Page 73 of The King’s Man (The Kingdom of the Krow #3)

~ JANN ~

“Culling?!”

I’d hadn’t seen Caelan this uncertain or hesitant since the first months I’d taken her from her former master.

She’d learned over the years that she held value in my house, and I’d given her a great deal of freedom.

She knew her worth—or at least, she had when I left.

Why did she flinch now as if my gasp of surprise were disapproval?

“Caelan, what’s happened? Even as my slave you have no reason to hide, no reason to be afraid—”

“The new King…” she murmured, and her gaze lifted to look past me to Diadre behind me.

“He… Jann, it isn’t as it was when you left.

Hell, it isn’t as it was before Gall returned.

I’ve been safe while you’ve been gone until Gall came.

Last week he declared any female in Ebonreach now a slave to her household.

And if she held her own home, she became the possession of the merchant she served.

We can no longer own a business or trade, and we cannot leave the city walls without the master’s express permission.

I couldn’t come when I received your message—I’m so sorry! ”

Tears made her eyes shine and I rushed to reassure her, but she shook her head. She wasn’t done.

“The new King, he says he’ll offer the hunts every month and any who do not wish to live under the new rules may enter. But if a female is caught she becomes the property of the male who caught her—whether she was of his house or not. And the males are… thirsty to build their houses.”

God, I wanted to snap my teeth, but Caelan was so on edge. I hadn’t seen her this nervous and twitchy for almost a decade. “Neph are always thirsty to build their lines,” I muttered for Diadre’s benefit.

But Caelan shook her head. “No, Jann. You don’t understand. Gall is… changing things.”

“What else has he changed—what you describe isn’t enough?”

She shook her head again and her eyes grew sad.

“He says… he says that the Neph have been far too particular in their choice of mates. That… that every Neph should be growing his line with as many females as he can find. And if they don’t survive…

then that is only reason to find more.” She swallowed hard and I felt Diadre shrink in the bond.

I looked at her, but she was staring at Caelan, round-eyed.

Turning to my mate, I took her arms and pulled her to me.

“You’re safe,” I hissed. “You’re safe, I vow it.

You are not a slave—in our culture it’s different.

I abhor it, but slaves are… possessions.

No different than the furniture. And not claimed because they aren't viewed with strength. But a claimed female, a mate is more. She bring status and value with her and—”

“The King has told the golden eyes to grow their numbers. He says… He says the selection has been too narrow and too slow. He’s told them all to stop waiting for the strong women.

To impregnate as many as they can. He says even if many do not survive, some will, and more of the babes than the mothers.

And their lines will grow more quickly. He urges them not to wait.

And the males are listening. It’s driving the women to the hunt in desperation.

Without a matebond there is no safety, Jann. None. And even with it…”

She trailed off and I leaned in. “What? Even with a matebond… what?”

She swallowed hard and looked to Diadre, then back to me. “Even with the bond if you don’t get her pregnant quickly they’ll take her from you. He’s… he’s told them that offspring are paramount. The bond is not to be honored without it.”

The noise that tore from Diadre’s throat behind me clawed through my chest. I turned, reaching for her, already blurting explanations and reassurance and certainty that I wouldn’t allow her to be taken no matter what.

But Diadre stared, eyes wide, gripping my forearms because I was holding her. She was terrified, but even in her unease, with her heart hammering and breathing short, she met my gaze and raised her chin. “This can’t be Gall. It has to be some imposter.”

Behind me Caelan began to shake. “I’m yours, Jann. I’ve remained loyal, I swear it. But, please… please , no one is safe anymore. You cannot align with Melek any further. You must make certain they know you stand for Gall. And… unless you claim me, they will take me and—”

Still holding Diadre, I turned to look at Caelan and my heart pinched for her fear. She was a strong woman, confident and sassy—usually the first to tease me, or give me the sharp side of her tongue. But here she stood, trembling with fear. While my mate…

God, I’d been so distracted, it took this long to remember Diadre was uncomfortable with the fact that Caelan belonged to me. And now Caelan begged to be claimed?

She didn’t know. She didn’t know who Diadre was.

I met my mate’s eyes and sent all the love and warmth I was capable of through the bond.

Then, still holding Diadre’s hand, I turned to face Caelan.

“Cae… I need you to meet Diadre. She’s a Captain of the Theynor crown and… my mate.”

Caelan’s eyes flew wide. Her head jerked towards Diadre and her mouth dropped open. She bowed first, but then in a gesture of humility, threw herself at Diadre’s feet.

I gaped as she bent over Diadre’s toes, sobbing, begging for her life.

“I will serve your household, Mistress. I will not betray you!”

“Caelan, you don’t need to—”

But Diadre, flustered and with pink cheeks, shook her head at me, then crouched down to take Caelan’s hands from her boots and pull her to her feet.

“Now, no. There’s no need for that.”

But Caelan was babbling. I’d never seen her this afraid. “Please, please do not evict me!”

“I won’t!” Diadre rushed to reassure her. “Please, Caelan, Jann already told me about you. He trusts you…” She looked over Caelan’s hunched shoulder to me. I nodded quickly. “You won’t be evicted—of course you won’t.”

‘Thank you,’ I sent, clawing a hand through my hair and at a complete loss as Diadre comforted Caelan. My skin crawled knowing how Dee felt about this, yet in the same moment, my chest swelled with pride because my mate wasn’t losing her mind in fear—or her control.

But what Caelan described was insane. I knew she wouldn’t lie. It had to be true. And yet…

“Cae, I need you to focus,” I said quietly. “Where is the King now?”

Caelan gathered herself, squeezing Diadre’s hands and taking deep breaths to calm herself.

“I… He’s gathered the golden eyes in the pasture.

The women who are afraid of their masters are offering themselves for the hunt but…

but I fear that women who serve low ranking males are being given to the hunt.

I was supposed to be safe, but with you gone, I chose to hide here to avoid the gatherers. ”

“Good choice,” I muttered. “And one we’ll continue—I want you to hide in the closet. If anyone comes, I’ll turn them away. But for now, please, I need a moment with my mate.”

Caelan blinked like she’d forgotten, then nodded quickly, curtseyed to Diadre who quickly reassured her that it wasn’t necessary, then turned and dropped to her knees to kiss my feet.

“No, Cae—”

Diadre caught my eye over her back, one brow arched as I stammered and urged Caelan to her feet—this wasn’t how things functioned in my home!

What had they done to her while I was gone?

But when I helped Caelan to her feet, she immediately trotted towards my bedchamber, turning only in the doorway to bow again, then close the door and leave us alone.

I blew out a breath and raked a hand through my hair. “This isn’t…” I started as Diadre looked at me. “This is not how my household runs. I assure you—”

Diadre walked right up to my toes and stared up at me, and my heart went cold—would she think that I’d asked this of Cae, that I’d held her like this? That these stringent rules were part of how I lived?

‘Can she be trusted, Jann? I don’t want to question her, I know she’s helped you, but she’s clearly terrified. Can she be trusted to remain loyal when she’s under this kind of pressure?’

My heart exploded with warmth and gratitude and relief as Diadre didn’t even address the obeisance and Caelan’s chittering fear.

I cleared my throat and turned her question over in my mind, nodding quickly. ‘ She’s proven her loyalty more than once. If you asked me that before this conversation I would have said yes unequivocally: She can be trusted. But she’s in fear. Fearful people are always a risk.’

Diadre nodded. “I’m glad you can see that.”

I swallowed. “Dee, this isn’t how I ask her to act—”

“I know. I can see she’s… in crisis,” she whispered. “But if she’s telling you the truth, things are worse than we thought.”

I nodded and blew out a breath. What the actual fuck was going on here?

Impregnating women whether they were strong or not? Taking women who’d proven their value and making them slaves? Ignoring the lines of household or—

“There has to be a way for us to get close to whoever this is that they’ve installed as King. Jann, it can’t be Gall… right?”

I shook my head, but in disbelief. “I truly don’t know. If you’d asked me if Gall was capable of this kind of cruelty, I would have said no, but… it’s the Fallen, Dee. Who knows what kind of grip they have?”

Diadre’s brow furrowed. “I can shroud you and we can at least get close enough to see—"

But I shook my head. My stomach was heavy, hard with the truth coming home to me. “The time for shrouding is long past,” I muttered.

“What do you mean?”

“You heard her refer to the golden eyes—that’s the Court among the Nephilim. The purest bloodlines and… allies of our traditional views, if you want to call them that.”

“The ones we eradicated with Melek.”

I nodded. “Except Gall. And me.”

There had been a thought in the back of my head—a line of logic that spoke to this entire picture, but I’d ignored it. Focused only on finding Gall and understanding who had their claws in him and what he was doing. But now… this?