More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Emilia Jae
Read between
January 2 - January 3, 2024
It was an odd feeling to miss someone you had never met.
“For most of my life I have dreamed of having a sister, but now I am thankful to have you instead.”
“Me too,” I whispered on a quiet sob.
“Oh, I know. Do you forget who raised you to be that way? I'm coming with you to make sure you don’t kill him…even though I would love to see it.”
“Kellan’s cheating on me,” I said on a dry laugh, refusing to meet his stare. Without skipping a beat, he replied, “Would you like me to have him hung in the city square?”
I smiled up at him. “What would I do without you?” He patted my shoulder lightly. “You’ll never have to know, Lia.”
“That is where you are wrong, princess. Everything that involves you is my concern.”
“Why are you doing this?” he asked, panting. I looked up into his hazel eyes that I didn't want to admit took my breath away, but before I could respond, a thunderous crash halted the ship.
I saved her life, and now I had to pay the price of dealing with her.
Now here we were. Two enemy leaders stuck in the middle of a supposedly enchanted forest together.
I glanced at the commander’s back. He was the reason that I would never return to Avery in Isla. Or to Nyra, or Finn and Lukas. My father.
“Elianna?” I whispered to her back.
“Oh, this is funny to you?” I spat at her. “Pretending you’re dead after we barely defeated a troll. You think that's funny?”
I loathed my last name, it represented everything the queen punished me for my entire existence.
He blew out a cloud of smoke up into the direction of the sky, and when he looked at me, he smiled. I had never seen him smile so genuinely before—maybe at all. It was absolutely beautiful.
He cleared his throat. “Are you okay, Elianna?” “Yes,” I said hoarsely, trying to bring my thoughts elsewhere as my heart skipped a beat once again at the sound of my name on his lips.
“Goodnight,” he said softly, sleepily. “I’m glad I saved you,” he continued on a yawn.
And for another brief moment of insanity, I felt like I didn’t want this distance between us at all.
“Why are you smiling in your sleep? It’s creeping me out.” Any sense of peace I just felt disappeared at the tone of Jace’s voice.
“Is it respect you want, Elianna?” he asked, his tone alluring and wicked.
“See, wasn’t that fun?” He glanced back up at the top. “Definitely, but I didn’t appreciate being called a chickenshit.”
“I’m just surprised he lived to see another day.” I chuckled. “Trust me, he almost didn’t. I was being supervised for that very reason.” A faint smile appeared on his lips. “Why am I not surprised by that, Solus?”
“Once again, you lie to me so beautifully.”
“Also, you admitted it happened when you were a kid. The king took you in and you seem very fond of him, so I am intrigued to know who thought they had the fucking right to do that to a female, especially as a child.”
“Is someone I would want on my side.”
We are both realizing the truths that we chose to be blind to throughout our lives.”
“Then mark my words, Elianna, no matter where our journeys take us…if you desire it, that killing blow is yours.” The grin that slowly grew on my face while I stared into his eyes felt treasonous, but infinitely right in the same moment.
“Adler killed my men because you helped me that day on the beach?” Jace whispered, as his eyes darted back and forth between my own.
Her eyes, full of sorrow, met mine then, and I wish they hadn’t. “Don’t mention it. We are just back to your original plan after a brief moment of insanity.”
She was right, and to my own surprise, I hated that she was.
I looked at her, confused for a moment. She was truly ready to knowingly walk right to her death, and her only fear was who would see the aftermath of it. “We are not sending your head to anyone.”
“Holy shit,” Gage whispered. “Would’ve been a lot quicker too if I didn’t have to make sure Jace stayed alive with his stupidity driving his actions.” “I saved your life, and you saved mine. We’re even.”
“So, Zaela, to answer your many concerns about me retaliating and trying to kill you all in your sleep, I very easily was able to break free of my restraints and steal back my dagger within a few seconds. Only I did not attack your commander. I saved him.”
“But they were not mates, for he did not feel her pain.”
Gods, what I wouldn’t do to punch her in her mouth.
“Oh. So now I am Elianna again? Make up your fucking mind, asshole.”
My heart painfully stuttered in my chest.
“Please…” the man begged, voice trembling. “And then you touched her.” He let out a breathy laugh. “You will die for that.”
“I know you are now clearly well aware of what she is capable of, and that she could kill you faster than you could blink, however, you pissed me off. So, your kill is mine.”
I blinked at him confused, not many people would’ve done that for me. “Thank you,” I whispered to him so softly he may not have even heard the words.
I wish I could bring them back to slaughter them all over again myself.
“Just climb into the bed.” She smiled mockingly at me. “I will behave.” Yeah, she might.
A slice of fury cut through me at the thought of another man knowing her so well, better than I did, and using it against her.
We are going to figure everything out. Together.”
Until now, for she wouldn’t be at home waiting for me to return—she would be right next to me on the battlefield, which both excited and terrified me.
She was also funny, but I could never let her know that. It would go right to her thick skull.
“You will learn to never bet against me,” she said sternly, but I could tell she was trying to hide a smile forming. “Would never dare,” I whispered on her lips, as I pulled her body beneath my own and took her as mine once more.
“Beware of the day the pillar falls, for an heir will rise of blood and malice…”
“And when the moment comes that the enemy weeps, a stranger of kin shall forge the way for the one who was promised.”
This was going to work. It had to.
