Page 166 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
Myra flinched at the interruption. But before she could say anything else, a faint crackling noise sounded. Her gaze dropped to the chair where Laurince’s hand curled around the wood. The tips of his knuckles were stark white, the blood drained. Then, the wood snapped in half.
"Laurince!" she gasped. "Are you all right? Let me help."
"Stop!" he blurted, jerking away from her.
Myra’s eyes glossed over. "Laurince, I-I’m sorry."
Laurince didn’t respond, though. He stood, unmoving, unspeaking.
Was this because she had run out of the room before? How could she prove he wasn’t the problem? Thatshewas the one who needed a moment?
"Please," he said, his words tight, "remove your hand."
Myra blinked. "What?"
"Remove. Your. Hand.Please."
Myra looked at her hand. Her palm lay on his back with her fingers woven into the white feathers. With a gasp, she snatched it away.
Laurince nearly collapsed against the wall, his hand flying out just in time to catch himself. He slumped his head forward and took several sharp breaths.
She hadn’t even realized she had touched his wing. Were they still causing him pain? The surrounding skin was less red than it had been yesterday. Its normal warm shade had almost returned completely.
Myra stepped forward.
Snap.
Lifting her foot, she spotted the splintered wood on the ground. She crouched down and started cleaning up the pieces. The last thing they needed was someone to get a piece of wood stuck in their foot. She was lucky she had been wearing a pair of Phaia’s slippers.
"Don’t," Laurince nearly growled.
Myra rolled her eyes and reached for the wood. "I will not leave pieces of wood around for one of us to?—"
"Please, Haze. I need…I need you to stop moving."
Myra halted at his strained, yet soft, voice. She took a moment to reallylookat him. Laurince stood with his head hanging, his right hand curled against the wall in a tight grip. His shoulders were hunched toward the wall, and his wings were flared out behind him. His entire body was trembling. She had never seen him so shaken before. Not even when he had found her after the two men had abducted her.
Fear rose in her throat, but not fear for herself, fear forhim.
"What’s going on, Laurince?"
He clenched and unclenched his fist. "I’m having some…trouble maintaining control."
"Control?"
"Mhm."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Just…" He cleared his throat. "Don’t move. When you move, I—" He swallowed, and his hand twitched.
Silence filled the space between them. With each passing breath, the space grew larger and larger until Myra couldn’t take it anymore.
"You what?" she asked. She didn’t understand what was happening. Was he this mad at her?
The veins in Laurince’s arms became more prominent, and the muscles in his back rippled as a shudder tore through him.
"Fuck," he groaned and tipped his head back. "Haze, I—I think you should go. Get Rian."
