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“Cinnamon roll,” she stated confidently. Zuriel checked with me to confirm she was correct, and I nodded.
“Let’s get you dry and into bed, Izidora. You need to rest now,” he said. Together, the Angel and I lifted her from the water and onto solid ground. He held her upright as I dried her, then I carried her to our bed, freshly made with piles of soft blankets waiting for us. A robe hung at the foot of the bed, and Zuriel turned his back while I undressed my mate then wrapped her in it. She blinked slowly as I tucked her into bed, lids growing heavier and lashes fluttering as she struggled to keep her eyes open.
“Don’t leave,” she whispered as my weight left the bed.
I planted a light kiss on her forehead. “We’ll be right here.”
She turned so she lay half on her side, half on her stomach, and not a moment later, she was asleep. I waited until her breaths were slow and even before leaving her side and joining Zuriel in the adjacent sitting room.
“She does not need to eat?” I asked.
“She will be hungry when she wakes, but no, not right now,” he confirmed.
I dropped my head to my hands, shaken to my core. She was the only person to ever love me. Death would not take her from me. I would fight until my very last breath to keep her alive, and if I failed, I would join her there. We would be together always from this moment forth, and I promised myself that I would not push her so hard again.
“Ruslan, we’ve known each other a long time. I watched you grow up in the tunnels, and I watched you fight for your place as heir apparent. You are ruthless, cruel, and generally awful to be around. But in the weeks since you returned with Izidora, you have changed for the better. I hope you keep it up. Izidora is special, and if you willfully hurt her, I will ensure the Goddess smites you,” Zuriel threatened.
“I had no idea she was capable of manipulating more than emotion,” I spoke through my hands.
“What happened?” Zuriel inquired.
“I killed my father. I am now king of the Iron Realm. But Rares, as you know, is bound to the Iron Crown, and I needed Izidora to distract him while I took care of my father. He caught her and held a knife to her throat – until she forced him to turn it on himself.”
Zuriel swore in the language of the Angels and shook his head. “Her life was on the line. Angels can do incredible feats under duress.”
“Save it, Zuriel. I know it is an empath power, though an extremely rare one.” I lifted my head from my palms, glaring at him.
“Fine. But I will have you know, Izidora would only have used it if her life was on the line. I have tried time and time again to get her to practice it, and she refuses. She does not want to take away the choices of others. It is quite noble, althoughfoolish, given that it just saved her life.” The Angel huffed a laugh, shaking his head.
I rolled my eyes with a half-smile on my lips. Izidora’s heart was much too good for this world. I remembered her one request and decided it was time to offer it to Zuriel. “Izidora asked that in return for helping me kill King Azim, I allow all Telivér to choose whether they wanted to remain here or return to their homelands.”
“Did she now?” Zuriel responded, his expression blank.
“I hope you will choose to stay, at least for now, to help her,” I sighed, unable to believe I was really about to close down the program that had created me. It was the right decision, though one I knew would have consequences. I only hoped that those who returned home did not rally an army to our shores for vengeance.
“For now, I will stay,” he said after a moment.
“Tomorrow, I will have Rares lift the spells tying you to the Iron Realm,” I promised.
“Thank you, Ruslan.” The Angel stood to leave. “I meant what I said earlier. This change is good on you. Fetch me if you need anything else.” And with that, he departed, leaving me sitting with the heaviness of my actions.
I crossed to the windows in the sitting area, looking down upon the city of Radence. Fae and Félvér bustled about, totally unaware that their king had died not even an hour before. The revelation settled in my stomach like a punch to the gut.
I was their king.
I had been so focused on my desire to kill my father that I’d forgotten about the other part of the job – ruling. I popped my neck, shaking out my shoulders as my body tightened, muscles tingling and a bear sitting on my chest.
But the sensation was fleeting as I reminded myself how I’d gained so much power and influence in the first place, enoughpower and influence that when I killed my father, no one batted an eye. I’d stalked these halls for years, garnering respect, but mostly fear. No one fucked with me, and no one would again now that I sat upon the throne of the Iron Realm.
A wicked thrill settled over me, and I allowed myself to daydream about the day I would be officially crowned king. First, I would marry Izidora. Then, the High Priestess would place the Iron Crown upon my brow, solidifying my right to rule. I’d send Drazen to fetch the Night Crown so Izidora could be crowned after me. And then, we would officially unite the two realms, standing on the balcony that overlooked Radence, hands held high together in triumph. A wave of kneeling subjects would bow before us, the two most powerful Fae in Északi. Izidora would look at me with unfiltered adoration, and everyone would know she was mine. The scene was so vivid in my mind, it was almost like a memory.
Fear screamed from the back of my mind as I thought about the possibility of Kazimir showing his face at Béke.
Would Izidora run to him? Would she forget about what we had, her guilt getting the better of her? Would she reject our bond to be with him?
I slammed my fist against the window, cracking the glass as the thought of her choosing Kazimir over me unleashed a torrent of rage so intense I thought I might combust with Dragon fire.
She would not leave me. She was already spell-bound to the Iron Realm, but I wanted her heart to stay with me too. I rushed to the hall door, running smack into Drazen as he opened it to enter. I stepped back to allow him inside, then sent the first servant I saw to fetch Rares.
