Page 78 of The Broken Prince

“And I don’t mind,” I said quickly. “I’d rather experience a real fight than an attenuated one.”

Mother let it go, turning back to her bread.

After a long stretch of silence, Father spoke. “Atticus, if you’re well enough, we should begin our operations tomorrow. If we weren’t in such difficult times, I would let you rest longer, but time is a luxury we don’t have.”

“I understand, Father,” Atticus said. “And I’m more than capable of doing this.”

Mother looked like she wanted to say something, to keep our family together, but she knew there was no other option.

“Then we’ll leave by dragon tomorrow,” Father said. “General Henry will march the army to HeartHolme.”

I would ask if Aurelias could join us rather than travel by foot, but after our last conversation, I had no desire to speak with him. He could be the most affectionate and loving man I’d ever been with, but he could also be the coldest. The very lips that kissed away my troubles were also the cause of my despair.

“Bring only the things you can’t live without,” Father said. “Or have General Henry deliver your things by wagon. I’m not sure if this castle will be here once the war is over…or any of the Kingdoms.”

* * *

I left the windows open so the breeze could sweep through now that the temperature had plummeted. It was comforting on the skin, just cold enough to make bumps form on my arms. Despite my exhaustion from training, I wasn’t remotely tired now that I was alone in my bedroom.

I was too sad to be tired.

I sat on the couch with an open book in my lap, but after reading the same sentences several times, I stopped trying. I let it sit there on my thighs, my eyes on a random spot on the floor. It could potentially be my last night in this bedroom, the very bedroom my mother used to occupy when she was my age. It might be a pile of rubble soon after we left. Everything I loved might be a pile of rubble before long.

Then someone climbed into my window, and their boots thudded against the floor.

My chin lifted to see the intruder, and the terror in my heart was quickly replaced by relief when I realized it was Aurelias. But then that was quickly replaced by anger…fiery anger. “What do you want?” I snapped the book closed and lost my place in the pages, but I needed to do something with my hands.

He came toward me, his hard eyes heavy with frustration. He stood over me, looking down at me like he was waiting for me to do something…when he was the one in the doghouse.

I tossed the book aside and got to my feet. “I’m not in the mood for a fuck-a-thon, and since that’s all we are, there’s no reason for conversation. So you can crawl back down now and leave me the fuck alone.” I turned away from him, moving toward the bed even though I was too charged to sleep.

“Baby.”

“Baby?” I asked, turning back around. “I’m sorry, do you have me confused with someone else?” I looked around the room, searching for another woman who would deserve the title more than I did. “Because I’m just some bitch you fuck, not your baby—”

He moved fast, grabbing my face and kissing me hard on the mouth.

I didn’t fight it, not when I was paralyzed by the desperation of his kiss. His arm squeezed my lower back, and his hand slid deep into my hair, making me feel thoroughly possessed.

He pulled away and looked me in the eye. “I know I fucked up.” His hand left my face, but his arm remained around my waist so I couldn’t walk away. “I was just angry…and lashing out.”

“I prefer an apology over excuses.” I pushed his arm away so he would release me.

His eyes shifted away, that annoyance returning.

“You can crawl out the window anytime you want, Aurelias. I’m not keeping you here.”

He looked at me again, his annoyance bubbling to barely sheathed anger. “You know I didn’t mean what I said—”

“Then apologize.”

He sighed as he stepped away, like I was forcing daggers under his fingernails.

“You’ve never apologized for anything, have you?”

He looked out the window for a moment, standing in his armor and sword, as if he expected to be attacked while he was in my bedroom. “No.”

“It shows.”

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