Page 111 of A Cruel Kindness

Years of not responding to pleas for peace probably aided that fact. “You’ve never met my Father, how do you know so much about his character?”

“Are you sure I haven’t?” Everyone froze, realizing the full depth of what that meant. After a moment of tense silence, Elijah leaned back, laughing to himself as if he’d just told the funniest joke in the world. “Oh, you should have seen your faces. No, your camp has created quite the barrier for entry. Your Father’s continued refusal to engage in peace negotiations up until this point did the trick just fine. He’s quite happy in his role as aggressor.”

That was an odd characterization, considering our role at the Bridge was defense.

“My Father will not rule forever,” I said carefully. “The Greenes are our next family to rule. Their family leader is a harsh sneeze away from the grave. The heir is pliable. Work with us while my Father is in power and we can be sure that House Greene keeps the agreement in place. That grants you ten years of peace at the very least.”

Elijah’s face remained passive, but his eyes were engaged. It would be much easier if the Prince got over himself and participated in these conversations, safety be damned.

I was still technically the heir to the Empire. I was here.

I was setting aside what I wanted for the good of everyone. “Your Prince proposed this arrangement. He should stick to it.”

Soren’s hand drifted under the fall of my hair, flattening over our Mark. A silent show of encouragement, surely. All I could focus on was the fact that he was touching me again.

My heart almost broke from the relief.

Elijah nodded, pausing to take a sip of his drink. While he did, his eyes drifted to my left for the quickest beat, then back down. “I’ll take your father’s acceptance back to the Prince. Expect summons in the next few days. He’d like to meet you—formally, that is. It’s not every day you get to confront the daughter of the man who has tried to ruin your planet.” Elijah’s words were venomous, the most anger I’d ever heard from him.

“What an interesting way to view the matter,” I said, making sure there was a pretty smile on my lips. That was my personal expression of fuck you, one that had served me quite well through years of court.

Despite my father’s resistance, he’d only drawn out the war. Muli had started it.

Elijah stood, laughing under his breath again. “You know, there is nothing quite as sweet as revenge.” He stood, peering at me and Soren, at the obvious strife between us, even if his hand was on the back of my neck. “Watching you two has been particularly glorious.”

Even Carson balked at his words, at the sheer cruelty there. He shot Soren an apologetic look, but it did little to appease him given their history.

“I will find a way to kill you,” Soren promised, and I believed him. “And I will enjoy every second of it.”

He would be letting me take a swing at him too, but that was a different matter.

Elijah just smiled, as if the threat was nothing but an idle amusement. He started to stride away, but then came to a halt so fast he almost reverberated.

I watched in confusion as he stood there, breathing for a second, then turned back to look at us—actually Freya—with a near murderous look.

Freya looked just as confused, but didn’t say anything.

With that odd trip up, Elijah barked at his group to follow him and headed out. The last we saw of his little troupe of wonders was one of his soldiers running in, muttering something about his horse.

Then he left, taking my fate with him in that godforsaken envelope.

Chapter 28

Bellamy

God, I was fucking exhausted.

The ride back to camp had been filled with Esme’s low mutterings about how annoying Elijah was, particularly finding issue with his continued assertions that he was smarter than everyone when clearly that title belonged to her.

Freya was uncommonly quiet, and when I asked her what was wrong, all she’d said was that Starlight was giving her problems. Her steed, whiter than the snow capping the mountains surrounding us was restless, but I didn’t quite believe her.

That was a conversation for a day where I could offer her the support she needed.

I could barely think straight.

Especially not when I was hanging awkwardly by the bathroom while Soren set up his cot. After this morning, I was scared he was going to try and sleep in the living room and then we’d both be caught in an unfortunate situation.

Of course, I’d follow him.