Page 75 of Cage of Destiny
Odar stiffened. “What did yousay?”
“You heard me.”
“I broke up with herbecause Iloveher,” Odar hissed.
“Really?” Kerdan said. “Youlove her so much you decided to hurt her on purpose? Without evenconsulting her on the matter? That doesn’t sound like love tome.”
Allyssa was sitting right there; yet,she couldn’t get a word in.
“You have no idea whatyou’re talking about,” Odar said. “I’m a prince. To effectivelyrule my kingdom, I need to remain focused on my people and what isbest for them. I can’t let emotions get in the way.”
“Patheticexcuses.”
“No, I’m being practical.If we married, she could have been used against me. I learned thatfrom Russek. From you.”
“You broke up with her soyou’d be a better ruler? I’m confused, because I think she wouldhave helped make you a better leader to your people.”
“Love is a weapon, and Iwon’t let it destroy me.”
“I disagree,” Darmikinterjected. He sat up straight, addressing Odar. “Love doesn’tmake you weak; it makes you strong. Rema and I used to argue aboutthis very thing. Now that I’m older, and presumably wiser, I canadamantly say that love doesn’t cripple. It empowers.”
“Okay,” Odar said. “Thenhow did we end up here? Kerdan let his guard down because of hisemotional connection to Allyssa. If he’d kept a platonicrelationship with her, we wouldn’t have been captured.”
Darmik laughed. “Again, I disagree.What happened between Kerdan and my daughter was abouthormones.”
“Bloody hell,” Allyssablurted out, unable to believe her father had just saidthat.
“Watch your language,”Darmik snapped. “And if it wasn’t about hormones, then tell us whyKerdan is without a shirt and what happened between the two of youin the forest right before you were captured?”
Heat crept up her neck and over herface. “He doesn’t have a shirt because he participated in asanctioned fight at the tavern.” She left out the other, ratherunnecessary, information.
“You forget I was your ageonce,” Darmik said with a smile.
“You have got to be kiddingme,” Odar mumbled. “Did you kiss him?” he demanded.
“That’s none of yourbusiness,” Allyssa replied.
“I knew he was trailing youaround like a dog, but I didn’t think you would stoop so low as tokiss the mutt.”
There was a flash of black, and thenOdar fell over. Kerdan, with his hands still tied behind his back,was kneeling next to him. “Sorry,” he murmured. “He was getting onmy nerves. I knocked him out with my boot. He’ll be okay in abit.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Darmikreplied. “He deserved it.”
Allyssa blinked. Kerdan sat back down.Well, that solved that problem.
“Do you truly believe lovemakes you stronger?” Allyssa asked her father.
“Yes. Without adoubt.”
“What do you think?” sheasked Kerdan.
“Honestly, I don’t know.I’ve never been in love before. Of course, I’ve never been capturedbefore either, so there’s that.” He grinned.
“There will always bepeople who use love as a weapon,” Darmik said. “That is becausethey do not understand love. You cannot live your life withoutlove.”
“But in this case, do youthink if Kerdan and I had, uh, been more focused, we wouldn’t havewalked into this trap?” Because of Odar’s accusations, she feltguilty for her actions—as if she were responsible for their currentpredicament.
“We’ll never know,” Darmikanswered. “Maybe, maybe not. It does no good to wonder what if. Wemust decide what we do from here.” He turned his attention toKerdan. “You’re starting to grow on me.”
