Page 220 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
He lifted her hand in the space between them. In the light of the fire, the gold ring on her finger sparkled as if a fire lived within the metal. He placed a light kiss on the amethyst stone. Laying her hand on his shoulder, he slid his hand behind herback, resting it on her lower back. He stepped closer, leaving only a few inches between them as his gaze darted across her face.
"I’m a dragon, Kal, remember? They’re only a flight away." He smiled at her. "Wherever you go, I go. I’ve waited my entire life for you. I’m not giving you up that easily. When it comes to you, no one else matters."
Epilogue
KAGE
Plunk.
Plunk.
Plunk.
Kage stared at the dark ceiling, watching the condensation drip as he lay on the hard bed. The thin mattress did little to soothe the discomfort from the rods running across the frame.
With a sigh, he pushed himself up and threw his legs over the edge. The soles of his feet hit the ground, and the stone was cold beneath his skin. He padded over to the bucket sitting in the corner and relieved himself. The smell of urine filled the cell, but he barely noticed it. The cell’s stench had gone unnoticed to him a while ago.
He mindlessly rubbed the manacles digging into his wrists.
When Kage had woken after the Pontians had transported him here, he hadn’t known how much time had passed since the battle. When he commanded the guards to answer him, his demands went unanswered.
That first night, Kage had stared at his hands with utter disbelief. The power that he had spent his whole life searching for was silent. It was gone too soon, but there was nothing hecould do. The strange, heavy iron on his wrists prevented his connection to the stolen abilities. If only he had known the manacles existed before. It would have saved him a lot of hassle. And much less blood to clean up.
For a while, Kage counted the days by meals. He quickly lost interest in that futile task, though. After all, what was the point? He knew his fate.
The seer had tried to warn him once. Kage had thought nothing of it when Lysanthia spoke of his future. Maybe he would have been able to change his fate if he had listened.
A small laugh slipped from Kage’s lips as he thought of what his father would think if he could see his son. He could almost hear his father’s stern voice, the disappointment and anger leaking into every word.
Kage’s laughter faded when he heard the light patter of footsteps clapping against the steps. He quirked a brow. The soldiers were early.
He headed back to the bed and plopped onto it. As he waited for the soldiers to deliver his next meal, he ran a hand along the side of his neck, massaging the permanent kink. His pinky brushed the metal mask covering the lower half of his face. At least he would get a reprieve from it soon.
The clatter of keys neared, and he fixed his gaze upon the small window in the metal door. To his surprise, the window didn’t creak open. Instead, the door pushed open.
Were they here to clean the cell? They hadn’t done so for a while. He supposed it was time.
Anticipating the chain, Kage held out his hands, but the guard standing at the door didn’t produce it.
Kage inspected the guard’s uniform and noted the emblem on the chest plate. Curious about why the captain was visiting him, Kage patiently waited.
The captain pursed his lips as his gaze swept over the cell, as if Kage was only an adornment inside the room. Satisfied, he stepped to the side and ushered someone inside.
At the sight of the woman, the muscles in Kage’s jaw popped. Almost on instinct, he straightened. Even after all these years, he couldn’t help himself, it seemed. She still commanded his attention, just like the first time they met.
"Kage," the Queen of Pontia said in greeting.
Kage arched a brow—his only available response, and the only one he wanted to give.
Esmeray stepped inside the cell as she swept her storm-blue eyes across the space, taking it in. Her nose twitched at the scent of urine and filth.
Kage leaned his head against the wall. The mask dug into his skull, but he didn’t dare show an ounce of discomfort. Instead, he remained unfazed as he observed Esmeray, and she, him.
The passage of time had transformed Esmeray’s features. Her hands, which she held loosely in front of her stomach, were wrinkled. Lines creased the corners of her eyes and mouth as if her years were full of laughter. A different man would have been happy about that, but Kage hadn’t felt happiness since the woman in front of him ripped out his heart.
"I would have visited sooner," Esmeray said, the sentiment spoken as if Kage was staying in some vacation home in the country rather than a prison. She tilted her chin up, a flash of emotion passing through her carefully controlled demeanor. "But I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see you. If I even could without killing you myself."
Kage scoffed at that. The Esmeray he knew couldn’t hurt a fly. The pain she excelled at wasn’t visible to the naked eye. Her preferred form of cruelty was a deeper, insidious sort of pain. A parasite that burrowed under one’s skin, clawing its way toward one’s heart until it could sink its nails into it and rip it to shreds.
