Page 80 of The Broken Prince

“Please…”

He clenched his eyes shut again.

“Aurelias.” My hands cupped his face and forced his stare on me.

He opened his eyes and looked at me.

“I’m your baby…” I brought our faces close together. “And I want to feel like your baby every night we’re together.”

He released a heavy breath as his arms circled me, as they pulled me tight so my body was against his. His lips caught mine, and then his hand was deep in my hair, guiding me back to the bed. “You’ll always be my baby.”

TWENTY

IAN

I didn’t consider myself the spontaneous type. I dwelled on issues, thinking about them until they drove me mad. So when I made my decision to betray my brother’s authority, it was intentional.

I had my wife back. I had my daughter back. I was happier than I’d ever been, but also more terrified. I always had something to lose, but now, I really had something to lose. Huntley had chosen to wait like sitting ducks for the enemy to come to us, but I had a very different opinion about that strategy.

And since it concerned the safety of my family, I had no issue pursuing it.

Mother finished reading the letter. “They’re evacuating the Kingdoms and marching them to HeartHolme.” She read down the scroll, the scroll that I’d already read. “It’s the only kingdom large enough to house everyone, and it’s the best shelter for war.”

I stared out the window.

“That means Huntley is already on the way.”

Which was why I had to make this decision before he could stop me. “I’m returning to the east.”

Mother lowered the scroll immediately, her eyes narrowing at my words.

“I must protect my family, and waiting for the enemy to slaughter us is a shitty way to do that.”

“Ian—”

“We can do that dance if you want, but it’s not going to change my decision.” There was no argument she could make to alter my stance. These demons were taller and more powerful and immune to the one weapon we had—fire. “I’ll take a dragon rider with me, whoever volunteers to join me.”

Mother slowly rolled the scroll back into place, her eyes directed elsewhere as she took a beat. “What do you hope to achieve?”

“To discover anything that will help us defeat them.”

“And who will you ask?”

“The prisoner told me there are still Palladium survivors. They might know something.”

“And how do you intend to find them—”

“I have no idea,” I snapped. “Is that what you want me to say?”

“Ian, HeartHolme needs its steward in the absence of its king. Send riders in your stead if this is important to you.”

“I’m not the kind of leader to send someone in my stead to protect my neck. I’m not willing to order soldiers to risk their lives if I’m not willing to do the same. And more importantly, I don’t trust anyone else to do this better than me.”

She dropped her gaze, disappointed.

“I have to do this—for all of us. Don’t pretend you aren’t scared, Mother. Don’t pretend you don’t understand how fucked we are. The only reason Delacroix stands is because a vampire defended it. It wasn’t our armies or our dragons. It was a being stronger than us.”

She kept her gaze down.