Page 240 of Of Kings and Kaos
I’d sat idly by long enough, played into the Warlord’s schemes my entire life, but I was done being his puppet.
My allegiance lay with General Rohak d’Alvey—he was more a king than this man would ever be.
“It must be this way,” he groused, pain lacing his words as his eyes danced about.
I shook my head.
“No. It doesn’t. And I won’t let any more of my friends and family die because of your negligence.”
“Lex,” Sasori hissed, but the Warlord raised a hand to cut her off.
Something akin to regret passed through the Warlord’s gaze, and his shoulders slumped in defeat.
“Sasori, take me to Rohak,” he said, and Sasori jerked a nod in his direction.
“It would be safer to take the tunnel into the Academy rather than cross the courtyard. Especially now that you have no Mage to protect you,” she spat venomously, her words directed at the king, but her eyes glued to Ilyas and I.
Frustration coated my cheeks.
“Come, Lex,” Ilyas coaxed softly. “She has made her choice, and we have made ours.”
I nodded heavily as I turned my back on Sasori.
“Lex!” Sasori’s scream halted me in my tracks one final time.
“I’m sorry it came to this, Sasori. I’m sorry I wasn’t enough for you—thatweweren’t enough for you. But I’m not sorry that I’m prioritizing the lives of others—of friends we’ve trained with for years—over the life of one ‘king,’” I said, sadness and finality lacing my tone. As soon as the words were out, I knew they were the truth I’d kept buried for years. Sasori was a Forced Bond, and it was incredibly clear she never wanted that Bond in the first place. “I hope you find peace.”
A weight lifted from my shoulders as Ilyas and I ran toward the courtyard gate without a backward glance. I would deal with the repercussions of my actions after we repelled the gods’ army.
If we were even alive at the end.
My communication orb crackled to life as Ilyas and I pushed the gate open.
“Fuck it, I’m leaving the Academy. Lex, if you’re hearing this, I need you. Come find me,” Rohak growled.
Then the orb went dead.
Chapter 90
The King
Sasori sped me through the tunnel and into the Academy faster than I thought possible. She was a woman on a mission, utterly devoted to me and my “cause.”
How foolishly she placed her blind trust in me.
I was a fraud.
A simple man who was forced to do unspeakable things to put Elyria on this course—for there to be a chance that we defeat the gods.
I’d waited my entire life for this moment, every action and move carefully calculated. My soul was stained with the death and pain I’d both directly and inadvertently caused.
I’d had decades—and now it felt like not enough.
My time was up.
This, finding Rohak, was the last thing I had to do—the last piece to put into play.
When tonight was finished, I would die. I doubted I would join the ether—my crimes too vast, my soul too sullied to earn eternal rest.
