Page 52 of Imbalance
I was typically the guy who would slit throats and ask questions later. Especially when it came to Ama’s safety. When Damien’s Hellhound had taken over, completely burying the man under the primal beast, I was shocked at how calm I’d been about the idea of her being with him alone.
Who was I anymore?It was odd because I hardly recognized myself emotionally or physically, yet I found I was happier with the man I saw in the mirror now.
We lined up in front of the king and queen without a word, and I took a spot all the way to the left, angling myself so I could see everyone as well as the entrance to the room at our backs.
Surveying our group, I was pleasantly surprised to see confidence and strength shining on everyone's face. We looked like a group ready for war.
Dare I admit I was proud of how far this group of assholes had come?
While I was not opposed to knocking out any of her mates who still hadn’t learned how to treat her with love and respect, there were a few in the group I’d really warmed up to. Adrien and Damien were alright in my book, and I had found myself relaxed and joking around with them a few times now. Almost akin to friendship, which was something I’d never had before.
Even Drayven wasn’t all that bad, now that he’d been working to make amends with Ama, not that I’d ever admit that out loud. I liked to keep the big Reaper on his toes about whether I was going to lay him on his ass again for another forced nap. It was currently my favorite hobby.
At the moment, he was glaring daggers at King Cyrus, who seemed to be attempting to make Ama squirm under the weight of his unwavering gaze. I wasn't shocked by his behavior. He was constantly trying to exert his position here over others he felt threatened by, and Ama was a huge threat to everything he had built here.
She had claims to living here as a hybrid and being mates with the prince here. The people would follow her due to those things and Pelia's assurance of it being a vital political move to join forces. Not only that, but she had the backing of every single prince of Pura.
She was the only person in the realm who could unite us all.
"Are we going to discuss leaving today for us to go back and rescue Pura, or did you have better things to be doing today...King?" Ama asked, almost patronizingly adding on his title.
Colt's lips turned up in a smirk, not bothering to hide his amusement at her words towards Cyrus. I’d noticed over the past couple of days that his attitude had drastically shifted, and while I was wary of him still, I supposed he deserved a chance to prove himself.
Next to him, at the opposite end of our line, was the one guy who was still on my shit list. Every time he even looked in Ama’s direction, I wanted to gouge his eyes out.Nico.The Incubus who had made a habit of disrespecting Ama, countless times now, since losing his parents during the coup. At this point, he wasn’t even worthy of looking at her, in my humble opinion.
The worst of all her options though, was Jace. The proof of that was the fact that he was still standing on his parents’ side and not ours.
Jace was guarded and secretive, and he hadn’t really tried to get to know any of us. I knew his type. He was cunning and was trying to fly under the radar, acting like he was going along with Ama’s plan and was cool with whatever she wanted. But I knew that wasn’t the case. He’d try to keep her all to himself.
A tinkling, nervous laughter came from Queen Safiya after the silence had awkwardly stretched, and she reached out to pat her husband's hand. "Such a tenacious little thing you are, Ama! Right to the point and ready for battle."
Cyrus did not seem to share Safiya’s amusement, and he reached up to rub his chin, tilting his head as if in deep thought. "You know, I got to thinking last night, and there's just one thing I don't quite understand..." he trailed off, leaving us in suspense until he deemed he’d waited long enough. "How do you know that the rest of your kingdom isn't in on the assassination plans or okay with the elves taking over?"
Ama's face turned a shade of red that matched the streaks in her hair as she lost control of her temper. Her typically glamoured wings popped into existence, yet she contained her words as he continued to prod at her. I could practically feel her vibrating with a lethal energy that I knew wouldn’t stay contained—not unless I found a way to defuse the situation.
"It just seems like you have made a lot of assumptions about the kingdom being in jeopardy, with very little proof of that besides the squabbling and deaths of two other monarchs," he ended as he leaned back in his throne, a smug look on his face that set off the rest of us in line.
Activating my runes for speed and to obscure the sound of my movement, I was behind Cyrus in a second flat with a dagger to his throat. I nicked his skin to prove a point before returning back to my spot in line as if it'd never happened. The moment probably lasted a total of five seconds.
All eyes of our group turned towards me with a mixture of emotions. Fear, apprehension, respect. I was used to the first one, a bit of the second, but never the third.
“What the hell?” Cyrus growled, standing up and gripping his neck in surprise. His queen’s gaze went wide, and she paled. Jace let out a sound that made it clear he wanted to attack me. It would be a lethal choice on his end, and I had a feeling he knew that because he restrained himself.
Ignoring them, I looked at Cyrus and explained, "I do not wish to hurt you, but rather to prove a point. My parents are vicious killers who spent my entire life molding me into their pet assassin. They prize savagery and power above all else." To emphasize my point, I turned around and lifted my shirt, baring the marks I didn't allow to heal, leaving them to serve as a reminder of exactly who my parents were.
This was something I had never shared with anyone. I had planned on addressing it with Ama in private because it was inevitable that she would see the scars eventually. It was only because I had been careful to not show her my back during sex that she hadn’t yet. But it looked like I needed to be strong enough to do this now.
Taking a nearly silent shaky breath, I prepared to bare my soul in addition to my skin. "When I was young, I convinced myself countless times that they hadn’t meant to hurt me. That I had messed up and deserved the punishment. As I grew up, I realized that nothing I did would be enough for them when the lashings kept coming."
Putting my shirt down, I turned around and admitted, "I stopped using my healing rune, so that every time I found the kid inside me who was broken and aching for the love of his parents, I'd look at those scars in the mirror and remind myself that they weren't capable of love."
Ama and Safiya had tears running down their cheeks at my admission, but I kept my eyes on Cyrus, who seemed to be mulling over my words. I needed him to understand that no one knew what my parents were capable of more than I did, and that no one was safe from them. Then, I would wrap Ama up in my arms because I’d never intended to upset her, even if it was because of her feelings for me.
"They will ensure they have control of all of Pura, and once they do, they will turn their attention to the rumors of the hybrid resistance. That, I can assure you," I stated, my voice devoid of emotion, knowing everything I said was a fact.
Ama's gaze turned from mine, and I saw her focus on Cyrus once more, the fire still burning brightly within her. Ama’s words were sharp as she snapped out, "He shouldn't have had to confess a traumatic and personal experience to make you understand the danger we all face right now, Cyrus. Pelia has made it clear that it is important for our sides to unite, or we will all face death. Will you continue to let your pride blind you, or are you ready to be a king?"
Jace's eyes grew wide at the insult Ama had openly tossed at his father, and I held my breath as I waited to see how Cyrus would respond. Her words were true, and hopefully, he was man enough to admit that to himself.
