Page 35 of The King has Fallen (The Kingdom of the Krow #1)

~ YILAN ~

“You should have run when I gave you the chance,” he insisted as he dragged me through the camp.

“We couldn't know—”

“Of course we could! Do you really believe I would just release you on a whim? That I hadn't thought that through?” he hissed.

I halted suddenly, turning to stare at him. “You knew the King would decide to take me?”

“Of course not!” But before he continued, his eyes cut up the trail and he jerked me into motion again, closing his mouth with a snap and warily watching the trail ahead between the tents where a line of women carting water and other resources had appeared, walking single file, their heads down and eyes on the feet of the woman in front of them.

The first in line looked up fearfully when we moved... then when she saw Melek's face her shoulders sagged with relief and she dropped her eyes again.

The little exchange was so telling that it brought home to me what a blessing it had been that the King put me in Melek's capable—no, honorable hands, and not some other Nephilim. I’d known that in my head, but I was washed with some potent relief of my own as he tugged me forward, ignoring the women.

As we walked, he ground his teeth, eyes blazing, daring anyone who looked to find anything but a fierce General dragging a prisoner through the camp.

But I didn't miss that he had kept away from the main tracks that were wide and passed the central stable tents and other busy areas. And he walked so quickly, eating up the distance with his long, angry strides that I had to trot to keep up with him.

“Melek,” I started when we were alone on the trail again. But he interrupted me.

“Not now,” he muttered, continuing to tug me along. “Wait until we’re at the tent.”

I sighed, but kept up with him, letting some of my fear show so that if anyone saw us they’d think he was about to punish me and I was afraid.

When we finally made it to the tent, Melek blew out a breath he must have been holding. But he didn’t slow. He marched me straight inside, pulling the arm up where we were tied and muttering as he worked at it while we walked, tearing the knot free before grasping my wrist and tossing me into the cage, slamming the lock home before turning away and stalking over to his clothing trunk, wrestling with the knot on his own wrist as he did so.

“Melek, this just makes everything clearer. You must do it now. It’s time.”

“Time for what?” he muttered, putting his teeth to the knot on his wrist to finally pull it free and tug the scarf off with a snap of the silk.

“Time to lead the coup. To take out Ga—”

I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen such a massive body move so quickly. One moment he was crossing the tent with his back to me, the next he was at the cage door, throwing it wide, grasping my hair in one fist and clapping his other hand over my mouth, looming over me, glaring with such fury my relief fled to make room for sheer terror.

His eyes were flames of rage as he stared down at me. Then, without letting go of my mouth, he slowly lowered his head until his jaw brushed mine and his breath fluttered in my ear.

“If you ever again say those words out loud here, where a listener could hear, I will slit your throat myself.” He lifted his head only far enough to meet my eyes, his nose almost brushing mine. “I am not a traitor, Yilan. I cannot be a traitor, do you understand?”

Was he saying…?

I blinked and he slowly let go of my mouth, but he kept that hand fisted in the back of my hair. When he’d freed my mouth his eyes dropped to my lips for one moment, then he wrenched them back up to my eyes and nerves jangled through me.

Was it time?

Yes. It had to be time.

I had to trust him…

“You serve one. Does that not matter to your precious honor?” I whispered.

“A King cannot be a traitor to himself—”

“He can betray his people. And he does. Putting his own needs before theirs always. And they know it, Melek. They know. They already have no loyalty to him. They follow you.”

“You’re lying, trying to get me—”

“No, I’m not. I’ve been listening to them for weeks. I’ve checked and double checked. Even found some evidence that he was behind the Shade, though I can’t prove it—”

“Bullshit. Jannus isn’t close enough to him to have heard anything, and none of the others would speak to you about him—”

“They weren’t close to me. I was close to them. Without their knowledge.”

He went still, his eyes searching mine, back and forth. “When?” he grunted.

I hesitated, not because I didn’t have an answer, but because there was no going back from this moment. If I told him…

“Yilan, if you hold even an ounce of respect for me, you will answer me. Right now .”

I swallowed hard and nodded, my hair tugging against his grip. “Let me go, and lock the cage,” I said hoarsely.

His eyes widened slightly and his head jerked back a hair. He stared at me for a breath, but then obviously made a decision, because he let me go and stepped out of the cage, still watching me.

“Lock it,” I said.

He reached for the lock and slammed it home, but his eyes never left mine.

“Step back.”

His eyes narrowed, but he did as I said and took a wide step back, then stood with his feet shoulder width apart and folded his arms, his jaw rolling.

It was the middle of the day and the shadows were dim, but the sun glowed more brightly on the front of the tent, than at its back, and there was a deeper shadow across the back of the cage where he’d left the screens up for my dignity.

“Just… don’t panic,” I murmured as I stepped behind the screen and he passed out of my sight… and me out of his.

And then I walked the shadows at the back of the tent, holding tightly because it took a great deal of strength and was easy to lose myself in such a dim shadow.

He didn’t catch it, because he was so focused on the spot where I’d disappeared behind the screen.

When I was behind him and he still hadn’t noticed, I cleared my throat.

And then I was gratified to see the great General Melek Handras leap with the alacrity of a cat—and a yowl not too dissimilar, either.