Everything that you decided wouldn’t work then? It’s still a problem now. It would risk your career and my claim to the crown.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I know. I just… I can’t watch you marry him. Not if you think you should be with me.”
Her heart stopped again and she sucked in a breath. “Why? Why are you doing this now? After all these years, you decide you want me when we’re a few hours from my fiancé’s kingdom?” So close. She was so close to tears she could feel them burning the back of her throat, and she had to call on her assassin strength to keep them at bay. I will not cry .
“I’ve never been this close to losing you completely, Kazia.” His voice cracked and he grabbed her hand again, tugging her closer. “I never stopped loving you. I didn’t stop watching for you whenever I was close enough to the castle that I might see you. I knew you were betrothed and I thought I was okay with it, but I’m not. Especially not now when I finally, finally got you back in my life.”
Kazia resisted the urge to pull her hair out. Everything she had waited all these years for him to say, and he said it now, when she had no choice but to marry Randolf. “Luke, maybe before — before Brodi was…killed,” she choked on the word, “there might have been a chance for us. I wasn’t going to be queen. I wouldn’t inherit the crown. But now, this decision is bigger than us. The kingdom is on my shoulders.” Even her hidden strength failed her now, and the tears she’d been fighting won. She was grateful for the darkness that hid them.
But he reached a gentle finger up and wiped a tear from her cheek. “Just give me time, Kazia. That’s all I ask.” He leaned toward her, and she was powerless to stop him. She could never tell him no. But the screams were a different matter.
CHAPTER NINE
S HE SPUN, RACING WITH NAKOMI toward the fire, Luke in front of them. The makeshift camp was overrun with bandits — lots of them. Kazia shrieked as Benjamin fought with one right in front of her, lopping the man’s hand off with a sweeping arc of his sword. The hand flew past her face and landed in the dirt behind her and she screamed again.
“Kazia get behind me!” Luke leaped in front of her, sword already drawn. Kazia cowered behind Nakomi, who stood between her and Luke and everything else in the world. Kazia’s desperate eyes searched for Crystali, just spying her across the camp, protected by three of Kazia’s guards. Safe, for the moment. Luke swung his heavy broadsword like it was a toy, moving so gracefully it looked like a grotesque dance as blood spurted from the wounds he caused. But there were too many and he couldn’t keep them all away from her. Two men got by him while he fought three others, and Nakomi reared up, a growl erupting from her throat as foam splattered the men in front of her. One screamed — his shriek rivaling Kazia’s — before stumbling backward, but the other pressed on, his eyes on Kazia. “Look at what a pretty little thing we have here, hiding behind her overgrown puppy.” He leered at her, scars crisscrossing his face. The years had not been kind, clearly, and yet he had survived them — which meant he was dangerous. She whimpered and backed away.
“Kazia!” Luke yelled, but he couldn’t get to her; none of her guards could. It was like it was planned. Her eyes snapped to the man’s face. “Who — who sent you?”
He blinked in surprise, but she had caught him. He wasn’t a bandit — none of them were bandits. Like Benjamin had said, they would have to be insane to attack the Royal Guard and Nakomi. Someone had sent them to kill her.
“Please — you don’t have to do this!” she cried, holding her hand out.
“No, I don’t have to, but I’m going to enjoy it.”
She screeched, unintelligibly, as he lunged forward. Nakomi barked, a great, roaring bark that echoed through the camp, and leaped at the man. She caught his arm in her
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I know. I just… I can’t watch you marry him. Not if you think you should be with me.”
Her heart stopped again and she sucked in a breath. “Why? Why are you doing this now? After all these years, you decide you want me when we’re a few hours from my fiancé’s kingdom?” So close. She was so close to tears she could feel them burning the back of her throat, and she had to call on her assassin strength to keep them at bay. I will not cry .
“I’ve never been this close to losing you completely, Kazia.” His voice cracked and he grabbed her hand again, tugging her closer. “I never stopped loving you. I didn’t stop watching for you whenever I was close enough to the castle that I might see you. I knew you were betrothed and I thought I was okay with it, but I’m not. Especially not now when I finally, finally got you back in my life.”
Kazia resisted the urge to pull her hair out. Everything she had waited all these years for him to say, and he said it now, when she had no choice but to marry Randolf. “Luke, maybe before — before Brodi was…killed,” she choked on the word, “there might have been a chance for us. I wasn’t going to be queen. I wouldn’t inherit the crown. But now, this decision is bigger than us. The kingdom is on my shoulders.” Even her hidden strength failed her now, and the tears she’d been fighting won. She was grateful for the darkness that hid them.
But he reached a gentle finger up and wiped a tear from her cheek. “Just give me time, Kazia. That’s all I ask.” He leaned toward her, and she was powerless to stop him. She could never tell him no. But the screams were a different matter.
CHAPTER NINE
S HE SPUN, RACING WITH NAKOMI toward the fire, Luke in front of them. The makeshift camp was overrun with bandits — lots of them. Kazia shrieked as Benjamin fought with one right in front of her, lopping the man’s hand off with a sweeping arc of his sword. The hand flew past her face and landed in the dirt behind her and she screamed again.
“Kazia get behind me!” Luke leaped in front of her, sword already drawn. Kazia cowered behind Nakomi, who stood between her and Luke and everything else in the world. Kazia’s desperate eyes searched for Crystali, just spying her across the camp, protected by three of Kazia’s guards. Safe, for the moment. Luke swung his heavy broadsword like it was a toy, moving so gracefully it looked like a grotesque dance as blood spurted from the wounds he caused. But there were too many and he couldn’t keep them all away from her. Two men got by him while he fought three others, and Nakomi reared up, a growl erupting from her throat as foam splattered the men in front of her. One screamed — his shriek rivaling Kazia’s — before stumbling backward, but the other pressed on, his eyes on Kazia. “Look at what a pretty little thing we have here, hiding behind her overgrown puppy.” He leered at her, scars crisscrossing his face. The years had not been kind, clearly, and yet he had survived them — which meant he was dangerous. She whimpered and backed away.
“Kazia!” Luke yelled, but he couldn’t get to her; none of her guards could. It was like it was planned. Her eyes snapped to the man’s face. “Who — who sent you?”
He blinked in surprise, but she had caught him. He wasn’t a bandit — none of them were bandits. Like Benjamin had said, they would have to be insane to attack the Royal Guard and Nakomi. Someone had sent them to kill her.
“Please — you don’t have to do this!” she cried, holding her hand out.
“No, I don’t have to, but I’m going to enjoy it.”
She screeched, unintelligibly, as he lunged forward. Nakomi barked, a great, roaring bark that echoed through the camp, and leaped at the man. She caught his arm in her
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