Page 13 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
A honeyed warmth filled her veins as her gift danced in her core, eagerly waiting as if it knew the answer before even Kallie did.
"Fine," Kallie gritted out, her nails biting into the flesh of her palms. "I’ll do it. I’ll manipulate him."
Loralaine grinned, and that small twitch alone did something to Kallie. Loralaine didn’t know Kallie. She shouldn’t have had any faith in her at all, and maybe she didn’t. Either way, a terrified yet fervent energy zipped through Kallie’s bloodstream. Yet before the feeling could fill her entire body, a voice ripped through the room like a thunderous crack.
"You willnotuse her as a weapon."
Chapter 5
GRAESON
Graeson stormed through the doors,and the paintings on the walls shuddered. "You will not use her as a weapon. We are nothim," he seethed, chest heaving as he scanned the room.
His best friends, the woman he loved, and the council of a foreign kingdom all stared back at him, aghast. Graeson should have known something was amiss the minute Kalisandre had been late. She was never late when it came to spending time with Nyrri. When the bell tolled, he ran as fast as he could, hoping he wasn’t too late.
Once he had reached the council room, Loralaine’s regal voice seeped through the cracks of the closed doors, halting Graeson in his pursuit. The former queen spoke of bloodshed and battles, of fear and death. Then, when he heard Terin speak to Kallie and heard her response, fear wrapped around Graeson’s throat like a python, strangling him tighter and tighter with every word that passed. He burst through the room, his feet propelling him. He would not lose her. Not again.
"Ha!" Ellie shouted, calling Graeson’s attention momentarily. "I told you!"
Medenia groaned and sunk into her chair. A crystal bracelet slid across the table, and Ellie snatched it, smiling victoriously.
Graeson barely gave their exchange a second thought before glaring at the prince. Terin knew the type of person his sister was, knew the guilt she harbored. Kalisandre would never see sacrificing her safety as a choice but a necessity. If there was something she could do to right her wrongs, she would do it—no matter the danger it put her in.
"Gray, you have to understand," Terin begged, standing from his chair. He held up his hands, and Graeson nearly laughed. As ifthatwould stop him.
Terin pressed onward. "We do not ask this of Kallie lightly. We all know how powerful her gift is. If this war happens, it will touch every inch of the seven kingdoms. Domitius will not stop until he gains control over everything and everyone."
They mean to use her, to sacrifice her,the god within hissed.
Filled with white hot rage from both him and the god, Graeson prowled forward, his lip curling into a sneer. He sensed the tension of the guards behind him, their anxiety palpable. The warriors around the table slipped their hands beneath the table, and the soft scratch of leather pierced his ears as they reached for their weapons. His attention, however, was solely on Kalisandre.
She didn’t deserve to bear the weight of this war. She just escaped Domitius' grasp. If she went back to him…
"Kalisandre," Graeson pleaded, "you do not have to do it. They can’t make you."
At last, she met his gaze, and a sea of emotions swam through the array of blue hues that held him hostage. "No one is making me do anything," she said. "This is my choice. If I can stop this war by manipulating Domitius, I will do it."
Graeson’s eyes bounced across Kalisandre’s face, but all he found were the walls he had thought were finally crumbling.Instead, they were fortified once more, stronger and thicker than before. She was pushing him out, pushing him away.
A part of him cracked. He couldn’t lose her; he wouldn’t.
Graeson didn’t care if she accepted the bond or not. Because if she listened to the others, if she actually tried to manipulate Domitius, he feared what the king would do to her. Not because Kalisandre could not handle herself, but because Domitius was always several steps ahead. He had already tried to destroy her mind. Would he destroy her soul next?
Every muscle twitched as he struggled to contain himself. This was what she wanted, though. How could he deny her that choice? It was simple: he couldn’t.
"What’s the plan then?" he demanded. If he couldn’t stop her, he would at least make sure they weren’t sending her on a fool’s errand.
"There is no plan, is there?" Graeson asked when he was met with silence. "Were you going to send her straight into the bull’s den, let her see if she could survive with no support and no way home? What if she were to get caught?"
"If you only gave us a moment," Terin interjected, "we would?—"
Graeson’s anger burned bright. "Why am I surprised? Whenever it comes to her life and well-being, none of you stop to think about the consequences." He narrowed his gaze at every person in the room, letting them see his anger, letting them feel his brewing wrath. "You didn’t stop to think when you took her and ripped her mind apart. You didn’t think about the consequences then, so why would you now?"
Terin flinched, guilt forcing him back into his seat.
"She turned out fine, didn’t she?" Ellie retorted, folding her arms over her chest.
He looked to Medenia, his last hope, but she averted her gaze, her eyes dropping to her bare wrist.
