Page 46 of The King has Fallen (The Kingdom of the Krow #1)

~ YILAN ~

“Melek, listen!” I hissed. His eyes—dark, yet lit with a gleam that terrified me—snapped down to me. But the warmth, the joy, the need wasn’t there with it. I grabbed for his arm. “I can get word back to my people through Turo,” I rushed on, pleading with my eyes that he give me a chance to explain. “That plan, the… alliance. We can set it in motion even now. Or if you would consider taking the lead—”

“No. Yilan, stop pushing. I am not a traitor to my people,” Melek muttered sullenly.

I felt Turo bristle behind me at his dark words, but I stamped my foot.

“You cannot be a traitor to a man who is trying to kill you!” I wanted to throttle him for being so willingly blind to the danger he was in.

But Melek leaned in over me, his eyes guileless—and I felt the bond vibrate with the ache of his pain because he didn’t understand what Turo was to me and he was afraid. And I hated that I’d hurt him. But I never imagined that these two would meet, and there’d been no chance to fill Turo in. Not that it mattered, because despite Melek’s honor, it was clear his hackles were up and he was now leaning into his pride.

“I will not be a traitor to God,” he seethed. “And to the honor that brings His blessing. Not to mention the vows I gave to serve,” he snarled, leaning down right into my face.

I sensed Arturo stiffen behind me and fear jolted through me. I couldn’t let them start drawing weapons again!

Melek’s eyes snapped to him over my shoulder and I whirled again, turning halfway to glare back and forth between them, pleading with God not to allow these two, wonderful, honorable men to hurt each other.

“Fucking men and your fucking egos! Do neither of you trust me or my judgment in this—or my word? Do you really believe I want to get myself killed?”

“Sometimes,” Arturo muttered.

Just as Melek grunted, “Yes.”

They locked eyes again and I literally growled with frustration. “Men! I swear, you will be the death of me.”

“If you don’t beat us to it,” Melek muttered.

I huffed, but suddenly Turo’s voice was blooming in my mind. ‘Yilan, what the fuck is going on?’

‘I’ll explain later. But for now, we have to create an opportunity rich environment for chaos, Turo.’

Then I showed him what I needed. The plan I’d been forming for days, but hadn’t quite had the courage to call into action. But now I was left with no choice.

‘You’re brilliant,’ Turo sent delightedly.

My stomach sank. ‘No. Just cunning.’

His tone on the next words were a warm purr that made me want to scream. ‘Brilliant… Cunning… it all lights the fire for—’

‘Not now. This isn’t the time!’ I snapped back, far too quickly.

As Melek stared at him, thinking, utterly unaware of our exchange, Turo sighed in my head and grew reasonable. Which was the worst.

‘I’m worried about you,’ he said softly. ‘You haven’t told the truth here. I understand that you don’t want to speak of it in front of him. I understand that you’re surviving and things have been… truly difficult. But do not fear, Yilan. It changes nothing for me. Whatever you need, whatever time it would take to heal, I only ask that you let me replace some of these dark memories with… something better.’

I closed my eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply, half-wishing he could see the wonderful memories that swam through my head in response. But knowing it would only make this entire situation even more dangerous.

Unfortunately, he took my silence as affirmation—and now Melek was staring at me because he’d seen me deflate a little and now he was worried too.

Shit.

As I hurriedly considered how to get Melek to agree that we had time and our plans didn’t need to change—yet—Turo was alive in my head, reaching for me, desperate to offer reassurance.

‘I will never turn my back on you, Yilan. No matter what these creatures have done to you. I told you my desire for you was never in the pursuit of power, and I meant it.’

‘I know, Turo—I do. I’m not… there’s just a lot to… explain. And this isn’t the time.’

‘I am here when the time is right.’

‘Thank you. Now please… please just go. Leave, and do as I showed you. Be ready. Always.’

Then I cleared my throat and spoke to Melek. “Let him go. He can take word. We have to prepare. Nothing has changed. He can be ready to help me then. The risk will be no higher—in fact, won’t they be celebrating more tomorrow? More chances to slip out unnoticed, right?”

Melek’s eyes on me were a strange mix of thoughtfulness and wariness.

Inside, I took hold of that bond, that space within my chest that was him, and I embraced it, soothed it, let it pulse and surrounded it in my warmth in return. He couldn’t believe that I would betray him.

“Let him go, Melek,” I said softly. “He’ll be nearby. Ready to help when he is needed.”

Melek looked at Turo then, and something fierce crackled between them.

“If it’s tomorrow anyway, you could come with me now,” Turo suggested slowly. I shot him a glare and shook my head.

“There is more here than you understand. And all of it good. I will make the call tomorrow when Melek leaves—it will cover us because their attention will be taken elsewhere. Strategically, it’s the better choice.”

There was some back and forth, but somehow the two had reached some kind of truce. Or perhaps, an alignment of purpose. Whatever it was, within a very few minutes, Turo was reluctantly agreeing to leave me—with assurances that he wouldn’t be far once he’d passed on the messages and plan to others, a veiled reassurance to me—and Melek was no longer twitching for his spear.

The worst was the moment before Turo walked the shadows.

I stood at Melek’s side, urging Turo to be easy. He prepared to farewell, but his eyes stayed on mine.

‘It seems wrong not to embrace you. I want you to be certain, Yilan, that I am not—’

‘It would only complicate things,’ I sent nervously. ‘Please, Turo… thank you for trusting me. We’re almost done here. We’re so close. Please, just wait for my song.’

With a deep inhale, Turo nodded, then cut a look at Melek. “She will always be safe in my hands. But anyone who harms her will watch their back for the rest of their days,” he said bluntly.

Melek stiffened, but Turo turned and melted into the shadows at the back of the tent. I felt him go, knew he’d only passed out of the tent that way, that he wouldn’t waste his power walking the shadows in broad daylight if there were no eyes to see anyway.

When Melek took a breath like he might speak, I put a hand to his arm and waited, knowing it would take some time for Turo to be truly far enough away not to overhear anything that might be said here in the tent.

The moment I relaxed, Melek spoke.

“Is he truly gone?”

I nodded, still watching those shadows at the back of the tent, wondering when I would be forced to walk them out of here myself. Hating that idea. “He is,” I said quietly.

I turned to Melek, wanting to lean into his warm strength. But the moment I moved, he took a step back.

I looked up, surprised—then remembering why I shouldn’t be as I caught the deep tension and sudden cold on his features.

“Bond-vowed?” was all he said. But the word dripped with rage and suspicion.