Page 162 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
Ellie snorted. "We all know that’s wishful thinking. They’re a smaller party than we were when we made the trip for the wedding. They probably left Tetria shortly after we did."
Kallie wanted to believe Moris was right, but Ellie had a good point. And the Fates had never been kind. If there was a battle in Frenzia, Rian would be in the middle of it.
Ellie stood and stretched her limbs. "So, when are we leaving?"
"Hold on," Moris said from a dining chair he had brought into the living room. "You can’t go barging into Frenzia. Did you not hear what they said? If troops are gathering, that means we will be outnumbered."
"Did you forget that he’s a fucking dragon?" Ellie shouted, slamming her fist against the coffee table and pointing at Graeson. "He can just burn the entire fucking place down."
"And kill hundreds, possiblythousands, of civilians and innocents?" Graeson retorted. "I don’t think so."
Menz' face paled, Ellie’s words finally sinking in. "Wait—did she just say you’re adragon?"
Graeson groaned, rubbing his hand over his face as he muttered something unintelligible.
When Kallie peered at Menz, she couldn’t tell if the farmer was on the verge of collapsing or falling over in laughter. They had all conveniently left Graeson’s latest development out of the conversation. Moris and Nyrri’s presence were already plenty for Menz to deal with. There had been no point in mentioning that Graeson was even less human than they all had thought before. When Graeson had tried to shift, Menz was in town, none the wiser.
"It’s a long story," Graeson said, scratching his head, cheeks flushed.
Ellie ignored the interruption entirely. "What good is it then, huh? They need our help. Ifshewas the one in danger, you would run back with no question."
Kallie straightened as Ellie pointed a finger in her direction. Kallie wanted to deny the claim but couldn’t. When she lookedat Graeson, she knew Ellie was right. He would burn down the entire world if it was Kallie instead.
By the gods, he would likely do it if she simply asked him to.
However, neither Kallie nor Graeson wanted more innocent lives to be lost if they could help it.
"Rian needs our help," Ellie said. "If your refusal is because he almost married your soul bond, then you need to get over it, and quickly."
"I did not say I refused to help them. I am simply hesitating to burn an entire capital to ash. An irreversible action any normal person would heavily consider before doing."
"Well, you’re not normal, are you?" Ellie retorted. "You’re a god. Gods don’t have feelings or morals."
"I am onlypartgod," Graeson corrected, teeth clenched.
Kallie shifted closer to Graeson. "We don’t even know where in the capital Myra and the others are. We need to think this through first," she said.
Ellie exhaled a loud groan. "Fine. Then what’s the plan?"
Graeson massaged his jaw, some of the tension releasing from his stiff posture. "I’ll go to Frenzia and?—"
"No," Kallie interjected, already knowing what he planned to say next. He would not leave them behind.
Graeson looked at her, confused.
"You will not leave us here and go to Frenzia alone." Folding her arms, Kallie arched a brow. "Don’t even bother telling me that wasn’t your plan."
"It’ll be safer if?—"
"I do not care! We are going with you."
Graeson turned toward her and grabbed her hand. "We don’t know what we’re up against, Kal. I don’t want anything to happen to you," he whispered.
So many months had passed where Kallie’s fire had dwindled to smoking embers, but over the past few days, she had felt them slowly return. She refused to let them blow out now.
"I might have only spent two months in Frenzia, but I wish to fight for them. You will not have me carted back to Tetria just to lock me up again. I thought we were past this?"
"It’s not that I do not trust you. I—" Graeson pinched the bridge of his nose. Dropping his hand, he released a heavy exhale and looked at Kallie, pleading.
