Page 187 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
Her chest rose rapidly as her gift hummed beneath her skin. Kallie flexed her hands at her sides.
She did it. She had commanded them.
Graeson looked back at her, panic shining in his eyes and a question on his lips. She pointed at the soldiers. As Graeson followed her finger, someone else shouted, "It’s the king!"
Branches and rocks dropped to the ground as the people fell to their knees. Rian grimaced, his face twisting with agony, exhaustion, and something else Kallie couldn’t quite pinpoint.
She turned her attention to those who surrounded him. Not all the soldiers wore armor. Some wore simple leathers; others wore casual tops and trousers. All were battered and bruised. Ash coated their hair. Soot, dirt, and blood stained their faces. The marks of battle were etched into every wrinkle, every cut, every stain. Some could barely stand, their arms wrapped around the shoulders of another. And as Kallie took in the faces of the Frenzians who stood with King Rian, she realized what she had seen in his expression.
Defeat.
Chapter 75
MYRA
Myra wincedas she plucked a stained feather from the tattered wing. Laurince's muscles grew tenser with every one she removed. Feathers were missing in various spots, and others were stained black and red, the evidence of the brutal battle soaking them. Even in the fire’s radiance, the wings’ usual pearlescent sheen was nonexistent.
A sparkle glimmered in the fire, catching Myra’s eye. She separated a clump of matted feathers, revealing a glass shard piercing the skin. She nimbly grabbed the shard. With a shaky breath, she pulled it from the tough muscle.
Laurince hissed, his fingers digging into the dirt.
"I’m sorry," she whispered, dropping the glass on top of the pile beside her. The shard clattered as it hit the rest of the broken pieces. It tumbled down the side of the small mound and landed on the ground.
Blinking away her tears, Myra turned to continue her search, but Laurince reached back, grabbing her wrist. "Sit with me?"
Her gaze fell to the ground where loose feathers circled her. "But the glass?—"
"Is gone," Laurince said. He rolled his shoulders back, the muscles along his back rippling from the movement. His wings twitched, the movement awkward. "I don’t feel any others."
Myra gave him a dubious look.
He pointed at the pile. "You got them all, Haze. And if not, they will be there for you later to pluck out when you can’t sleep tonight. For now, can you please…" He sighed and ran a hand across his face. They were a few yards away from the fire, but even in the shadows, Myra could see the heavy purple bags beneath his eyes. "Sit with me?"
Her shoulders sagged. Too exhausted to argue with him, she wiped her hands on the sides of her trousers to brush off the debris from her fingertips. "Fine," she said, taking a seat beside him.
Laurince wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Their thighs pressed against each other, and his warmth spilled into her. Myra sank against him, her side nestling perfectly against his. She exhaled, and her breath twirled in front of her mouth.
"Are you cold?" Laurince asked, shifting. "Do you want to go sit by the fire?"
Myra grabbed his thigh, halting him. "I’m fine over here."
While she had been cold before she sat, she was quickly warming back up. His wing at her back shielded her from the icy breeze.
"Very well." He rested his chin on her head. "How are you holding up?"
"I should be asking you that," she said against his chest.
"And you have—a dozen times." Laurince rubbed his hand against her side, coaxing the heat back into her body. "It’s my turn to fret over you, I think."
Her lips parted, a dismissal on the tip of her tongue.
Laurince poked her side before she could say anything. "Don’t even try to lie to me. Your exhaustion is plain across your face. You’re not as good at hiding your emotions as you think."
"At least not from you," she mumbled.
He squeezed her gently. "That’s because I’m more observant than the others,especiallywhen it comes to you, Haze."
A blush tinted Myra’s cheeks at the comment. Her rising smile was quick to turn down when Rian’s voice brushed her ears.
