Just as I was regretting my hesitation, in a blur of crackling energy, blue magic was intercepting the black. It was navy, but also a brighter blue. And though only those who knew each brother’s magic color would notice, as they neared Martese, their magic combined, blowing the king’s magic away.
The king ignored the obvious slight by his sons. “No. A true king would just squash the rebellion. Like I have already done and will continue doing, unafraid to dirty my hands to accomplish it.” He spun back to walk to his throne. “Parliament dismissed. Get out of my sight. All of you.”
As the king leveled his stare on the princes, my breath caught.
He knew.
He knew the princes were bonded.
* * *
All the consortswere to dine with the royal family that night. Given time to freshen up, the consorts were escorted back to their rooms. I immediately put up a sound barrier, started the fire, and began moving objects around the room. If I was going to have to survive a meal in the presence of the king after all ofthat, I needed to use the power humming in my veins.
Feeling Krew nearing his wing in the castle, I was confused. I was sure the king would have cornered Keir and Krew.
The door swung open and there he was, walking toward my sound barrier and adding his own magic to it. My dark prince. Who had come to the defense of an innocent man today for no other reason than it was the right thing to do.
“He knows,” I said out loud, wondering why I was the only one panicking about this.
Krew walked right past Owen by the couch, as if not even noticing he was there, placed his hand around the back of my neck, and pulled me in to kiss me hard.
“Right. I’m going to disappear now,” Owen said, humor in his tone. As he got to the door he added, “Uhhh, Jorah, could you stop moving the books before you get excited and fling them too hard?”
Krew paused, smiling, and I dropped my magic, knowing Owen was right. As soon as he was gone, I put a sound barrier back up.
Not understanding why Krew just kissed me with such intensity, I said quietly, “Your father knows the two of you are kin bonded now.”
“Yes,” he agreed, never taking his eyes from mine.
“And he is likely pissed about you standing up for that man.”
“Yes.”
“So now seems like a great time to randomly kiss the hell out of me?”
“Yes.”
My lips twitched.
He kissed me again. “You.I was bored out of my mind, so I just paid attention to our bond instead. I felt your emotions the entire time. Your concern for Nerede. Your pride for your people. And how happy it made you that he would stand up for your people. And then I felt your panic. I was just sure you were going to save the man yourself, which is why I didn’t hesitate to use mine. Actually, Keir said he considered the same thing. That’s part of the reason why we both acted the way we did.”
They’d both thought I would use my magic to protect that man and the secret about my magic would be out?
“But I do not regret standing up for Martese for even a moment. Had you not been in the room, we would’ve done it anyway. And standing up against my father like that might irk him, yes. But showing that Keir and I are united in front of parliament is worth his wrath. He was going to find out about the kin bond eventually. We can explain that it is to protect one another, and he will likely approve of it. He will be irritated he didn’t know about it before now, but he will not be mad we are bonded.”
He was explaining things so fast while looking at me so intently that I was struggling to keep up with it all.
“But out of everything that just occurred, the thing that shocks me, is that you kept calm and were able to keep your magic from flaring. I felt how badly you wanted to use it. And I cannot wait until the day where you can defend whomever you choose.”
He placed his hand over my chest, his fingers dipping under the material at my shoulders. “This heart of yours, love, is pure. In a castle cast into the shadows of my father’s ways, you are the glimmers of sunlight finding a way to infiltrate the smallest of spaces. Iloathethat you had to contain your magic today. I am sorry. And I cannot wait for the day we unleash you upon the realm.”
CHAPTER22
“So this is awful,” I stomped as we made our way through the forest.
“But tomorrow we go to Nerede,” Krew offered from next to me. “We are up late tonight, and tomorrow we are free to see your mother. With my father’s blessing, even.”
“Only because he thinks I’ll deliver more disloyal news.” I squinted at him. “Manipulative much?”
