I could feel his hurt. Someone was hurting him. Or hurting... his magic?
I’m fine, love. And whatever happens, I love you.
I kept feeling down the bond for him, focusing hard on where I felt him, though the bond felt a bit muddled somehow. It took me longer than normal, but I knew he was in the throne room. He was in the throne room and someone was hurting him.
And he’d been panicked enough a few moments ago to knock me out of a deep sleep. I’d felt many emotions from Krew over the past few months, but not once had I ever felt him panicked.
Without another thought, I threw my silk robe over my nightgown and glowing skin and began running. Was this about the ring? Was this about the princes’ bond? So help me if the king took his whip to Krew again, I would lose my mind and kill him on the spot. Or die trying.
Just last night we had been thinking of the future. That was probably why I’d had the dream about Warrick being here at the castle. But I feared that future was dangling by a thread with whatever was going on in the throne room right now.
Krew?
He wasn’t responding to me, but I kept feeling his emotions. I still felt that twinge of hurt, but I wasn’t sure if it was on him or his magic. And I felt... anger. No, that felt watered down compared to all the fury I felt pouring out of Krew.
I opened the door and bolted for the throne room. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.
“Jorah?” Owen asked as he sped after me.
I didn’t respond right away, too focused on the bond and Krew. I ran straight for the elevator.
“Jorah?” Owen tried again, reaching for my arm. “Talk to me.”
I forcefully pressed the button on the elevator. The doors didn’t open right away, so I hit it twice more. I vaguely noted the other guard standing outside Krew’s wing had just seen me fly down the hallway with my skin glowing, so he definitely now knew I had magic.
Owen gently took my arms in his hands and turned me toward him. “Hey. What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I felt Krew’s panic. And I think he’s hurt. Or something is hurting his magic. I don’t know what’s going on, I just know something is wrong, Owen.”
“Okay, let’s go find out.” Owen nodded, concerned eyes on mine. “But would you like to get dressed first?”
As the door to the elevator dinged open, I looked down to find myself in my light pink night dress with my matching silk robe tied over it. I’d been in such a rush I didn’t even bother grabbing my slippers. I was barefoot.
I felt down the bond again, still feeling Krew’s panic and anger. “No. There isn’t time.” As we boarded the elevator, I added. “You don’t think he’s finally losing his magic or something do you?”
“Would that make him feel panic?” Owen asked calmly. But I knew from his veined neck muscles he was just as tense as I was.
“No.”
“But you can still feel him, so he is alive,” Owen reminded me. “Where are they? Can you feel where they are?”
“Throne room. But the bond feels... strained or something.”
“At least it’s not the mountain.” Owen’s forehead creased. “But I thought parliament was coming today.”
I gasped as another wave of Krew’s mixed worry and anguish hit me. I grabbed onto Owen’s arm and squeezed. “We have to help him, Owen. Please.”
“We will, but what are you going to do here, Jorah? If you go in there, there is no way you’ll be able to keep a handle on your magic if you see the king hurting Krew.”
My magic was still glowing and heating beneath my skin. It had been since the moment I’d woke. If anything, it was building. Ready to protect Krew if need be, I felt no inclination at all to shove it down. “If he is hurting Krew, keeping a handle on my magic is the last thing I will do.”
The elevator doors slid back open. Owen and I exchanged a glance. We both understood the day we had all been training for, the day the king found out I had magic, had finally arrived.
CHAPTER26
We were almost there; we had just turned the corner and the wooden throne room doors stretching ceiling to floor were in sight.
Be careful, Krew sent to me.I’d tell you not to do this, but I know better.Father somehow weakened us before putting the gauntlets on Keir and me. We won’t be much help. I no longer feel as if he is trying to kill us though, merely teaching us a lesson.
