Page 119 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
Did he want to if it would help them defeat Sebastian and his army?
"I’m not sure I have a say in the matter. The first time was involuntary," he confessed after a moment. "I’m sure it’s bound to happen again, whether or not I want it to."
"Dani is going to freak out when she finds out."
"She’ll freak out when she discovers you’re still alive," Graeson retorted. "Both she and Sylvia were a wreck after they found out you sacrificed yourself."
Moris sighed. "There was no other choice. You and Terin needed to go after Domitius and Dani. I did what had to be done."
"I would have done the same thing if it was me," Graeson admitted. "Still, I’m sorry it was you. And I’m even more sorry for everything you have been through since then."
"It’s…"
"Not okay," Graeson said when Moris struggled to finish.
"It’s not, but the blame doesn’t rest on your shoulders, Gray."
"I was the one who brought you here."
"And I agreed to come. The blame is on Domitius and Sebastian. You’ve gotten rid of one. We just have to get rid of the other."
"You say that as if you are laying claim to Sebastian’s head," Graeson mused.
"I suppose I am. It’s the least I can do after what went down the other day," Moris said, his voice filled with guilt.
Graeson snorted. "Good luck with that. Even if Dani’s pregnant, I would wager that she’ll still find a way to cut off that bastard’s head."
The other bed creaked. "Dani’s pregnant?"
Graeson rolled over onto his back. "Yes."
"Fuck," Moris breathed out. "That’s why she was sick, wasn’t it?"
"Yes. She tried to hide it. She didn’t want the rest of us to treat her differently or to count her out because of the pregnancy. Terin’s been acting like a mother hen ever since, though."
"Oh, boy," Moris muttered. "It’s got to be worse now that she’s home. Her parents probably aren’t letting her out of their sight."
Graeson chuckled. Dani’s mother was probably over the moon that Dani was pregnant. Sorinia loved all her grandchildren. He could already imagine the fight that would break out between the pair when Terin and the others returned and Dani demanded to fight. The entire kingdom would fight for Dani to stay behind. She wasn’t just carrying a child; she was carrying Fynn’s child, the future of Pontia.
But if Graeson knew Dani, she would find a way to be on that battlefield.
The next morning,Graeson awoke before the others. He made his way down the creaking steps and wandered outside the farmhouse. The crisp morning air bit his fingertips, and he welcomed the cool air on his scorching skin. He headed toward the stable and found Nyrri sleeping on the ground, her body half outside the stall.
He leaned against the opening. As the wood groaned from his weight, Nyrri peered at him through heavy eyes. She huffed, and a puff of air billowed from her nose in the cold. She hated confined spaces as much as he did.
"Soon, girl," he promised.
Nyrri whined and plopped her head back down.
Graeson pushed off the post and made his way toward the fields, needing to stretch his legs. His body was less sore than the day before, and his muscles begged to be moved.
The cornfields were nothing but tall dried husks, and he wandered through them. The dried vegetation rustled as the wind swept across the field, and leaves brushed against his cloak, catching on the wool fibers.
He walked for a while, his thoughts a dull buzz. When the house was no more than a blip behind him, he stopped and stared at the sky. The sun was rising, the night sky melting away and turning into a brilliant combination of purple and orange hues.
Closing his eyes, he inhaled, the cold air a relief in his lungs. When he exhaled, a puff of smoke slipped from his mouth. His fingers buzzed, and his back twitched. He rolled his shoulders, trying to shake the sensation spreading across his skin. He could almost feel where the wings would sprout, the exact places where the bones would break and his body would contort into a new shape.
You must become the reckoning the kingdoms need.
