That look alone told me she wouldn’t request a return visit to our secret place until she possessed an inkling of hope that I might follow through. Which she didn’t have at this moment. That gave me a goal to achieve.
I wanted her to trust me. To rely on me. To believe I always had her best interests at heart. Because I did. Everything I’d done these last few months was for her; she just couldn’t see it because of the way fate had unfolded. But one day, she’d piece together the riddle I’d left for her and finally understand our purpose together.
Our fates were woven together through an event that occurred many, many years before our births.
Telling her wouldn’t work.
She had to see it for herself, to learn her path on her own, to accept her destiny in this wicked world.
I’d keep pushing her because I had to. I’d hold her when she cried. I’d cherish her every breath and strengthen her from the shadows.
Because this was only our beginning.
And I refused for us to ever end.
She must have seen some of that knowledge in my expression, because her eyes narrowed just a bit. Then she gave another little nod and turned to follow Ella out of the room.
“Well, that went splendidly,” Kols muttered.
“Were you expecting different results from your brutish approach?” I asked him, arching a brow.
“You’re the last person I need or want advice from,” he replied.
Well, that’s just too bad, I thought. Because I’m about to lay into you anyway, Prince Jackass.
“You can blame her for the mating bond all you want,” I told him, switching topics to the true issue at hand. “However, we all know Elemental Fae bonds require two willing participants to form, especially on that level. But maybe that’s your chosen path to leadership—blame others for your faults rather than own them. In which case, I agree with Aflora’s commentary about your future rule, Your Highness.” I gave him a mock bow with the derogatory words.
Then I glanced at an unamused Zeph.
I couldn’t even get started on his issues.
“If you’ll both excuse me, I have a class to prepare for. Hopefully, this one won’t end in a needless death of a familiar.” My comment was pointed at the dick who’d killed Aflora’s falcon just because he couldn’t control his own yearnings.
And these two idiots thought I was the volatile one.
I shook my head and disappeared into a cloud of smoke before they could reply.
If they didn’t get their shit together soon, I’d have to consult my grandmother about the future again. Just to find out what might happen to the end objective if I accidentally killed one or two of Aflora’s mates. Because at this point, it was a fair expectation that I might have to end them.
Chapter Six
Zeph
Fuck.
I knew Aflora would be upset, but I hadn’t anticipated it bothering me.
Not like this.
I rubbed my fist over my chest, frowning at the hallway she’d just walked down moments ago with Tray and Ella. Shade’s words didn’t bother me. Aflora’s, however, did.
You say that like your opinion matters
to me. It doesn’t.
Did she truly mean that? Or was she just being a brat?
I wanted to think it was the latter, but her overall demeanor punctuated the former. She’d dismissed us, her distrust evident. “What the hell was I supposed to do?” I wondered out loud. “Tell her the guards were coming?”