Page 79

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Kai

My fingernails dig into the armrests of my throne while I sit and wait for Tua’s arrival.

It has been two days since the rebel attack, much of that time spent cleaning up the aftermath and dealing with the fallout. I have kept Jahlee and Bahira in my rooms for the entirety of it, while I figured out what to do after learning of Tua’s betrayal. Each of those days, the latter had refused to speak with me beyond what was necessary.

It is better this way, to keep her at arm’s length now in preparation for when she’s an ocean away later. It is better, yet she still consumes every one of my fucking thoughts like a thunderstorm that won’t break. I learned the truth of who she was, and each day since, I find it harder to remind myself why it matters that she lied. Eventually, I do—past insecurities feed into the present, and Bahira’s lies become Tua’s, and those become my father’s, and on and on until I find myself angry with her once again. But the cycle ultimately stalls—usually the moment I step foot into my rooms at the end of the day and see her curled on the couch with a book on her lap, still recovering from her injuries.

My power pushes at me to shift, my neck straining as a slight haze covers my eyes. It had taken every ounce of control not to kill Tua the moment I saw him after I learned what he had orchestrated. What he had done behind my back, yes, but more importantly, what he had done to her . Instead, I was forced to listen to his lies with a straight face. I was left in awe of how he held my gaze, his dark brown eyes steadfast, and lied with the ease of talking about the weather.

And he had been doing it my entire life.

At least he never brought up Kane. Haloa volunteered to let my cousin stay with him until I could confront his father. We had thankfully found his daughter unharmed and under the care of neighbors. Both families will be receiving a large stipend from the Crown for the foreseeable future.

Bahira had said that Tua knew of something my father orchestrated while my mother was pregnant with me. In the only conversation that lasted longer than a minute, she had relayed everything she could remember about what he said regarding my parents. Despite her obvious anger towards me and the sadness she tried and failed to hide, there was something eager that lit her gray eyes when she talked of what Tua told her. Of the blood and magic connection he hinted at. Something told me that, even if I didn’t want her to, she’d go digging for more.

I had visited my rooms one final time before coming to the throne room, to make sure Jahlee and Bahira stayed put until this was over, only to find it empty. I know better than to assume that either female is incapable of taking care of themselves, but it doesn’t make my ire at them being gone disappear. Maybe Jahlee helped Bahira sneak out to board a ship heading towards the Mage Kingdom. Or perhaps they just needed time away from the palace—from me.

I recall the way Bahira’s face broke when she told me of her deceit. How her eyes begged for a forgiveness I wasn’t ready to give her then. One that she doesn’t seem to want now. Bahira had been an anomaly in my life since the moment she punched me in the face. Never once had anyone left me both furious and heated in a single interaction, and this female had done so in nearly every moment we spent together.

Both of the wooden doors to the throne room open, and my uncle strides in, flanked by two guards who shut the door behind them and take up posts on either side.

“Everything alright, Uncle?” I ask him, sending all thoughts of Bahira back behind my mental armor as I stare Tua down from my throne.

“One can never be too safe,” he answers, clasping his hands behind him. “You’ve summoned me, Your Majesty?”

Standing, I fold my arms over my chest, letting my power glow in my eyes. “Did you think that I would not discover your treachery?”

His delayed response is the only giveaway to his surprise. “Ah. So the princess lives,” he surmises, giving me a small smile. I had kept him too busy to visit the dungeon attached to my father’s rooms in the wake of the attack—also assigning males from Honna that I could trust to patrol the second floor so that no rebels could slip past.

“She does. Though I can’t say the same for your son.” When Tua doesn’t react to the fake news about Kane, I take a single step down the dais and add, “Neither can it be said of the two rebels who laid their hands on her.”

Tua’s power flares in his eyes, his canines elongating as he drops any pretense of civility. “I will kill her for this.”

Primal rage bleeds into my every cell as I glower at him. She is mine to protect. Even if she wants nothing more to do with me. She is mine.

“She’s already on a ship heading home,” I lie. Or maybe it is the truth. If it is the only way to keep her safe, then despite the nausea roiling through me, I hope she really is on a ship.

He growls low in his throat, his animal thrashing beneath the surface.

“How does it feel to know that a female bested you?”

“I suppose I could ask the same question of you,” he snarls, taking a single step towards me. I eye the guards, their curled lips and combative positions relaying their allegiance to Tua. “You thought that she would hold the key to solving our blight, that she could fix your idiotic legacy . Everyone now sees you for what you really are, Nephew. A failure. Unworthy and undeserving of that throne behind you. When I rule—”

“No,” I interrupt, descending the rest of the steps as I bring my power up to right beneath my skin. The urge to shift is overwhelming, setting my veins on fire and nearly choking me of breath. “You will rule nothing , Uncle. Except maybe a small cell in the true dungeons while I figure out what to do with you.”

His laugh is callous as he rolls his shoulders back. “You can’t just make me disappear . I’ve already cemented myself as a fixture of stability with the nobles. I’ve got the support of nearly the entire panel of advisors—nearly the entire kingdom ! While you have nothing and no one. ”

“Now, that’s not entirely true.”

Her voice makes my stomach clench as I look to the side door that leads to the gardens. Leaning against the doorframe, looking amusingly bored as she examines her nails on one hand and idly swings her spear from side to side in the other, is Bahira. I want to strangle her for still being here. I want to claim her mouth for the same. Burning fucking hell, I just want her .

Looking up, her eyes snare mine, and for a brief moment, I think she might want the same. But then she shifts her gaze to Tua. “Surprise.”

Tua growls again as Bahira steps away from the door and allows it to close loudly behind her.

“I have a bone to pick with you,” she taunts, the leaf-shaped tip of her spear pointing in his direction. “Or, if I’m lucky, perhaps I’ll get to carve out a few from your cold, dead body.”

“Killing you will be easier than breathing,” he hisses. I let a rumbling sound of warning slip out, and Tua’s taunting smile grows more so. “And I’m going to make him watch as I do it.” His shift happens quickly, a flash of blinding green light glows, and then he’s two steps closer to Bahira. Her reaction time is slower than usual, reminding me that she still hasn’t healed from her injuries. Wounds that he allowed her to get.

In a flash of golden light, I shift into my preferred animal—a wolf—and leap to intercept him, landing in a crouch as we snarl at each other. In his lion form, his head is as large as Bahira’s torso. His paws are tipped in blade-sharp claws, and his elongated canines glint in the sunlight. In another burst of golden light, I shift again, this time becoming a lion to match Tua’s.

His eyes narrow as he snarls at me, letting out a massive roar and making my hackles rise as we leap towards each other. It’s easy work, dodging his incoming strike and then pouncing on his body, my own razor-sharp teeth sinking into his neck as I pin him to the ground. My predatory instincts drive my motions as I clamp my jaw more tightly, Tua jerking and trying to scrabble for purchase to get away from me.

I’m so focused on him that I’ve forgotten about the other two guards, and it isn’t until Bahira shouts out in pain that I realize my mistake. She is trapped between them, her hold on her spear too limp to be effective. Her injuries haven’t had enough time to heal, and that truth washes over the both of us at the same time. Her eyes widen as she blocks a punch from one of the guards, the other moving behind her too quickly.

There isn’t a moment to think rationally, not as rage narrows my vision. Keeping Tua alive had been my goal, but it is no longer my priority. She is. Only her. I bite down harder, letting my canines travel farther into his jugular, before jerking sharply, twisting until there is a snapping sound that rings out into the air. I release his limp body and bolt towards Bahira, tackling one of the guards from behind. He lets out a wail, but my claws dig deeply into his back before I fling him across the room and into the wall.

“Stay there,” the other guard shouts, his arm tight around Bahira’s neck as he drags her backward—her spear left discarded on the floor. I growl as I lower into a crouch, my eyes pinned on hers. She doesn’t look panicked, not even as she fails to get out of his hold. “Shift back, or I’ll kill her.” He brandishes a small dagger, the metal glinting as the tip digs into her skin.

“You’re going to regret that, asshole,” Bahira wheezes, her neck straining as her nails dig into his forearms.

I shift back to my mortal form, coming up to stand as I stalk closer to him. “She’s right. I might have made your death quick before, but you’ll suffer now for touching her.” His shaking hand nicks her skin, adding a wound to the many she’s accrued here under my watch. I will not allow another. With the guard’s gaze fully on me, he isn’t able to stop the blow to his ribs from Bahira’s elbow. He yelps as he leans to the side, his knife no longer indenting her skin.

I charge towards them as she spins, sending a knee up into his gut. He hunches over, and the knife flies from his hands before mine are there, squeezing on either side of his head. My vision grows hazy as the aggression of my animal rises like a sickly wave. Every other sound in the room fizzles away until there is only his desperate wailing as I slowly, methodically , crush his skull. The bone begins to shift beneath my hands as he frantically claws at my wrists. I can’t stop—I don’t want to — not when I know that he would have killed Bahira. She is mine. She is mine. She is mine . His skull gives out, my hands moving closer together as true silence blankets the throne room. I drop his corpse and watch as blood and brain matter shoot out in all directions from the impact.

Feeling the weight of her gaze, I take my time turning to Bahira, forcing each inhale through my nose to last longer than the one before it. The fog of my magic is nearly gone from my vision when I face her fully. I don’t expect fear, Bahira’s a female not possessing a fragile constitution, but I do wonder if she’ll be repulsed by what I’ve done. When my eyes meet hers, however, I’m reminded again of just how wrong I’ve been about her. She watches me with curiosity, her body leaning towards me while I take a step in her direction. Tentatively, I move to cup the side of her face. Right over the small smattering of freckles there, their pattern a constellation I’ve tried to burn into my memory too many times to count. But my hand is covered in gore, so I let it fall back to my side.

“Are you alright?” I ask, grinding my teeth at the blood dripping from the small cut on her neck. She lets loose a slow breath, her gray eyes as beautiful—as deadly—as any tropical storm. I’ve come to realize that I am merely the rock which her powerful waves crash against, both of us slowly carving away at the other’s shields. Who could I be with a female like her at my side? What could I accomplish with the motivation of someone who knows what it’s like to stand tall in the face of adversity? How can I look at her, knowing that her iron will sharpens my own, and call her anything less than extraordinary? Anything other than mine ?

“I’ve been better,” she answers, her hand going to where my gaze is drawn. The tips of her fingers get stained with blood, but she pays it no mind while she studies me. “Are you okay?”

No. I may never be again—not when I know what it feels like to have you. To then lose you. I can’t say that, not as I watch her trace over my face and body with concerned eyes. Not after the things I said at the hot spring. So I settle on repeating, “I’ve been better.”

She snorts, gesturing with her clean hand to my body. “You’re also naked.” The words are breathless, and I nearly groan at the slight shade of pink that stains her cheeks.

One of the doors to the throne room is thrown open, the wood smacking against the wall as Jahlee comes stumbling in. Her hands rest on her knees while her chest heaves with quick breaths before she observes the carnage left in the room. She rights herself, placing her hands on her hips and glares at us. “Damn it, you guys! I wanted to get at least one rebel!”

“Then you should have gotten here quicker,” Bahira purrs.

“I’m sorry, I was busy gathering our allies .”

Bahira gives my sister a small smile before she clears her throat, carefully taking a step away from me. “And? How did it go?”

Jahlee eyes the space between Bahira and I suspiciously before tossing her hair over her shoulder and letting out a low whistle. “See for yourself.”

A slow trickle of people enter, males and females, faces I recognize from their work in the palace or in shops and businesses in the surrounding villages. As more and more of my people filter in, their eyes holding none of the contempt I’ve grown used to seeing in so many others, I struggle to keep my emotions tame. I feel Bahira’s eyes on me and send a glance her way, my brow raised in question.

“You are still naked ,” she whispers.

“It’s not a big deal to not be clothed here, Princess. We lose them when we shift.”

She mumbles under her breath, something like, “not everyone needs to see your massive dick,” and alters her stance so that she is partially blocking me from the crowd now gathered.

Jahlee snorts, then outright laughs when Bahira threatens her with her spear. “Anyone have some trousers the king can borrow?” Jahlee shouts, the crowd hushing as every pair of eyes lands on me.

Fucking Jahlee . A male steps forward and hands my sister some clothing. Where he got them from, I don’t know, but I slip the pants on and fold my arms over my chest, catching Bahira’s lingering glance before she notices me watching and looks away.

Jahlee steps right in front of me, her smile as wide as physically possible before she gestures to the shifters now filed into the room. “These people believe you—believe in you. You were made to lead this kingdom, Kai. For better or for worse, you were chosen. While I know this won’t be an easy task, it’s a start.”

I had fought against the idea that being king was anything more than an unfortunate necessity. I hadn’t expected that list of things I cared about to grow beyond Jahlee—certainly not to include the subjects I reluctantly ruled over. While a kingdom of chaos and ashes seems unavoidable now, my hope is that the cost of fixing everything I turned a blind eye to will be low.

“You should address the crowd,” Bahira suggests, keeping her eyes straight ahead.

“She’s right,” Jahlee chimes in.

I clench my jaw at the thought, wondering if perhaps abdicating to Kane would not be as awful as I had previously thought. Clearing my throat, I give an awkward as fuck speech about trying to rebuild the kingdom into something better. Based on the way Jahlee bites back a laugh every time our eyes meet, I assume it didn’t exactly motivate anyone.

The next hour passes quickly as I help clean the throne room and assign new roles and jobs to the shifters present. Haloa and Kane show up, the former eager for the opportunity to be one of my personal guards and the latter ignoring me. In a gesture that I hope quells the whispers of him behind his back, I shake his hand and announce that he can keep his position, seeing as he had nothing to do with the rebels. I make sure to squeeze his hand harder than necessary, reminding him that at any moment I will end him if he proves to be anything less than useful.

I leave briefly to go to my rooms to shower and change into my own clothing, returning to join Jahlee and Bahira in the now cleared out throne room. The corner of my lips rises when I see the way Bahira is lounging on my throne nonchalantly.

“Don’t move on my account,” I drawl, walking to the edge of the dais and gazing up at her.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” she coos back, and it almost feels like our fight never happened.

“You look good in it.”

Her gaze widens as it holds mine before she averts it and stands, stepping away from the very thing she looked so comfortable—so right —in. “You need a plan of how you’re going to approach this with the rebels. How you’ll share what happened with Tua to the kingdom.”

I nod, watching as Jahlee steps up to Bahira and throws an arm around her shoulders. “I say we do a clean sweep. Just throw everyone out into the training yard and start questioning them there.”

“You won’t make any friends doing that.”

Jahlee’s smile is deviously cunning. “No, but it’ll piss off a bunch of the nobles. And that will bring me joy.”

“We start with who we know to be our allies and go from there,” I tell her, fighting off a chuckle at the way her face drops. “It’s going to take time, Jahlee.”

Haloa opens one of the doors and pokes his head in, gaze searching until he finds mine. “Your Majesty, there is someone who has just arrived from the docks. She is requesting an immediate audience with you.”

I run my hand down my face, exhaustion lingering like a fine mist over me. “Did she give a name or what she wants?”

“All she said is that her name is Siyala.”

Jahlee’s gasp echoes out, my own inhale quick as I narrow my eyes at Haloa. “You’re sure?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Send her in.”

Haloa nods at my command and leaves so quickly that he doesn’t shut the door.

My sister turns towards me, her brows raised high on her forehead. “You don’t think—” She swallows, shaking her head as Bahira looks between us. “It’s been over four years.”

This could just be mere coincidence because the odds that my cousin has miraculously appeared after four years are astronomically low. Though the same could be said of the way she seemed to completely disappear from the island in the first place.

“She’s our cousin, Iolana’s daughter,” I tell a bewildered Bahira while keeping my focus on the doors as the sound of approaching footsteps sends a foreign feeling of hope simmering in my veins.

“The one you said went missing?” she asks. I nod my head again, almost smirking at her murmured “fuck” under her breath.

A cloaked female walks into the throne room, her boots—worn and too big—clomping on the wooden floorboards. My breath sticks in my chest when she reaches up and pulls the hood back. She’s obviously older than when I last saw her, a woman now instead of a teen. But as Siyala’s amber eyes meet mine, her rare white hair bright against her golden tanned skin, there is no denying that it’s my cousin staring back at me.

Siyala’s attention moves from me to Bahira, a quizzical look contorting her face, before going to Jahlee, a smile finally breaking her serious facade. “Hello, cousins,” she rasps.

“You’re not dead!” Jahlee blurts out, Bahira and I both snapping our heads towards her. “Where have you been? I swear, if this has all been some elaborate prank, I’m going—”

“I’ve been in the Mortal Kingdom.”

Jahlee’s words choke off, my own voice lost as I tilt my head to the side. Silence once more descends upon the room until Bahira breaks it. “You are a shifter, yes?”

Siyala nods.

I take in her travel-worn clothes, her too big boots and cloak, and the large satchel she has crossed over her torso. “You snuck out of the kingdom and onto a boat,” I guess.

“Yes, and I promise, we will catch up on where I’ve been and everything that goes with that, but there is something more important that we need to discuss.”

“More important than where you’ve been for the past four years?” Jahlee shouts, her arms splaying out at her sides.

“Yes,” Siyala answers, and though her eyes burn with the details of that story, she blinks it away as she focuses her attention on me. “I need you to contact the Mage Kingdom.”

“Why?” Bahira asks as she studies my cousin.

Rubbing my fingers over my jaw, I gesture for Siyala to continue.

She plays with the hem of her cloak, her eyes watering as she heaves out a weighted sigh. “There is a woman there named Rhea. I believe her to be in danger, and I’d like to warn her.”

My gaze hones in on Bahira, her brown skin paling as she stares at Siyala. She sucks in a quick inhale before she says, “Tell us everything you know.”