Page 40 of The King’s Man (The Kingdom of the Krow #3)

~ JANN ~

The moment we stepped into Melek’s tent, my best friend sighed with relief, but Yilan, who was on the other side of the tent, whirled and hurried towards us, spitting through her teeth.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Jann!” she snapped, rushing for Diadre.

“When a woman runs from you, fucking take the hint—”

She broke off as Diadre instinctively moved towards her, but was held back by our bound wrists.

Both Yilan and Melek froze, inhaling sharply because they knew exactly what that meant.

Diadre looked at me and to my immense relief, she smiled, then stepped closer to my side, hugging my arm that was bound to her.

“It’s okay, Yilan,” she said quietly. “I’m glad he came after me.” In more ways than one.

The words appeared in my head in her voice—wicked and suggestive—and I startled.

Her head snapped up to look at me, and I gaped at her and…

“Was that you?” I asked her breathlessly.

She blinked, but nodded quickly, biting her lip.

Holy shit. Was this what they could do with their Fetch magik? Melek had mentioned something about minds linking, but—

“Diadre, are you certain? Are you… really sure?” Unaware of what had happened in our thoughts, Yilan had put herself in front of us, eyeing where our hands were bound with concern.

“I’m sure,” Diadre said, but her voice was small. Too small for her.

I looked at her worriedly, but she nodded, encouraging Yilan not to be angry.

While the two tipped their heads together and Yilan whispered—words I could hear, but chose not to since they’d only offend me—Melek came to my other side and offered his hand to clasp.

When I clapped my palm into his, he embraced me, pounding my shoulder. “Congratulations brother,” he said with a low laugh. “I have to admit, I wondered how that would go.”

Yilan and Diadre continued to whisper for a moment, but then she leaned into my side and shook her head. “It’s all well, Yilan. I promise. He has been… very thoughtful. I just… I didn’t believe it was a bond. I thought I’d been deceived again. I was frightened. That’s not his fault.”

Yilan’s lips twisted and she shot me a warning look past Diadre, but she nodded. “That’s debatable,” she muttered.

I rolled my eyes, but Melek cleared his throat and drew all our attention back to him.

“I know this is an important day—and it’s been a long one. But it’s good that you’re back. We were about to go join the Council. We’ve called them together because we’ve made some decisions,” he said grimly.

Yilan looked at him, and grief and worry overwhelmed the irritation in her expression. She stepped over to her mate to take his arm like Diadre held mine.

My chest warmed and I looked down at my mate. Her eyes glowed like she’d heard the thought.

Holy shit. My mate.

I tore my eyes from her—and my mind from all the things I wished to do to her—only to find Melek staring with one brow high, and Yilan’s lips pressed thin.

I cleared my throat. “We’ll do our best to stay on track, Melek. There will be no more running away without warning. What have you decided?”

Melek sighed. “Come with me. We’ll tell you as we walk.

I’m afraid this is going to be a long night.

And I need you to do me a favor, Jann: While we’re in Council, act as frustrated and aggressive with me as you can without outright mutiny.

Make it clear to the others that there’s a problem that centers on Diadre—which is why you disappeared today.

Let them believe we haven’t yet resolved it. ”

I looked at him, curious. “Is there? A problem, I mean?”

Melek snorted. “No. But they need to think there is.”

“Can I ask why?”

Melek’s lips twisted. “It will work better if you don’t know. Just… humor me?” His tone was ominous.

I agreed, of course, but couldn’t help wondering.

*****

We sat at that table again, surrounded by the rest of the council, Diadre on my right because of our bound hands. My head still spun with Melek’s hurried explanation as we walked—and we’d had virtually no time to discuss it at all because we’d reached the tent.

The other Nephilim had eyed the binding, unaware of the tradition, asked why I’d tied her to me.

“So there’s no confusion about who she belongs to,” I growled in return, with far more hostility than was needed.

But even though some of that frantic drive to keep others away from her had been soothed by the completed bond, my skin still felt too tight.

Adrenalin flooded my system when anyone made a quick move—or when one of the males looked at Diadre.

I didn’t care if it was pure curiosity, or concern, they needed to back the fuck off—

Melek elbowed me, and I shot him an open glare—which he returned—before I returned my attention to the discussion at the table, but kept my fingers twined with Dee’s under the level of the table, resting our grip on my thigh.

“…a return to Ebonreach is now unavoidable,” Melek said grimly. “Whoever took Gall and Istral will have done so to take power from the Neph. So… I must go to Valgorath and stake my claim.”

Yilan looked up at him, her eyes wide and brow pinched to lines. I suspected their hands were joined under the table as well.

Melek cleared his throat and turned back to the table.

“I can’t afford to give anyone else time to establish a challenge.

But in case the move was made by another nation, I also need to make my appearance in the Capitols we’ve conquered on the way.

On the small chance Gall and Istral were taken by our enemies, I’ll draw them out that way. ”

“Sire, I agree that a return to Valgorath is wise, but surrounding yourself with recently defeated enemies is dangerous—” I started, but Melek shot me another look to shut me up and even though I knew it was a ruse, my pride prickled.

The council muttered and discussed, argued and agreed, turning all the circles that Advisors must to make certain they examined a proposal from every side.

Meanwhile, I turned my mind to speculation on where we would find news of Gall and Istral—I’d never questioned that we would, only what we might find when we did—but that naturally led to how all this travel might tear Dee and I apart. And my heart screamed at the thought.

‘We’ll find our way. I will not lose you.’

My breath caught. It was her voice. I glanced at her from the side. She met my eyes for a split second, then turned back to the table. But her cheeks pinked.

How did I make her hear me? Could I? Did it take her magic, or—

‘You only need to want me to hear you. Reach for me in your thoughts as you would with your voice. You’re my mate,’ she sent, a sense of fragility coming with the statement—but it was the delicacy of pure joy with fear it would be lost. ‘It will just take practice.’

‘Can you hear this?’

‘Yes.’

She didn’t look at me, but she smiled and my heart swelled.

“…I’m intending to draw out the enemies—I want to face them,” Melek growled in response to me challenging the wisdom of putting him in physical proximity to other nations’ people.

“They must see me and know me as their conqueror. Plus, whoever was responsible for taking Gall and Istral must see that I am not distracted or uncertain of my path despite it.”

“We’ll find out who took them, and we’ll kill them,” I said bluntly.

Everyone turned to look at me. “The fights the Neph choose or avoid are my choice,” I muttered.

“Melek will make a great show of claiming the throne. He has already defeated all of these people. Let them be reminded whose foot crushed them—and as he travels, we’ll ensure that he’s welcome and hosted by every so-called royal or leader along the way.

Whatever friends decided to use the leverage of our loved ones against us, they will not be able to let the opportunity to press him pass.

When they have revealed themselves, we’ll find out if Gall and Istral are alive, and where they are.

And once we know, we’ll kill everyone involved,” I said with simple finality.

Under the table, Diadre’s fingers, twined with mine, opened to stroke my thigh, which made my cock twitch.

Melek gave me a measuring look, but nodded.

“This trip will serve two purposes—in the nations where Gall and Istral are not, we will cement power, and leave Neph Governors and councils to carry out my orders. They can also manage our networks of eyes and ears in each Kingdom and pass on any news or intelligence as it comes to light. By the time I reach Valgorath, the Continent will already be mine. And with the fighters behind me, whether someone at home has Gall or not, there will be little threat. It will be the entirety of the Continent, against the merchants and traders. The throne will be mine in hours,” Melek said confidently.

“What about the Queen?” Diadre asked, meeting eyes with her friend. “If you two are split up the Shadekin alliance will be questioned—”

“I’m going with him,” Yilan said quietly.

Diadre jolted. The Neph, of course, thought little of it, but I knew Diadre had expected Yilan and Melek to settle in Theynor. Her eyes widened. “You’ll both leave our nation? With the Neph right here to—”

“I have no wish to leave. But Turo is fully capable of governing for a few months while we carry this out and find Istral—not to mention that there is no longer Neph and Shadekin . We are one nation.”

No one at the table agreed with her. Even Melek eyed her sideways.

“The Nephilim see themselves as conquerors of nations, not… brothers. Our brothers will expect to take Theynor as they have every other Kingdom—” I pointed out, not because I believed we should follow that philosophy, but because I knew all the other men would be thinking it.

Sure enough, the others murmured and nodded their agreement.

“They will not. And you will put that idea to death wherever you may find it. Our nations are already unified,” Yilan snapped.