Page 17 of The King has Fallen
It took me half a breath to realize who this man had to be, but when I did, my jaw dropped and my eyes went wide.
He looked away from Melek’s warning and caught my expression, arching that handsome brow again.
“What is it?”
“You’re Jannus, the Halfling?” I breathed.
His smile got broader and he turned back to Melek. “Apparently my reputation precedes me.”
“Don’t give heranything,”Melek growled. “Much as it pains me to admit, she is very clever. She’ll extrapolate from anything you offer. Keep your mouth shut.”
Jannus the Halfling—the only living Nephilim descended from two half-bloods, a male and female pair, both born to human women as a result of unions with fallen angels. His great-grandmother was the only known female Nephilim of royal blood. Every other half-blood ever born was male. At least, that was what the history books said. And as far as we knew, the Nephilim records didn’t contradict the position.
The famous half-blood hadn’t lived long past adulthood—legends conflicted on exactlyhowshe had died. I suspected the King at the time had been jealous of her fame and desirability. But there was said to be a curse on his bloodline. Each generation only ever having one child, most of whom died young, but not before producing an heir. Amaleheir.
Jannus, at thirty-five, was the longest lived in his immediate family line, and not yet a father. As I took in the sight of him—a living legend—he caught my scrutiny and stared back with a considering smile. That little flame low in my belly flared when his nostrils flared, as if he’d caught the scent of me.
I blew out a breath. “I have a theory about your bloodline,” I said cautiously.
His brows rose. “Please share, honeycakes. I can barely contain my excitement.”
“Honeycakes?”Melek muttered, staring at his friend. “She’s as bitter as snakeroot.”
I ignored him, biting my lip. I didn’t miss Jannus’s eyes dropping to my mouth. “Perhaps as long as you don’t wet your prick, you’ll live forever?” I asked him breathlessly, unable to stifle the smile any longer when he blinked, then threw back his head and laughed again.
“Dear God, she’s aspicypepper, isn’t she?” he boomed at Melek.
“That’s one word for it,” Melek muttered, which only made Jannus laugh more and slap his shoulder again. But Melek shot me a glare to keep my mouth shut, then waited for his friend to stop laughing before he spoke low and hard.
“Thank you for coming, Jann. I am in need of your insight.”
Jannus took a beat to hold my gaze before turning to his friend, his expression dropping into solemn attention. “I’m your servant, Melek. You know that. What’s going on?”
“I am going to be forced to stay in camp for a time,” Melek started.
All humor and heat fled from Jann’s countenance as he stared at Melek. “I mean, I will be glad to have you close, of course. But is this really the time? We’re still debating the route through the swamp and there’s conjecture among the strategists about how they’ve managed to evade you this long.”
“Fortunately, I can help with both of those things—or rather,shecan,” Melek growled, tipping his head at me. Jann’s browspopped up again, but Melek didn’t stop. “She’s been through the swamp to get here. She knows every step.”
I sighed. “I didn’t bring an army through.”
“Remember ourarrangement,”he muttered with a bare glance at me before turning back to Jannus.
I glared. “I told you. I cannot tell you things I do not know!”
Melek turned on me. “Oh, I suspect you have more than an idea. And we will find out when we question you—you may know more than you realize.”
I huffed. “I will not be held responsible for misguiding you when—”
“If you’d like to get loose from the chair and curl up on the ground with a blanket and pillow, you’llspeculateabout which way to take them through, Fetch.”
Jannus looked back and forth between us, but I ignored him, my heart beating too quickly again.
Damn.Damn.
I took a deep breath. “I’ll need maps.”
Melek smiled grimly and Jannus eyed him warily.
