Page 162 of The King has Fallen
“Our scouts have returned from their foray to the swamps. The Fallen King is dead. His people know that, but fight on. Rumors abound that the Shadekin have their famed General, Melek Handras, because he disappeared at the same time as the Fetch prisoner—whom they blame for the King’s death. They’ve been unable to confirm that the General wasn’t also killed.”
He cut off then as if he was done. But Yilan shot him a look from the side. “And the rest,” she snapped.
He glared back at her and there was a moment that it seemed their wills wrestled. But then he gritted his teeth and turned back to me. “The Nephilim arestumblingandblind.As concerned with fighting among themselves as they are about conquering the nations. They made it through the ravine underthe leadership of Jannus the Halfling, but only just. They hold the land by their talons. There is infighting and challenges for ranks even among the soldiers.” He glanced at Yilan, then smiled darkly at me. “The time to attack is now.”
My heart sank to my toes, and the rage that I’d been holding at bay, all the thoughts of how I’d come to be here and what it meant, rushed to the surface as the pleading in Yilan’s eyes suddenly made sense.
I stared at her, my heart twisting, flinching,pained.
The bond thrummed. And then it shrieked as it became clear that all my worst fears were realized.
For the span of a breath I was in freefall—my soul screaming for her, my body shaking with need, my mind pleading, praying, despairing.
And then I remembered.
“I will never chooseanythingto hurt you, Melek. You have my word.”
It was like being stabbed right in the heart.
She was a lie. Every bit. A lie and a trap to defeat me.
She was everything I’d feared.
Everything I’d asked her to promise me, everything I had promisedherwasmeaningless.
“FuckingFetch,”I spat.
The men roared and leaped forward, but Yilan raised her hand and they all stopped as if they’d been frozen in place.
Perhaps they had.
There had to be a heart of ice, pumping frigid water into those veins.
Perhaps she froze them in truth.
“I understand your concerns,” she said formally, though her eyes were wide and dark, locked on mine. “I know it will take some time to… process. But I want to assure you—”
“There is no point speaking, Yilan. I will never believe another word that passes your lips.”
Fear flashed in her gaze, then her eyes shuttered as Turo snapped forward again.
“You willnotspeak to our Queen that way!” But I ignored him, holding her gaze, letting her see every ounce of my disdain, every crumb of my disgust.
Liar. Liar. Liar.
Yilan hissed at the soldiers who were following Turo, crowding towards the bars, ready to come for me.
“Leave him!” she spat.
Turo turned on her. “He insults the crown and the Queen—”
“And I would remind you that I hold a life debt to him. Let him speak his words. They do not touch me.”
I felt her heart’s pang in the bond calling her a liar, and huffed a humorless laugh.
Turo, furious, whirled back towards me, his lips twisting in rage—but she caught his arm and ordered him back to his place. Orderedallof them back into the shadows of that anteroom.
The choice not to put windows there now suddenly made sense.
