Page 50 of The Broken Prince

I shook my head.

All his emotions stilled, but they changed. Now there was pity, pity so strong it was like a cascading waterfall. “I’m sorry to hear that.” Calm sincerity broke through, apparent on his face and in his heart.

“I knew the consequences when I made my choice.”

His eyes dropped, the sadness still in his heart.

“I have a request.”

His thoughts seemed lost elsewhere, probably thinking about his child-rearing years, an experience I would never have. His eyes found mine again. “I’m listening.”

“Let me help you.”

His heart sank like a stone.

“We both know how this will end unless you do.”

His closed fingers returned to his jawline.

“Put aside your prejudice and embrace me as your ally. I will fight for your daughter’s life as hard as you will. Even if my kin don’t come to my aid, my sword is still yours. I’ve fought in many battles and won many wars. My expertise is invaluable. Forgive my transgression—and let me help you.”

Huntley looked away, his silence starting as seconds but turning into minutes. An array of emotions swept through him as he sat in consternation. “I don’t want my daughter to get hurt.”

“I’ve made it very clear that I’ll be leaving once this war is over. I didn’t tell her the specifics because she doesn’t need to know the reasons, but the expectations have been set. She’s smart and strong…she’ll be fine.” It was hard to imagine that moment, when I stepped onto the ship and sailed away forever, back to my previous life that would feel stale and empty after the heat of her flames and the brightness of her mind. “I’m the one who won’t be…”

FIFTEEN

IVORY

I removed the gauze that had been secured around my neck, the ointment and herbs absorbed into the fabric. Pieces of skin were still coming off, slowly dying and withering away. I stared into the mirror at my vanity and saw the mark of flames across my skin, the distant outline of the monster’s closed fist. No healer could remove it. The scar was permanent, an ugly reminder of the tragedy that had struck my home.

I refused to pity myself, not when I’d escaped with my life and so many good men didn’t. The piles of bodies on the battlefield were some of the biggest I’d ever seen. Our army had been decimated by half.

Huntley entered our bedchambers, dressed for battle, not for bedtime.

I sucked in a deep breath and dropped my sadness, knowing I had to hide my grief from him most of all.

He set his blade against the wall, close to the bed and easy for him to grab in the middle of the night. Then he started to undress, pulling his armor apart piece by piece, his eyes on nothing in particular—and definitely not on me.

“How’d it go?”

Huntley took a long time to answer. “We settled our differences.”

“Good.”

“He’ll join us in the morning.”

“I think that’s wise.” I preferred my daughter to want a man who was human, who served the Kingdoms honorably and came from a good family. But she seemed to want a vampire…and I had to accept that.

He removed his shirt, showcasing a powerful body with endless muscles. His arms were boulders, his chest like the stone that built this castle. An insatiable appetite and a dedication to strength had preserved him in his youth, making him the most desirable man to most people.

I was already his inferior, but now with these ugly scars…I was even more inferior.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his back to me.

My heart pained at his actions, knowing he was doing everything he possibly could not to look at me.

I didn’t want to look at myself either.

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