Page 190 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
Kallie gaped. "No, of course not!"
She would not use her power on her friends and allies—unless it meant saving their lives. Although Rian was clearly heated, she did not believe he would sneak into the city tonight. He could barely make it to where his friend Bax lay on the ground, nursing his wound.
"Then let him grieve," Graeson said.
Kallie hesitated. She had witnessed the cold interactions between Graeson and Rian. During the entire conversation, Graeson was no more than a foot away from her. At first, she had thought nothing of it since they had been fairly inseparable since the bond snapped into place. But then she had heard him practically snarl when Rian had dismissed her suggestions.
Graeson’s protective nature aside, this was the first considerate statement he had made about Rian.
Kallie sank back to the ground with a sigh.
As the fire crackled, she rubbed a knot from her neck. Her entire body was sore from the ride. As she observed the figures sleeping in the shadows of the woods, she realized just how tired she was. Moris was already raked out beside one of the two tents they had borrowed from Menz. He had volunteered to sleep outside to let a couple of the healers use it.
"Must you always be the voice of reason?" Kallie asked, nudging him in the side.
Graeson chuckled slightly, the sound a strange contrast against the soft groans of the wounded. "I told you I’m right quite often."
She folded her arms across her chest. "So tell me, Mr. Always-Right, where do you think they’re going?"
Graeson turned, spotting Myra and Laurince dipping into the woods, hand-in-hand. When he faced her, a sinful smile graced his lips. "It’s obvious, is it not?"
Kallie hummed in agreement. "I wonder when that happened."
Graeson shrugged. "I think with what they’ve been through the past few months together, getting close is nearly inevitable."
Although it was hard not to consider the impact of the bond, the past few months strengthened her relationship with Graeson in ways she hadn’t thought possible. When she thought her fire was gone, Graeson had reignited it. He had given her the time she needed to process her grief and had helped drag her out of it. Even when she had pushed him away.
Kallie was glad Myra found someone who seemed to do the same for her. She didn’t know the details about Myra and Laurince’s relationship, but she saw the way Myra looked at him, and he, at her. The two had been inseparable since Laurince had returned. Myra fell easily for people, but this time seemed different.
"Would you have preferred if it was your former fiancé?" Graeson meant it as a joke, but there was still some bite in the last word.
Kallie rolled her eyes. "She can have them both. It is of no concern of mine who it is. All that matters is that she is safe and happy."
Graeson stood and held out a hand. "We should get some rest while we can."
Nodding, Kallie let him help her up. Then Graeson kicked dirt over the fire, extinguishing the flames. She wove her fingers between his and followed him to their tent.
As Graeson lifted the flap, Kallie paused. She tilted her toward the stars. She wasn’t sure if the gods were listening or if they were even on their side, but she sent a prayer to them either way.
Chapter 77
KALLIE
When Kallie steppedoutside the tent, she knew her prayers had gone unanswered. She found no new arrivals, heard no cheers of relief.
The sun had barely risen, and the leaves above blocked most of the creeping light from seeping into the forest. Across the ground, most people still lay asleep. Some were already up. A few men strolled into the camp, a couple of rabbits thrown over their shoulder. Another was gathering supplies for a fire.
With a yawn, Graeson stretched his arms high, then dug his hands through his thick, black hair. The gold rings adorning his fingers sparkled in the morning light as he tousled his hair. His cheek was red from sleeping on his arm. When his gaze met hers, he frowned. "What’s wrong?"
"They’re not here," she said, scanning the field as if she had somehow missed an entire army.
Kallie wondered if the gods were even listening or if the skies were so flooded with prayers that they were incapable of answering them. Or maybe this was part of the gods’ plans all along.
Hadn’t Barinthian told Graeson that the mortals needed to be reminded of the natural order off the world? That humans had started a dangerous game by creating creatures that shouldn’t have existed and by granting powers to those who did not bear the blood of the gods?
"No word from Terin either?" Graeson asked.
Kallie shook her head and wrapped her arms around her torso tightly. Terin hadn’t visited her in her dreams since he had informed them of the battle. She told herself it was because he needed to preserve his energy, but she also knew how tumultuous the Red Sea was to cross.
