Page 45 of The King has Fallen (The Kingdom of the Krow #1)

~ MELEK ~

Time always slowed in battle. Everything seeming to happen in slow motion in the moment. Yet, when I remembered it later, it would come in flashes—drives, thrusts, jolts of fear. and of triumph.

As the two of them startled like cats, I was already reaching for my spear at my back—it was taking forever to get my arm high to pull it from its loops and bring it down to bear. Meanwhile, the male Fetch whirled into shadow and seemed to disappear for a blink before reappearing five feet to the right, one arm cocked back to the hilt of a sword over his shoulder, the other reaching across his body to the sheath of a longblade under his ribs, defending his heart as he drew the weapon.

As I moved through molasses to bring the spear down and flip it into position, he brought both weapons forward, his lip peeled back from his teeth and a warning cry breaking in his throat.

We both took our first steps at the same time

A high, catlike scream filled my ears, punctuating my pounding pulse in my ears as we both moved—him lifting that smaller blade just a hair too high, leaving me a small target in the crook of his arm where my spearhead could slide between his ribs—

And just as I thrust for it, Yilan appeared from a whisp of vapor, her back to the fucking Fetch, both hands high and her beautiful eyes wide as she screamed my name.

I had instinctively committed to the thrust, and bellowed, twisting, turning, my body screaming with the effort to turn it from her, thanking God that somehow she twisted her shoulder just enough to the right that my spear thrust ended in the air, just an inch from her shoulder—then time snapped back to its normal pace.

“—no, Turo, no!”

“Yilan!”

I caught my weight and turned onto my back foot, releasing my spear with one hand and hooking my arm around her, pulling her with me as that fucker’s blade flashed, curling her into my side and using her weight as a counter-balance to turn us both away from him, screaming as we tumbled to the ground and I held her, the spear against her chest, rolling to come back to my feet a body length away, with her in the circle of my arms and the spear ready.

“TURO, STOP! I owe him life debt!” Yilan shrieked, both her hands outstretched towards the Fetch who finally slid to a halt, eyes wide and lips peeled back from his teeth.

Then we were all still, chests heaving, eyes darting… and my heart pounded in my chest like a drum.

“What the fuck is going on?” I snarled in her ear

But Yilan still had her hands high and was trying to soothe the other male.

“Turo, listen… listen to me. He saved me—more than once.”

“Impossible,” the male snapped. “This rutting rapist has turned your mind.”

“No! He is the opposite—I swear it, Turo. He helped me. He claimed me to save me… It was a ruse. A show, to throw the others off the scent and keep them from me. Turo, you have to believe me. Please… please…”

The male didn’t lower his weapon, but his eyes were bright with vengeance and locked on my mate.

“Yilan…” he said hoarsely. “We heard the roars.”

In the circle of my arms, Yilan sagged, but kept her eyes and hands up. “I’m sorry you were… I’m sorry. But you heard what you were intended to hear.”

The Fetch’s jaw jutted forward and he clenched it so tight I wondered if he would crack his teeth. Then his eyes cut from her to me, and narrowed.

“You will pay for your violation in—”

“NO!” Yilan protested. She tried to push out of my arms, but I gripped the spear and kept her close. “Melek, you have to let me—”

“I have to do nothing but rid my tent of an intruder and protect my—” I growled.

“No!” Yilan whirled in my arms, turning to face me, her eyes so wide the white showed all the way around. She had her hands up again and such alarm on her features, I bristled and took an even firmer grip on my spear. But she shook her head and locked eyes with me. “No. He will not kill you—and you will not kill him.”

“Don’t be so certain.”

“Stop!” she hushed, then turned back to point at him again because he took a step forward. “Both of you!”

There was a very tense few seconds where she hissed and tried to pry my grip off my spear so she could step free of my arms, but I growled at her.

“If you want your friend to live, you won’t move within range of his weapons,” I growled, and she went still.

For a moment her chin dropped, then she blew out a breath before releasing my hand which hadn’t moved from the handle of my spear.

The Fetch snarled, but she raised a hand towards him again, and took a breath, swallowing hard, before speaking.

“Melek, this is General Arturo… our, well, equivalent of you, I suppose,” she said quietly. I could feel the tension in her—and the control she was exerting on herself to keep her voice calm.

“Turo, this is the famed General Melek. And no matter what you may have heard… he saved my life. You will not harm him, or I will kill you myself,” she said, her voice going hard and clipped at the end.

His eyes narrowed, but he straightened in his stance. He stood there a moment, glaring at me over her shoulder, then he bowed.

“The Shadekin thank you for your service, Melek,” he said with a twist of distaste on his lips. Then he looked at Yilan and reluctantly sheathed first the longblade at his ribs, then after another moment and a glance at me, the sword on his back.

Yilan exhaled like she’d been holding her breath too long.

“Melek… please, put your spear away.”

I grunted, but she turned her head to look at me over her shoulder, and something passed between us through the bond. It was startling. She’d spoken nothing, but I felt her—her desperate need for my cooperation, her ache to be in this together. Then suddenly an image bloomed in my head of her holding my face and speaking hurriedly, quickly.

I heard no words, but I knew. She would explain. I need only wait. She would tell me. And whatever it was, it was deeply important to her.

Reluctantly, I straightened out of my fighting stance and slid the spear back into its loop at my back. But I never took my eyes off that fucker. And I kept her at my side when she looked like she might step away.

“Thank you, both of you,” she said quietly then. She stood right between my feet, her back to my chest and clasped her hands at her waist. “Turo, I understand why you came, and I’m grateful. But I’m telling you the truth. I’m perfectly safe here with Melek—the rumors of his honor were true. This is… this has been nothing but a misunderstanding. It’s why I didn’t call anyone in.”

The Fetch’s lips pursed and he looked at me, then back at her, but he didn’t move. “I remain unconvinced. But I will not breach the… honor of your life debt.”

He shot me a glare, letting me know exactly how far he thought my honor extended towards her. My hackles rose.

I was about to bite his head off, but then it occurred to me.

This was another Fetch. A male. Clearly a strong fighter, and highly positioned in their society if she called him General.

“You have the ear of your King?” I muttered to him. Yilan tensed.

But he just gave me a flat look. “Do you have the ear of yours?”

Cheeky fucker. “In that case then, your appearance is… opportune.”

He didn’t respond, but Yilan did, turning to face me again and shaking her head with a warning in her eyes. “Melek, no.”

“Yes,” I growled, never taking my eyes off of him. “He can walk the shadows like you, and if he’s capable as a fighter, there’s no better or safer way to get you out of here.”

“Melek, I said—”

“You want her gone?” the Fetch said, startled.

I let him see my teeth. “For her own safety, yes.”

“I can take her,” he said hurriedly. “She’s already been here far too long. I can take her. And I will keep her safe.”

“Melek!” she hissed.

I looked down at her. “This solves that problem we were discussing,” I said pointedly.

“No, it doesn’t. It’s just a different door—”

I opened my mouth to tell her about the rumor, and needing to take Gall, how I needed to go search, but then the male moved and I was reminded that there was an enemy in my tent. I growled.

“I am not going to discuss plans in front of… him.”

“Good. There is no need,” she said shortly.

Arturo stood in a posture that would seem at ease to any untrained—but I saw the perfect balance, his weight on the balls of his feet, his slightly lowered center of gravity, and the open hands that could become fists, or knifehands in a blink.

I watched him uneasily as I replied to her. “There is every need. And he seems… more than happy to help.”

She opened her mouth, but Arturo nodded once. “Yes. Absolutely. It was my mission to bring her out. Our intentions are aligned in this,” he said shortly.

Oh, what a surreal moment, as this enemy became a light in my world. The answer to my greatest fear.

Yilan spluttered when I addressed him directly, but I had to know.

“If I allow you to take her, are you willing to protect her with your life?”

He tensed, offended and his eyes narrowed. “She is my bond-vowed. I would give every drop of blood that runs in my veins to keep her safe,” he hissed in an astounding revelation.

It was as if the earth suddenly ripped itself out from under my feet.

It was only by God’s grace that I didn’t let the sudden freefall show on my face, though my grip tightened on Yilan’s arm and she rushed into the silence, babbling, reassuring both of us—but still arguing that it wasn’t yet time.

And in my mind that image bloomed again.

Her, in my lap this time, holding both sides of my face, speaking quickly, frantically. Explaining. And then, as if she heard the questions in my mind, another image—her speaking to this male… his countenance intense and… grieved.

She showed herself drawing away from him and into my arms. And suddenly I could breathe again.

Unaware of what passed between us, the Fetch only stood, watching me, waiting for the verdict.

I cleared my throat and she jerked her head back up to look at me, her eyes wide and pleading…

She did not want me to reveal the bond to this man.

Because he was a danger to her?

Or because she would yet deny me?

A surge of dark jealousy twisted in my chest and I had to make myself release her before I hurt her.

“I have a task I cannot escape,” I said as casually as I could. “I will leave Yilan here with her… general.” I said through gritted teeth. “When I return, we will all speak again and make a plan to get her out of here safely.”

Arturo’s eyes brightened. “Yes,” he said.

At the same moment Yilan whirled to face me and hissed, “No!”