Page 136 of The Ever King

Without another word, I abandoned the council room.

Alistair was waiting in the corridor; I glared my annoyance and tried to hurry past him.

“You cannot avoid me forever, My King.”

“I can, and I will.”

Alistair snorted. “There are matters in need of your attention unless you would like me to defer to our new queen. She has a much softer tone and does not fling blades.”

I fought a grin. “No, I don’t want you to defer to the queen since I am going to see the queen, and that would take her from me. The same reason I do not want you to defer to me.”

Alistair’s breath puffed through his thin nose as he tried to keep my pace. “I am trying to feel pity for you, My Lord, truly I am. But you live in a glittering palace, have the power of the kingdom, a beautiful mate—”

“Gods, old man, what is it you need from me?” I stopped mid-corridor and faced him.

“Peace talks.” Alistair smoothed his too-tight gambeson. “Do you still wish to attempt a truce between the earth fae in time for the coronation? If so, it would be to the benefit of us all to not anger the house lords.”

If anything about this made me uneasy it was the thought of bartering a truce with the man who’d offered me peace more than once, only to have me steal away his heart, leaving him to wonder what horrors she was facing day after day.

Odds were he’d take her back and ram one of his axes in my skull.

“Lord Hesh and Lord Joron can sink to the depths of the Ever Sea for all I care,” I said. “If they cannot accept there is no healing the Ever alone and a woman is their savior, that is their risk to take.”

Stand against my Songbird, and they would meet their end much the same as the assassins.

“Livia is preparing a missive to send to her folk for a neutral meet. With the earth prince and princess speaking for us, peace is attainable. The lords will need to accept it.”

“I’ll see to it the palace is accommodating for a swell of earth fae.” Alistair snapped his fingers. “Oh, one final matter.” From inside his gambeson, the man removed a pouch. “As you requested. They’re ready.”

I grinned when I looked inside. “Perfect.”

Servants and palace staff still avoided me, but their eyes weren’t filled with as much fear as I strode past, more like they were curious if I’d slipped into madness or truly had a sliver of a heart.

“King.”

Halfway up the staircase to my chambers, I startled. “Narza? I thought we had finished our conversation in the council room.”

Disguised as the blind hag, my grandmother stepped from a deep alcove window. “You’ve given your heart? Last time such a claim had been made it nearly destroyed the bloodline of the House of Kings.”

I leaned close. “Then let it burn.”

Narza tilted her head, a wildness in her eyes.

“I’ll burn the Ever,” I repeated, voice low, “and start anew if I must. There is no world where she does not own me.”

“Then guard your bond, Erik. We still do not know who is behind the spell cast of the darkening.” Narza hummed. “Dangers are among us.”

“And I face them with my queen.”

“I hope you do, Grandson. I suppose we shall see.” A sly smirk painted her illusioned, haggish features, but she said nothing more as she backed into the alcove.

By the time I reached my chamber door, my temper was shorter, and I thought if anyone else kept me from seeing her, I would do as Alistair said and begin flinging knives.

“Why are so many damn people in my room?”

Livia snapped her gaze up from the table near the fire nook, as did Alek, Tait, and Celine.

“I wanted opinions on the missive,” Livia said, grinning. “I’m trying to keep your head, Bloodsinger. So are they. Perhaps a bit of gratitude.”