Page 20 of Ruined Kingdom

She jerked back, surprised at my response. “I don’t think that at all! It’s just?—”

“What?” I pressed, only to notice that she was crumbling more into herself the more angry I got.

Watching her come to fear me again was an ice bath for my quick temper. I took a moment to collect myself before approaching her in a different way. I reached out for her with an open palm.

“Soph … talk to me.”

“I want to be stronger,” she blurted out before she lost her nerve, but her conviction was unmistakable. Her stunning green eyes were swirling to the brim with it. “I had to sit by and watch you get stabbed by someone that I told you not to kill. Now he’s hurt you trying to exact his vengeance, and it’s all my fault. I want to train myself so that I can exist in your world without being a burden to you.”

She looked at me so earnestly that I felt ridiculous for being upset only moments ago. She held more passion in her little finger than I did in my whole being.

A smile quirked the corners of my mouth upward. All the adoration I was capable of came pouring out of me.

Without warning, I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly to my chest. “You have been many things to me already and a great many more things in the future, but you will never be a burden to me.”

She buried her face in my chest so that I couldn’t see the weakness on her face, but I could smell the faint salt of her tears. The damp patch growing on my shirt was a testament to them as well.

“Come.” I turned, guiding her back to the castle with a gentle hand. “That’s enough practice for one day.”

Adam bowed to me swiftly. “My King.”

I wanted to be upset with him, but I knew I had no right to be. He’d only done what Sophia asked of him.

For that, I should’ve thanked him. He’d heeded her need to become stronger and was willing to teach her, even if he knew she was only a human…

Then again, she may not be as human as she thinks she is.

I glanced over at her from the corner of my eye, admiring her fiery red hair cascading down into wild curls over her shoulders. Even her porcelain complexion was pure perfection, so much so that it would be easy to mistake her for a statue if not for the blush on her cheeks that always seemed to appear when she was happy, ashamed, shy, or frustrated.

Her dainty countenance was drawn, clearly too preoccupied with her own thoughts to even notice that I was obsessively observing her.

I wished I could take all her worries away, but I knew that was impossible, especially considering the situation we were in. Even still, I silently vowed to move heaven and earth if I had to to keep her safe.

We reached the hallway to my chambers before she spoke up.

“You're going to go to bed without supper?” She turned her head at a seemingly uncomfortable angle to furrow her eyebrows at me.

“I just want to lie down for a moment. It seems today has taken more of me than I thought.” As much as I hated admitting any weakness to her, I knew honesty was the best way to get through to her.

She quickly wrapped her arm around my waist as if she wanted to help me walk the rest of the way. I laughed because I had been fine the entire journey here.

She mumbled something unintelligible, disgruntled with herself, making me laugh more.

“You had a rough day, too,” I said as I opened the grand door to my bedroom, allowing her to walk in first.

She took one step in before gathering the fabric of her dress in her hands and turning to face me. “How did you know I was in danger?”

“You forget that we have a mental link, my love. And it’s quite strong, although we have yet to bind our souls together fully.” I shut the door behind me slowly before walking over to the bed.

I threw myself over the carefully made duvet and pillows. My sore muscles relaxed into the feathery mattress as a drawn-out, relieving breath left my lungs.

Sophia came and sat gingerly next to me, taking care not to disturb the bed too much. “How’s your arm?”

“I hardly remember being stabbed,” I said, shooting her a careless smile, but her face fell as she turned away. “I’m already healing, Soph. Don’t worry about it.”

That was a lie. I was very aware of this strange wound. I wasn’t healing. It was still biting into my bones as if I was being stabbed over and over again.

I couldn’t help but wonder how the Fae King had charmed that bolt and for what purpose…

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