Page 76 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
Her mouth had gone dry, though, and Kallie struggled to repeat the words.
"Louder, little mouse," Graeson insisted.
Kallie tried to focus on the warmth of his palms, the light pressure at the back of her head. But as she looked at him, everything she wanted taunted her within Graeson’s storm-gray eyes. She could see the life that she could have had with him. She could hear the moments of laughter that might never come to be, the moments of joy and love. She saw open skies and smiles. She saw a world that was theirs to roam without fear or terror. But the one thing that was missing from those scenes that flooded her mind was his mother.
When Kallie had believed her mother was dead, she would have done anything to spin back time and save her. She would have done anything to have at least one conversation with her, one moment that was just theirs. Now was Graeson’s chance to have that, and Kallie would do anything to ensure he got it.
She rolled her hands into fists. "He doesn’t have power over me; only I do."
Speaking the words aloud was like a ship crashing against an unexpected plot of land. A sudden jolt forward. But instead of falling over, Kallie felt sturdier than she had moments before.
As if seeing the words sink in, Graeson leaned closer. His forehead touched hers as his shoulders dropped. "No matter what happens," he whispered, "do not forget that. Do not forget that we are here with you. You have the power, but you are not alone. Not anymore."
Kallie closed her eyes and leaned into him, leaned into his words and the knowledge that Graeson was right. She wasn’t weak. She wasn’t powerless. But more importantly, she wasn’t alone anymore. Not if she didn’t want to be.
"Thank you." The moment the words left her mouth, she knew they were not enough. There was so much she wanted to say, to admit. Her lips parted. "I?—"
A whistle cut her off.
They pulled away from each other and looked up at Ellie.
"He’s here," Ellie said, pointing her freshly sharpened blade at the forest across from them.
Kallie and Graeson both looked over. A flicker of light sparkled deep in the trees, as if the sun’s rays had caught on metal.
Graeson, already on his feet, held out a hand. Without hesitation, Kallie grabbed it, letting him pull her up.
Once upright, her legs only trembled marginally. Loralaine’s words swirled in the back of her mind.
Fear reminds us we are human.
Ellie’s boots hit the ground with a loud thump as she jumped from the branch. "Army or no army, you’ve got this, Kals. Or else we all might be?—"
"Euralys," Graeson hissed.
He was too late, though. Kallie already knew what Ellie was going to say: they would all be dead if Kallie failed.
I will not fail,she told herself, determination steadying her legs.
She took a step forward, but a calloused hand wrapped around her wrist, beckoning her to stop mid-stride. She turned and peered at Graeson.
"Together," he said.
Kallie nodded.
They would meet Domitius together, but the rest of this she would have to do on her own. She knew it, and he knew it.
With Graeson and Ellie on either side of her, Kallie began crossing the clearing. She focused on the silhouette clouded in shadows across the field. With each yard gained, more features came into the light. Domitius stood with his head tilted slightly up, hands clasped behind his back, shoulders relaxed yet rolled back. His feet were shoulder-width apart, planted and unwavering. Months might have separated them, but some things never changed. From this far away, Domitius was barely a blip compared to the forest behind him, yet he had the ability to tear the world apart. Today, that ended.
"Do you see her?" Ellie asked, scanning the trees.
"No," Graeson said, voice tight.
Other than Domitius, there were only two soldiers standing on the other side. They were several paces behind Domitius, their forms masked in darkness. Lysanthia, however, was nowhere to be seen.
"He’s probably keeping her out of sight," Kallie said, pushing away the rising nausea. "We continue on as planned."
She could sense their hesitation, but Kallie ignored it. Rolling her shoulders back, she steeled her expression. Leaves crunched beneath their feet as they eliminated the space between them and Domitius, inch by painful inch.
