Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

Sympathy filled his eyes. “You never told him?”

The guilt grinded through me. “I was going too, I just…it wasn’t the right time, and I didn’t know how to bring it up to him.”

He was quiet for a moment. “How did he react?”

“He wanted me to come with him,” I answered, finally meeting his eyes. “But I needed him to know the whole truth. So, I told him about the witches and after that? He obviously doesn’t want to go, but he’d have a better life there than he would here, right? He’d have a great life there.”

Cole straightened, face twisting in confusion. “You built a cottage for him, you built a life for him here.”

“And Raphael has better beds, clothes that fit, enough food to feed three Courts.”

“It’s enough,” he argued desperately. “Food can be found, clothes made, but that kind of love? Kyra, you only get a couple of those in a lifetime, you can’t give this one up because you’re afraid that what you’ve done isn’t enough. Bring him here. They won’t find him. We can keep him safe.”

I swallowed, glancing towards the kitchen. “That’s what I was going to ask Trick.”

Cole’s brows pulled together. “If he’d protect you?” There was hesitation in his eyes. “I don’t think—”

I shook my head, finding his eyes again. “What his plans were. If he’s just…if he’s planning on killing me, fine, whatever, he can do what he wants, but I want to leave Mark with Raphael or have you take him to Penny’s Court if that’s the case. I need to know, Cole. I need to know what Trick’s plans are so I can plan for what I need to do. So I can make a choice.”

He straightened, shaking his head. “I can’t answer that.”

“Try.”

“Kyra—”

“Cole, he’s not ready,” I stressed, eyes burning. “He’s not ready to do this on his own. He can’t—I haven’t trained him to thieve. I haven’t prepared him to live and gather and work. I haven’t…if Trick’s going to kill me, just tell me. It’ll be fine, I can handle that. I really can, but I cannot leave Mark to do this alone.”

Cole released a breath. “Planning is pointless, Talons. You can plan all you want, go through all the strategies and outcomes you can think of, but once you get there,” he shrugged. “All you’re doing is fighting for your life and the lives of your people. One step at a time. One man at a time. One breath at a time.”

I searched his eyes, seeing the passion in them. Mark would be safe, but I needed him to understand that this was different. It was different than war, than men lost in battle.

So, I leaned forward and took his hand in both of mine. It was far bigger than mine, warm, calloused. The hands of a warrior.

“He needs to be safe,” I told him carefully, putting as much emotion as I could in every word. “Mark is all I have, okay? My entire life belongs to him. Every breath, every beat of my heart. If I bring him here and your High King kills me…I need him to live. Whatever happens, okay? Mark needs to be okay.”

“Kyra, I give you my oath, he will be okay.”

It didn’t make me feel any better, but I couldn’t stay here too much longer. “If he kills me, and you are willing enough, I need you to take him to Aelyria.”

“What?”

“Take him to Penny. He’s prepared for that. He knows what he needs to say, just take him there. I’ll bring him here, but that’s what I need. Promise me that. Promise me you’ll take him to Penny Rain if he kills me.”

Cole searched my eyes carefully before he finally nodded. “I promise.”

So that was it then…I was bringing him here. I was bringing him home. We had enough, I could quickly find the other few things before the real snow came, I was sure of it, but there it was.

An early birthday present, I supposed. Finally, I straightened, pulling my hands back. “I should get back.” My heart was thundering, a buzzing shooting through my veins. Holy shit. This was it.

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night?” he asked as I stood.

I shook my head. “No, I want to see Mark in the morning. I’ll see you after sunrise if you’re still here.”

“I quite literally can’t leave unless I hike out, not to mention I’m in the middle of this book that has got me by the wings.”

I forced a strained smile, hoping it was enough to convince him that I was truly fine. In reality, I felt like I was going to throw up. “Okay, see you in the morning.”

“See you and Mark just after first light,”he replied, giving me a small wave.