Page 97 of Kingdom of Chains

Nothing changed on his face. Perhaps his heart had finally calloused too.

‘It was always going to end with me leaving.’ His voice was so quiet.

She swallowed repeatedly. ‘I know. But do you have to make it look so easy?’

He rubbed his forehead. ‘You think some big emotional display will help us?’

It was his tone that she found most distressing. It was as though Blackmane had already departed and left a faceless defender in his place.

‘What about your brother?’ she asked, digging for an emotional response from him. ‘You will be leaving him behind also.’

‘Yes.’

She brushed a stray tear away, embarrassed that it had escaped. ‘You could take him with you. I am certain King Becket would not wish to separate you from the only family you have left.’

There was a flicker of some emotion on his face, but it was gone too fast for her to identify.

‘This is his home now. He’ll stay and protect it.’ He watched her a moment. ‘I can’t just bring him back to the barracks.’

She nodded. ‘You are right. He is needed here.’

A tense moment passed, made worse by the fact that Isabel could now hear horses out front. Their time was up.

Blackmane glanced out the window. ‘Keep an eye on that wound. Any odour or change in colour, let Genevieve know right away.’

Her throat burned. ‘Thank you.’

‘For what?’

‘For giving me my life back.’

He nodded once. ‘Take care of yourself.’ Then he was heading for the door.

‘Why did you not ask me to go with you?’ The words tumbled out of her, all choked up.

He paused in the doorway and looked back at her. ‘You want me to take you from your home—for the second time? Separate you from your family? From Ita?’

‘No—’

‘You want to live behind walls again?’

‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘But I wantyouto want that.’

He looked out the door. ‘I’m not him.’ Then he stepped through it, disappearing from sight.

Panic rose in her. She tried to stand, to go to the window, to lay eyes on him again. But suddenly the pain in her chest was everywhere at once. It was not heartbreak she was experiencing but a complete shattering of mind and body. She could not stand up, despite how badly she wanted to. She could not even call out to him. Her hands went over her face as a sob tore from her throat. She could not even cry properly. It was all silent heaving and rolling nausea.

Arms went around her, familiar and safe—but they did not belong to Blackmane.

‘I’m here,’ Ita whispered, holding her tightly. ‘I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.’

CHAPTER 30

Blackmane could feel Tatum watching him as he mounted his horse. He was waiting for him to say something.

‘I guess we’ll talk about it later?’ Tatum said, riding up next to him.

Blackmane did not respond.