Drayce’s body momentarily locked up while his mind scrambled to find a solution. He didn’t want to hurt Levi. He was young, barely more than a kid. “It’s not Caelan’s fault they died. The Empire attacked!” With the heels of his boots dug into the ragged asphalt, he carefully scooted, trying to make sure as much of his own body was shielding Caelan’s. His hand stumbled across Caelan’s right boot and brushed across the soggy cuff of his pants.
“Yeah, but he should have at least died with that mother of his.” As he spoke, Levi pulled his sword back, preparing to thrust it through Drayce and possibly into Caelan.
There was no talking to him. No reasoning or changing his mind. Levi had lost everything and was determined to get rid of Caelan to help ease some of his pain. Drayce slid his hand up Caelan’s right leg and pulled out the dagger his friend had kept there for as long as they’d known each other. As Levi started forward, Drayce deftly lunged under the sword and plunged the dagger straight into the man’s heart.
A harsh gasp ripped across Drayce’s ears and Levi stumbled. Rain hammered on his head as he stared at the hilt protruding from his chest in a sort of dazed wonder. He collapsed into a sitting position in the middle of the alley.
Drayce pushed to his feet and cautiously approached him. Caelan tried to move around him, but Drayce grabbed his arm, keeping his friend behind him. Yes, Levi was on the edge of death, but he’d already tried to kill Caelan once; he wasn’t allowing him to take another chance if he could help it.
Levi coughed, blood splattering across his lips and spilling down his chin in a thick line. He tipped his head back and squinted at Drayce, still looking confused by what was happening.
“You betrayed our king,” Drayce whispered in a rough voice.
But the cut felt deeper than that. He felt personally betrayed by Levi. They’d fought together, nearly died together. Over two days, they’d traded stories in that battered old house, waiting for the opening to attack. He’d been so excited to defeat the Empire and free Stormbreak. There had been zero hint that he bore any kind of hatred for Caelan.
Levi’s lips trembled, “He betrayed us first.” His eyes shifted to Caelan, and the burning hatred returned. “You should have died too.”
A final rattling breath escaped his lips, and Levi fell on the pavement. Drayce stood frozen, his throat tight and words of anger burned in a hot ball in his chest. Fuck the Empire. Fuck the godstones and all the gods too.
“I’m sorry,” Caelan whispered, snapping Drayce from his shocked stupor.
“For what?” Drayce barked. He leaned down and pulled the dagger from Levi’s chest. Pivoting on the balls of his feet, he carefully slid the bloody knife into the sheath on Caelan’s right leg. Sure, it needed to be cleaned, but there wasn’t time.
“For Levi. For his family. For…” Caelan’s rough voice drifted off as if he couldn’t go on.
Drayce shoved to his feet and got right up in Caelan’s face. “Don’t you dare apologize!”
“What—”
“Don’t. None of this is your fault.”
“But this is my kingdom. My people are being killed.”
“This isn’t your fault. You can’t let Levi and Croft get in your fucking head. You didn’t ask for the Empire to invade. You didn’t ask for Amara to send you to Caspagir. You fucking survived so you could save us all.”
He stepped back, and Caelan stood there, looking so fragile to him. There was no memory in his head of Caelan like this. From the first moment they’d met, Caelan had been this strong, confident force of nature. He was the light in the darkness.
As the rain clung to his long black eyelashes and dripped down his too-pale cheeks, Drayce couldn’t help but be struck by how frail and human he seemed for the first time. The same man who had the power of a god buzzing through his slender body.
“Drayce,” Caelan said brokenly, and he was right there.
The distance between them disappeared in a blink as Drayce covered Caelan’s mouth with his own, kissing him as if their lives depended on it. Caelan hesitated for only a moment and then those wonderful arms wrapped around him, holding him so tight Drayce could barely draw in a breath. He could taste his friend’s fear and his pain, feel it in the shiver that ran through his entire body.
He broke off the kiss and pressed his forehead into Caelan’s. “I’m never leaving you. I will always be there to keep you safe.”
“Swear it,” Caelan commanded, and Drayce smiled. That was as close to a king’s tone he’d heard out of his friend yet.
Drayce pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth and moved his lips by Caelan’s ear. “I swear not to my king or the Guardian of the Godstone. I swear it to my best friend.”