Anderson held up a hand, “I think what Emric is trying to say, but doing an absolute botched job at it, is that you are obviously now Enchanted, but have good control over it.”
I stole a glance at Keir as I looked to Anderson. “I didn’t at first. So thank you, but there is definitely a learning curve.”
“She chucked me at a tree,” Keir admitted.
Emric’s eyes went wide. “What? And I missed it?”
“Like he weighed no more than a feather,” Owen added with a grin.
Keir explained, and the men were laughing. I didn’t like to laugh about that night though. I thought I had seriously injured Keir. Killed him even.
“As much as I would love to discuss more about Jorah’s becoming Enchanted and all that it means,” Krew started. “We’ve much to discuss today and that isn’t our biggest concern.”
He reached for my hand, but I was far enough around the table that he had to lean over to reach. Apparently finding that unacceptable, he half stood, only to grip my chair and drag it closer to his, the sound of the chair screeching on the floor.
Better?
He draped his hand across the back of my chair.You were too far away.
I smirked.And you are in the middle of explaining to The Six what our biggest concern is right now. Which I presume you didn’t mean was the distance between our chairs.
Oh right.
We both turned back to the table to find them all looking at us in varying degrees of curiosity.
“Insane, is it not?” Hatcher said to Anderson. “Their ability to speak without words?”
He was shaking his head. “I wasn’t quite sure I believed Hatcher until this very moment.”
“You all are terribly distracted today,” I said with a smile. “I believe Krew was about to say the biggest concern is the king’s sword.”
Since he had been present along with the rest of parliament, Hatcher replayed for the rest of them what had happened when I’d charged into the throne room that day.
Owen added in how he’d figured out it was the sword, and the discussion of what to do with this knowledge began. Combined with the information about the three disloyal men who arrived from Nerede, and we had quite the debate on our hands.
“We have the eight of us, Maurice, and the three Nerede men. You don’t think we could take down the king with the twelve of us?” Apollo asked toward the princes as if insulted.
“Just wait for a day he isn’t wearing the damn sword, then make your move.” Emric stood and I saw his dark red magic at his wrists. “What the hell are we waiting for, if we know it is the sword?” He paused. “From the sounds of it, Jorah and Krew could probably handle him as is. So why would we wait? Act now before he figures out how strong Jorah really is.”
“But what if I’m wrong?” Owen argued. “And it’s not the sword?”
I gave my head a shake. He wasn’t wrong. As soon as he said he thought it was the sword, everything that had gone on in the throne room had made infinitely more sense. Was there still the possibility he was wrong? Yes. It could still be the crown or some other object on the king. But did I think Owen was wrong? No. Particularly not when the sword had been gone immediately following the throne room. The king had practically confirmed it for us.
“You are all forgetting one small detail,” Krew snapped.
Emric, having obviously felt strongly about making a move on the king soon, sat down, though he still seemed to vibrate with energy, as if he wanted to bolt for the king right this moment. “Which is?”
Krew took a slow sip from his whiskey glass. “Which is that we still do not know which of us, Keir or I, will rule once our father is gone.”
Hatcher gestured with a hand as if swatting at a bug. “I agree with what Jorah said in the throne room. Either of you will be twice the king your father is.”
Krew sighed. “It isn’t that. I believe either of us would be an improvement also. It is that while my Assemblage is over and has been for a long time, my brother’s is not.” He looked at Keir before meeting my eyes, and I saw in his eyes the compassion he felt for his brother. They might not see eye to eye on everything, but Krew would still defend and protect his brother from anyone that dared to threaten him. “Keir needs more time.”
Hatcher looked slightly vexed with the look he pinned on Keir. “But you are down to two women, Your Grace. How can you not be even remotely close to choosing a bride at this point?”
I suddenly wanted to vanish. Disappear into thin air. Not only had I once been part of Keir’s Assemblage, but so had Molly. And I was still so, so pissed at him for letting her go.
Keir rubbed his neck. “I do not feel ready to marry either one of them. That’s kind of the problem. Granted it might not even be me, so this could all be irrelevant.”
