay on track, Melek. There will be no more running away without warning. What have you decided?”
Melek sighed. “Come with me. We’ll tell you as we walk. I’m afraid this is going to be a long night. And I need you to do me a favor, Jann: While we’re in Council, act as frustrated and aggressive with me as you can without outright mutiny. Make it clear to the others that there’s a problem that centers on Diadre—which is why you disappeared today. Let them believe we haven’t yet resolved it.”
I looked at him, curious. “Is there? A problem, I mean?”
Melek snorted. “No. But they need to think there is.”
“Can I ask why?”
Melek’s lips twisted. “It will work better if you don’t know. Just… humor me?” His tone was ominous.
I agreed, of course, but couldn’t help wondering.
*****
We sat at that table again, surrounded by the rest of the council, Diadre on my right because of our bound hands. My head still spun with Melek’s hurried explanation as we walked—and we’d had virtually no time to discuss it at all because we’d reached the tent.
The other Nephilim had eyed the binding, unaware of the tradition, asked why I’d tied her to me.
“So there’snoconfusion about who she belongs to,” I growled in return, with far more hostility than was needed. But even though some of that frantic drive to keep others away from her had been soothed by the completed bond, my skin still felt too tight. Adrenalin flooded my system when anyone made a quick move—or when one of the males looked at Diadre. I didn’t care if it was pure curiosity, or concern, they needed toback the fuck off—
Melek elbowed me, and I shot him an open glare—which he returned—before I returned my attention to the discussion at the table, but kept my fingers twined with Dee’s under the level of the table, resting our grip on my thigh.
“…a return to Ebonreach is now unavoidable,” Melek said grimly. “Whoever took Gall and Istral will have done so to take power from the Neph. So… Imustgo to Valgorath and stake my claim.”
