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“It was a task I never wanted to do. Especially not after my father burned me, killed my mother, and threw me into the Phantom with nothing more than the clothes on my back. I decided right then and there that I would not aid Nemoregno. And that, if I didn’t die before I reached Navalis, I would keep the very princess they ordered me to kidnap safe. Which is what I did. From the second your father found me.”
“And if that is true, then why the hell were you so afraid to tell it to my father? Unless, of course, this is merely a story you concocted over the past few decades.”
A low growl leaves my lips. “How dare you accuse me of that. I have been nothing but loyal!”
“Loyalty is only as true as the word of the man who swears it!”
“Fort’s actions have done nothing but back up that word,” Carleah snaps. “If they hadn’t, I’d still be held captive in Nemoregno since we were both captured by them the moment we stepped foot outside of the Phantom.”
Bowman whirls on her. “You were in Nemoregno?”
“Yes. Fort’s brothers captured us.”
“His brothers.” Bowman lets out a laugh, but there is no humor in it. “Brothers. We considered you to be our brother,” he snaps. “Alex, Diedrich, Ethan, and me? We thought of you as one of us. And this whole time—” He trails off. “Regardless of your motives, I cannot trust you. You’re removed as head of our guard. Effective immediately.”
“You can’t do that!” Carleah bellows.
“You’re lucky I’m not executing him!”
“On what grounds? Keeping me alive? Loving me?”
“On the grounds that he’s a fucking liar. Did you know that the Tenebris soldiers are bred in Nemoregno? Did you know that it is literally his people who slaughtered ours?” When she doesn’t respond. He shakes his head. “You knew. And you still whored yourself out to him.”
I start toward him, but Carleah puts her hand up to stop me. “Unless you want my fist slammed into your face again, Brother, I suggest you watch your damned mouth.”
“I allowed you to hit me once. I won’t let it happen again,” he warns.
“You will reinstate Fort as head of the guard. And you will keep his secrets.”
“And why the hell would I do that?”
“Because I will not fight you on the betrothal if you do.”
The air is ripped from my lungs. “No. Carleah—”
“Agree to it,” she interrupts me. “Or I swear I will leave, and you will never see me again. Even if it means the permanent destruction of this entire damned realm.”
Bowman glares at me then looks to his sister. “Fine.” He shifts his gaze back to mine. “But you will refrain from speaking in front of anyone in this encampment. As far as the rest of the men are concerned, you did your duty and kept the princess safe. Whatever was between you two is over as of this moment. Or I swear, Fort, I will kill you myself.” He turns and storms from the tent, leaving me alone with Carleah.
When she looks up at me, there’s no trace of the sheltered princess she’d once been. The person looking back at me is a woman who has seen far more death than she should. A woman who just handed her life away in exchange for mine and the good of a kingdom who will never know her sacrifice.
“Carleah—”
“I have no option here, Fort. If we are going to save Navalis, we need Soreno.”
“But Patrick? After everything—”
“I can’t walk away from my people, Fort. From my brother. Even if he is being an absolute bastard right now.”
I move closer to her. “I know.”
“Please don’t hate me.”
Cupping her face with my hands, I run my thumbs over her cheeks to brush away tears. “I will never hate you, Carleah. But I cannot stand by and watch you marry him. I won’t.”
She closes her eyes. “There is no other way. We have to save the realm.”
“There is another way,” I reply. “And I’ll find it—or die trying.”
