Fearless (The Powerless Trilogy, #3)

by Lauren Roberts

For those fearless enough to follow their heart

“You are to be my bride.”

lord pls dont remind me what he said

“The future queen of Ilya bows her head to no one.”

i- pls dont start with me

“Uncuff her,” the king commands casually. My breath catches at the brush of calluses against my skin. Kai. My head whips around, unable to stop myself. Unable to focus on anything but the burning need to look at him. But it’s not his gray gaze I crash into. No, this one is brown, murky with blatant hatred. These are not the eyes I search for in every crowd. Not the eyes that rake over me with a reverence I revel in. Not the eyes that have counted every freckle dotting my nose, every shiver of my body.

well yeah hes pissed

It is my turn to become the difference I always dreamed of being, even if the king’s reasonings do not resemble my own. He wishes only to salvage this kingdom by whatever means possible, while I offer him my hand for a united Ilya alone. I am the sacrifice that Ordinaries have bled and died for. I am the power they lack. The ring trembles around my broken nail. His eyes flick to mine in quiet permission.

nah hell no this is crazy

I thought I’d known torment until it wrapped around her finger. No, torment is tangible, and it gleams atop her tanned skin. I stare, unblinking, at the symbol my brother slid onto her finger. It is binding. It is infinite. It is my undoing.

wtf are we gonna do

I watch Paedyn through the gaps of a gawking crowd, just as I will for the rest of my life. I’ll be forced to spend my days at her service but never at her side. In her shadow but never truly seen. In love with a girl I’d have bowed to long before she became my queen.

this is so fucked

I step behind one of the many marble pillars framing the room, avoiding her piercing gaze for perhaps the first time. I’ve been nothing but willing when it comes to drowning in those ocean eyes. But now, I can’t fathom drowning if she is not the anchor I’m sinking with.

And I am afraid I’ll become so much worse when I’m no longer striving to deserve her.

Why couldn’t we have just stayed in that field of poppies? I would spend the rest of my days making her flower crowns if she wanted to be a queen. My queen. Not Kitt’s. Not Ilya’s. Mine.

And I’m already moving before a man steps into her path. He leans close enough to subtly mutter his vile comment, but the spittle flying from his mouth to splatter her freckles doesn’t go unnoticed. I shove the man away from her so forcefully that I vaguely wonder whether I let a Brawny ability slip to the surface. The reckless action has me suddenly standing between Paedyn and the man who so clearly has a death wish. Stepping forward, I tower over him, ignoring the gasping crowd surrounding the scene I’ve made. Because the truth is, I don’t give a damn about what this court thinks of me. And my reputation sure as hell can’t get any worse. “So much as breathe on her again,” I snarl, “and I’ll ensure it’s the last time you ever do.”

kai is forever on that

“No,” she repeats, voice lethal. “I will be the one to ensure that the next breath you take to insult me, or my people, will be the very last one you ever taste. And it will be me, an Ordinary, that ends your Elite life.”

damn she stepped into her role real quick all like "my people"

My eyes land on a door occupying the same wall Paedyn is currently slumped against before doing the only thing I can think of. “All right, up you go,” I murmur before scooping her legs into my arms and slinging the rest of her over my shoulder.

She can’t see the smirk that twitches my lips, but I’m sure she hears it in my voice when I add, “Speaking of ass, how’s the view back there, Gray?” “Nauseating,” she bites out. I whip open the door and step inside. “You know I can see your left foot twitch, yes?”

“Couldn’t have the entire court seeing their future queen in shambles, now, could we?” The words were intended to tease, but they tear through my teeth, biting and bitter. And I regret them the moment I feel her body tremble beneath my hands. “Hey,” I amend gently, pulling at the hem of her shirt until she stumbles against me. “Talk to me.”

“This is until death do us part.” There’s that anger again, washing over me in waves. Because she was meant to be the death of me, not the life of another. It was her I was meant to adore in this world and crawl to in the one after.

“I thought he’d order you to drive a sword through my chest the moment I set foot in that throne room.” “I thought he would too,” I murmur. “And I was prepared to severely disappoint him.” The ache in her voice makes me wince. “Kai…” “Pae. I had no idea that this is what he had planned.”

“You said he wasn’t himself when you left,” Paedyn ventures softly. “He was grieving. The people whispered about his madness.” The next words are a distant thought plucked from her head. “So, what changed?” “I don’t know.” My mind wanders back to the plethora of paper that scattered his desk, and the stained hands rummaging through them. “I don’t know.”

“I am no one’s queen.” “Is that so?” My fingers find her cheek before trailing down the smooth slope of her nose. “Then you have no idea how much power you hold over me.” “You seem to forget that I’m completely powerless, Prince.” Her words hold an edge, as though her breath has become a blade she drags along my neck. “So be my weakness, then.” “You know I’m betrothed to your brother,” she whispers, lips dangerously close to mine. I swallow, voice stern. “For now.”

selfish to let you go so easily.” “Then pretend.” My thumb drags lazily over her bottom lip. “Does that mean I have to drag you into a closet every time I want to touch you?”

I refuse to let this be her fate, and yet, fear twines around me, tightening my chest even as I tease her. Because if she truly becomes Kitt’s, I will spend the rest of my life mourning her. So I distract. Deflect. Desire her more than ever in case this is the last time I get to.

“You’re not supposed to touch me at all.” “But you could command me to,” I drawl. “Then I’d simply be following an order.”

Her lips have only just brushed mine when the door flies open.

OOP

Claimed me. Those are words I certainly never thought would be associated with Kitt. His brother, on the other hand… I know exactly what it feels like to be claimed by the Enforcer. And I’ve embraced it.

“You can’t just… go around killing people anymore.”

ayo the look on my face thooo

“So,” I mutter softly, eyes never straying from the ring. “I earned it back.” He shrugs slightly. “You brought her to me, didn’t you?” “I did.” And I regret it more than anything.

“Don’t you hate her?” To my surprise, he forces a smile. It’s a sharp, small gesture he’s willing to share with me. “Do you?” We eye each other, and for the first time since setting that crown atop his head, I think we might just understand each other. Because suddenly, I see myself in him again. Paedyn is not a right or a wrong, not something as simple as a yes or a no. She is confusion itself, a feeling unplaced, a color between black and white. Hell, she is my Silver Savior. And hating her is not as simple as it may seem. But for me, it is not loving her that has proven to be difficult.

“He’s been ordered to guard…” A bob of her throat. “Blair’s door. And likely every move she makes beyond it.” Rage simmers in her eyes, and just like that, I understand what it is that fuels the fire burning within them. Adena. I’d watched that branch tear through every muscle and tendon in her chest. Watched Paedyn crumble in that sandy Pit, cry over the bloody body, and scream when it shuddered its last breath.

My heart bangs against my chest, beating for her, beating for every moment we may never get to spend together. And when words finally spill from her lips, she might as well have plunged a dagger into my back like she promised so long ago. “Then I will marry you, Kitt. To save this kingdom from itself.”

mm mm mm

My gaze climbs from the expanse of dark wood until it lands on… Comfort. Relief. Him. Gray eyes flick between mine, soft in that way they only are when looking at me. That tether between us grows taut, heavy with the weight of so many unspoken words.

As if feeling my gaze, he pulls those strong arms behind his back and tosses me a quick wink. I dip my head, hiding the twitch of my lips. Then I tuck our moment into that quiet part of my mind, right alongside the others. Just in case we never get the chance to share another.

I miss the carefree boy he was before a crown was pushed onto his head.

“What about your heirs? Will you taint your royal line with the blood of an Ordinary?” My stomach twists, lungs suddenly too tight beneath the constricting fabric of my dress. Kai jerks to his feet and nearly topples the chair behind him. I stand too, readying myself to step between my Enforcer and the man testing his patience.

kai be on gooo omm

He must ache to grant these shouted requests for justice. After everything I did, he was going to kill me. That is, until I became useful to him.

“My father suffered a deep blow to the head during the chaos before stumbling into Paedyn. Due to his injuries, he was confused and not at all in his right mind. In his hazy state, he came after her, forcing Miss Gray to defend herself against him. Now, I will hear nothing more on the matter.”

oh HELL NO

My eyes slide to Kai, even as I slowly reach for his brother. But he doesn’t look at me. No, the Enforcer’s gaze is on the palm I’ve placed atop the king’s, growing darker with every second our skin grazes. And as we stride from the room, hand in hand, I will Kai to meet my eyes and read the message within them. Pretend.

kai not fw it & neither am i

She feels like death itself. No, that can’t be right. Adena is the most alive person I know. She could never feel like anything less.

girl wake up

“Pae.” His voice calms the sea of panic beginning to swell in my chest. A calloused hand catches the wrist I’ve raised toward his throat, halting the swift arc of my borrowed blade. “Easy,” Kai breathes, body tense as it leans over mine.

oh hi kai

“It was just a nightmare,” he whispers, slowly lowering our joined hands until the blade tumbles onto the mattress. “You’re okay. I’m right here.” A nightmare is an understatement. That… that was torture. I blink up at the face I cannot see, and yet, I picture it all the same. “How… how did you get in here?” His fingers graze my forehead, sweeping away the sticky strands of hair there. “I heard you scream. And nothing… nothing has terrified me more.” I hear him swallow. Feel a swipe of his thumb across my cheekbone. “And it didn’t stop. You just kept screaming. So…” A pause. “We both know it will take more than a locked door to keep me from you.”

i fucking love it here

He had kicked the damn door down.

“Darling, I’d be in this bed beside you if my brother hadn’t slipped a ring onto your finger.” His mouth hovers dangerously close to my own. Especially so considering the distraction I’m seeking—and every inch of him will most definitely do the trick. I want him desperately. Recklessly. And the embodiment of those feelings falls from my lips in the form of a single, traitorous sentence. “So slip it off.”

“A butter knife? Really?” “It’s all I have at the moment,” I grumble. “Well, that just won’t do.” He flicks my nose lightly. “What if someone had broken into your rooms?” I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of me. “It seems someone already has. But don’t worry, Prince.” My fingers fiddle with a lock of inky hair falling over his forehead. “I can do plenty of damage with a shoe.” “Oh, I’m well aware.” His words are a whisper against my lips. “You are devastating, Pae.” And then he’s scooping me into his arms.

“What—” He turns, causing me to pause my accusation as he casually steps across the fallen door. “What are you doing?” “Stealing you away,” he says simply. I open my mouth to protest, but his whispered words against my ear have me falling silent. “Tonight, we pretend.”

My palm slips from Kai’s when he suddenly sinks to the ground, sprawling atop it with a sigh. He doesn’t offer an explanation before sitting up and planting firm hands on my hips. I’m being pulled toward the grass before even getting the chance to protest.

“I’m guessing it wasn’t a pleasant dream.” “No.” I almost laugh. “It started that way, which somehow made it all so much worse.” His voice is rough. “I’m sorry you’re forced to relive that moment every time you shut your eyes.” “Not every time.” I shift, slipping off his chest to sit beside him. “Not when I’m with you.” He props himself up on an elbow, tugging at my tank until I’m leaning down toward him. “Then I’ll never leave your side.” I give him a look. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” “It’s not promises I care to keep—it’s you.”

AHHHHHHH

His words never fail to have my stomach flipping, heart fluttering, lips falling silent. So, I flick the tip of his nose with a soft “You’re quite the poet, Prince.” Moonlight pools in the dimple that accompanies his grin. “And you the muse, darling.”

oh thats gooddd

“Is this going to be our lives?” I whisper suddenly, avoiding his gaze. “Forever pretending, sneaking away from reality to steal a few moments together?” “You know,” he sighs, “I pictured a different forever for us. One that took place far from here. But if this is all we get…” He pauses, eyes as silver as the moonbeams pouring down on us. “Then we’ll make the most of it. I will be your Enforcer. Your rival. Your secret waiting beneath the willow.”

“Oh, my pretty Pae.” His words are a murmur against my lips. “For once, it is I who will be your undoing.” And in this moment, I would beg him to be just that. Would give anything to live out the rest of my days under this willow and in his arms. So, I memorize every shadow of his face, every shade of this vivid fantasy before me. He kisses the pad of my thumb before the war begins.

I lean back, shaking my head at him in disbelief. “Plagues, is there no secrecy amongst brothers anymore?” The king resembles the boy I grew up with in this moment. “Oh, there certainly is.” My eyes flick to Paedyn’s smile, and suddenly, it all seems very much worth it. “That was very insightful. And entertaining.” Her smile widens wickedly. “Please continue.”

“Didn’t you dare Kai to climb the willow back by the gardens? And he fell, breaking his arm?” Her smile turns on me as she awaits Kitt’s answer. Except, there is none. Kitt’s expression grows subtly grim, shifting into something slightly sharper than the smile he once wore. “I hadn’t realized he told you about that.”

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