Page 51 of The Keeper of the Kingdoms

“Were these males in any way involved in what happened to you?”

I tensed just as much as he had.

I didn’t want to answer. Nothing good would come of him knowing they were. They didn’t do the deed, but they howled with laughter and watched him push me down and then gleefully joined in and kept me down ever since. They have never missed a chance to remind me where I stand in their eyes.

“I see,”Jaxus growled internally.

My silence was clearly all the answer he needed.

“They didn’t hurt me. They just laughed,”I implored. I shouldn’t be defending them, but I didn’t want a scene.

“They were complicit. That hurt you in its own way.”

He squared his shoulders and I panicked. I reached out and touched his back, hoping to calm him down. I could not deal with a confrontation over my issues right now. I just wanted to leave. “Please, Jaxus. I can’t have a scene,” I whispered.

His lungs fill with a deep breath, his attention shifting to Luka. He tilted his head towards him, focusing his gaze on the group. “What business do you have with my friend?”

“No more business than he has attending legion weapons classes. He’s a juuttunut. He shouldn’t be allowed near the flyers.” His tone came in a sneer, but I didn’t peek out to see his expression.

I stayed where I couldn’t be seen, safe in Jaxus’ shadow. The weakness of that sickened me. They reduced me to this cowering creature every time and I loathed it.

TWENTY-TWO

KIERA

While watching Jaxus and Luka face off against the bullies I’d spent my life shying away from, I became intensely embarrassed. I was one of the Twelve Kingdoms’ most respected healers and now, supposedly, a ryder of the First Kingdom. Yet here I was, hiding behind a dragon for protection.

It was pathetic.

Shameful.

I backed away, thinking I could just slip out and not have to face my embarrassment. I had ingredients to buy, I could just go out to the traders, I didn’t want to be in this magical tent anymore. The thick air pressed in, cutting off my breath until it was stifling.

I just needed to breathe.

These fucking gnats shouldn’t illicit this response from me to this day. I was mad at them but even madder at myself.

Luka was great, but in that moment, I really missed Kol. If he were still with us, Kol would have had me laughing as he put those idiots in their place. My chest ached and I couldn’t be here another minute.

With all the focus on Jaxus, no one paid me any mind. I walked slowly backwards to fade into the mist, gaze glued to Jaxus, waiting for him to notice. He never looked around.

I slipped into the cover of the foliage in this strange shifting space, my anxiety easing with every step I took away. Finally able to fully exhale I turned, fingers brushing over the rough bark. If I closed my eyes, it was almost like being back in the Forest Kingdom. The worst thing about the shortage of healers wasn’t the long hours but that it prevented me from returning to my home. It called to me, making me ache to get back to the slower life.

I made it to the tent entrance and blinked in the brightness of the midday sun. The heat of the day hit me hard. I hadn’t realized how cool it had been in the tent. I guessed it was the magic and probably half of the appeal of getting lost in there for most fae. Just to cool off.

I stood and just breathed for a moment, relieved to be back out to where things made sense.

“Kiera, where are you going?” Jaxus’ voice startled me.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, wheeling on him. “I needed some air.”

“You shouldn’t be hiding.” Jaxus’ jaw flexed.

At the look on his face, I decided not to stick around and get a tongue-lashing for being weak. I set off for the relative cool I knew I’d find between the buildings on the edge of the festival grounds. “I’m not hiding. I’m walking,” I threw over my shoulder, knowing I was being childish.

“Why would you walk away while I was dealing with those guys. I was worried.”

“Because I wanted to.” What did he think I owed him? “Idon’t have to tell you what I’m doing all the time. I told you I didn’t want there to be a scene.”