Page 132 of A Warrior's Heart

Theron smiled and hid behind me.

Seth snatched the boy up, and after Theron kissed Lorcan’s cheek to say goodbye, Seth took him from the room. Lorcan watched after them.

“I almost lost my family, Malik.” His voice broke. “Every time I close my eyes, I see that blade at Thery’s neck. I see Alek barely conscious, blood all over him. All for what?” He glanced at the trident. “For this? How could one object cause so much conflict?”

“Men will do anything for power.”

“This is my fault. The sirens were right. A vengeful son will recreate the world. One of dark or one of light. It seems I chose darkness.” He moved his gaze to the window. “I gave Ezra the trident knowing he’d use it to kill my father. If I would’ve held on to it—”

“Your son would be dead.”

He regarded me with sorrowful green eyes. “What would you have done in my place?”

“The same as you,” I said. “Nothing is more important than your life, than Troy’s life.”

Lorcan glided his thumb over the top rune on the staff. “I knew Ezra would never be able to properly wield the trident. He would’ve been able to kill my father, sure, but the true power of the weapon—commanding the sea, shaking the earth—would’ve never revealed itself to him.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I feel it.” He put a hand to his chest, just like he’d done so many times during the voyage on the ship. “When I first grabbed it from the statue of Poseidon, something happened. The magic of the trident flowed into me, spread through my blood, becoming part of me. Only I have the power to truly wield it.” He slowly turned the staff, his gaze distant. “I first suspected when Ezra and James ambushed us on the beach. They needed the traitorous assassin to lead them to us.”

I frowned.

“If Ezra had the ability to use the trident’s power, he would’ve been able to hear its call,” Lorcan continued. “He wouldn’t have needed someone feeding him our location in order to find it.”

“And what of you?” I asked. “You are its master. How do you plan to use your power?”

“I want peace,” Lorcan responded, tightening his grip on the staff. “That is all I want, Malik. I don’t want to create a world of darkness. I want one of light. I want my people to be happy and free and not to worry about war. I want to find a place for them to thrive.”

“You called them your people.” I smiled, unable to hide my pride in him.

Lorcan returned my smile, though nerves hid behind it. “They are my responsibility now.”

“What will we do about King James? The treaty remains broken.”

“We could attack his kingdom just as he attacked ours.” Lorcan took a deep breath, releasing it on a slow exhale. “Yet, I fear that will only send me farther down this dark path. If I attack him, he will retaliate. Violence causes more violence. We will burn this world down in our quest to destroy each other. And then what kind of world will that be?”

“Give me your orders, Your Highness.”

His green-eyed gaze shifted to me. “I wish to end this cycle of bloodshed once and for all. I will meet with King James and negotiate terms for peace.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Troy

I couldn’t breathe as we entered Talena.

Memories of me being taken off the ship and paraded through the harbor, hands cuffed and feet bloody, filled my head. I had been thrown into a wooden cage in the back of a wagon and taken to the castle dungeon where Ezra had tormented me for weeks before my mind finally snapped.

“I’ve got you,” Malik whispered, slipping an arm around me. “No harm will come to you. Never again.”

Soldiers met us on the path to the castle. Lorcan had sent word to King James prior to our arrival, so they’d known we were coming. Both sides remained tense as our units came face to face. Regardless of the reason for our presence in Talena, our kingdoms were still at war.

“The king is expecting you,” one said, his voice ringing out loud and clear. “Allow us to escort you to the castle.”

An armed escort wasn’t very reassuring.

Malik moved closer to me, his gaze darting around us. Was he searching for archers? I peered up at the trees, the perfect spot for them to perch. I saw no one, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there.