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The muscles in her jaw ticked. The little vein in her forehead growing more prominent. “He didn’t—”

Graeson cut her off. “Do not fool yourself. Heknew. How would a king with unlimited resources, people, and knowledge at his fingertipsnotknow that not one buttwoprinces of another kingdom entered his kingdom? You truly believe that Domitius did not know?”

Kalisandre swallowed hard. “It wasn’t important,” she whispered.

Graeson huffed. “Come on, Kalisandre. You’re smarter than that.”

She wiggled against his grip, but Graeson kept his hold around her arms. She wasn’t going to run from this. Kalisandre needed to face the truth for once in her life. Graeson’s gaze swept across her face. “He’s manipulating you. Do you not see that?”

Her gaze grew cold. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do. Or else you wouldn’t still be here with me.”

When Kalisandre shook against his hold again, Graeson let go.

“I’m here because I was going to kill you.”

“And how is that working out, Princess?”

“I said ‘was,’ didn’t I?”

“But you’re not now?” He couldn’t help but smirk.

“Leave, Graeson.”

Graeson took a step forward as he reached for her. “Kal—”

She turned away from him, and his hand fell.

“Just leave,” she whispered.

The beast slipped back inside its cage, the fire that burned inside him dwindling. The red clearing. “If that is truly what you want . . .” Graeson said, hesitating to turn away from her.

He had come all this way. Was he going to give up that easily? But if Kalisandre didn’t want him here . . .

“Leave!”

His mouth pressed into a thin line, but he relented and turned to the door.

Kalisandre spoke from further away now. “If you know what’s good for you, Graeson, you won’t come back. I’m not worth it.”

“No.” His knuckles turned white as he gripped the doorknob. “You are worth everything.”

She may have chosen Rian, but that didn’t mean Graeson would give up on her. He made a promise. He would set her mind free. He would break whatever hold Domitius had on her. That was his mission here, not to capture her, not to kidnap her and force her to go with them, but to set her free.

It didn’t matter if Kalisandre was not his. He was hers. And he would do anything to protect her. Graeson would rip the man’s throat out and feed it to the kraken that prowled beneath the Red Sea if he had to. He didn’t care if the man was a prince, a general, or a king. Titles meant nothing to him.

Gods did not bow down to kings.

Chapter41

GRAESON

Graeson’sback hit the wall as soon as he stepped inside the guest house.

“You chasing your girlfriend wasnota part of the plan,” Ellie spat, driving a sharp nail into his chest.

The pictures shook against the wall. Dani, Terin, Moris, and Sylvia snapped their gazes up from the table littered with maps of the Frenzian castle and kingdom.