Page 38 of Awakened Destiny
I want to believe him. I really do. But every time I close my eyes, I see King Cillian’s face, lifeless and pale. I see the blood on my hands, and I can’t shake the feeling that some part of me wanted it. That some part of me enjoyed it.
“Callen…” My voice cracks.
“I’m here,” he says, simple and sure.“And I’m not going anywhere.”
I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. He’s so close now, and I can feel the tension between us, like a live wire sparking in the air. I don’t know what to say, so I don’t say anything. I just stand there, letting his presence anchor me, even as the storm inside me rages on.
Callen leans back against the edge of my desk, his arms crossed.“I went to the palace today,” he says, his tone casual, but there’s something in the way his jaw tightens that tells me it wasn’t just a routine visit.“Saw my mother.”
I raise an eyebrow.“How’d that go?”
He shrugs, but it’s stiff, like he’s forcing it.“Same as always. Queen Maywen has never been the warm and fuzzy type.” Even when she wasn’t a few cards short of a full deck, I think to myself. But I don’t say it out loud.
“And are you ready… “
“Ready to be the new king?” He paces the room.“I have to be, don’t I?”
He stops in front of the window, his silhouette framed by the dull light of the overcast day. His shoulders are tense, his hands clenched at his sides. For a moment, he looks less like the confident, infuriating prince I’ve come to know and more like someone carrying the weight of the world.
“You don’t have to do it alone,” I say quietly, my voice almost inaudible.
He turns to face me, his expression unreadable.“I’m not alone. I have you.”
The words hang in the air between us, heavy with meaning. I want to believe him, to trust that I can be enough, but the doubt creeps in like a shadow.“What if I’m not enough?”
He crosses the room in two strides, his hands cupping my face before I can pull away.“You’re more than enough, Brigid. You always have been.”
Chapter Twenty One
Brigid
His lips brush mine, soft and tentative at first, then with growing urgency. I surrender to it, letting the heat of his kiss chase away the cold knot of guilt in my chest. His fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us.
When he finally breaks away, his breath is ragged, his eyes dark with desire.
I press my forehead against his, my heart pounding in rhythm with his.“Callen,” I murmur, my voice trembling with a mix of fear and longing.“What happens now? With you as king… what does that mean for us?”
He pulls back just enough to look at me, his pale blue eyes searching mine. His hands slide down to my shoulders, grounding me.“It means I’ll have more power,” he says, his voice even, like he’s choosing each word carefully.“More resources. More ways to keep you safe.”
I bite my lip, the words bubbling up before I can stop them.“What if it changes… us?”
His expression softens, and he brushes a strand of hair from my face.“Brigid, listen to me. I’m not going to let this throne change who I am. Not with you, or the others.” He pauses, his thumb tracing the curve of my cheekbone.“If anything, this will only make it easier for me to protect you. To keep the Council and anyone else who wants to hurt you at bay.”
I let out a shaky breath, my hands gripping his arms like they’re the only thing keeping me upright.“I don’t need protecting,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel. It’s half a lie, and we both know it. Iwanthis protection, even if I hate admitting it. The thought of him shielding me from the world makes something warm and heavy settle in my chest, but it also scratches at the part of me that’s spent years building walls to keep people out.
Callen raises an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.“Oh, you don’t?” His voice is light, teasing, but there’s a flicker of something darker in his eyes—something possessive.“Because last I checked, you’ve been dodging death and disaster since the moment I met you.”
I roll my eyes, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickens when he looks at me like that.“I’ve survived this long without you playing bodyguard,” I shoot back, crossing my arms over my chest.
He steps closer, his smirk widening.“Survived, sure. But thriving? That’s debatable.” His hand brushes against my arm, sending a shiver through me.“Face it, Brigid. You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not.”
I narrow my eyes, but I can’t stop the smile tugging at my lips.“Arrogant much?”
“Realistic,” he corrects, his tone smug. He leans in, his breath warm against my ear.“And you love it.”
I shove him lightly, but he doesn’t budge. Instead, he catches my wrist, his fingers wrapping around it with a firmness that sends a spark of heat straight to my core. His expression shifts, the playfulness fading into something more intense, more deliberate.
“You think you don’t need me,” he says, his voice low, almost a growl.“But I know better.”
