Page 120 of Chosen By the Fae King

“I know why Raina is in the nullifying room. I understand. If my gift were strong and well-practiced, if I had the confidence that I knew beyond a doubt nothing had been hidden from me, would Raina still be locked up?”

“Possibly.”

My posture sagged. I stared at his chest.

“My heart, look at me.” His fingers lifted my chin.

I wasn't sure I could handle being called his heart. It was too close to something else.

“We are not just responsible for our friends,” he said. “We lead and care for everyone.”

“I know that.”

“That includes not putting others in a situation, especially after something like what happened earlier, to make a terrible choice that cannot be undone.”

My forehead wrinkled. “What do you mean?”

“Raina is a Brandenburg. Her parents brought an army and tried to kill us, with her standing right beside them. What do you think would happen if I simply let her walk out of the courtyard?”

“You don't think Liam would have truly hurt her, do you?”

“I would hope not, but it's not just him I would worry about. There are still candidates and their families here, many of whom would go to extremes to fall into my favor.”

My palms went to his chest. “Do you think she's guilty of conspiring with them?”

“No.”

My breath left my lungs in a quick swoosh. I hadn't realized how important his answer was to me.

“Nox, I don't want to be in that position again, not if I can do something about it. I would like to figure out how strong my gift is, how to be thorough like you said, so we can avoid some of the messiness of such things. And I'd really like to be able to touch my best friend and not know how much she'd like to back Lorne into an alcove and demand—"

This time Nox's hand covered my lips, his eyes twinkling. “I could really go without the details of my brother's sex life coming out of my mate's mouth.”

“I don't have details of anything specific. I just know how much she wants to—"

“Uh-uh-uh, little menace.”

I laughed. “Okay, but you see my point?”

“Yes. And I have a suggestion,” Nox said. His gaze turned inward, expression thoughtful.

“I'm listening.”

“There is an elder mage, Drayce, who was once my father's advisor. He resides in the foothills. I call upon him from time to time. If you wish, I will send for him. He is versed in ancient magic and has the gift of Sight, though his visions rarely give an obvious message. He may be able to help you.”

My eyes widened. “You would do that for me?”

“Ah, kitten, I think you'll find I would do almost anything for you,” Nox declared, bringing my hand to his lips.

A flush stained my cheeks at his words. “Thank you,” I mumbled, even as warmth bloomed in my chest.

“You never need to thank your mate, Aeryn. Besides, you might not like him very much.”

“Why?”

“He's a lot to take in. But he has an honorable heart. In fact, he insisted I not skip Greenhollow when we discussed making rounds for the trials.”

“Did he say why?”

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