Page 90 of Taken By the Fae King

“My King!” Aren’s voice calls out, and I spin to face him. “What is—”

“She knows.” The words spill from my mouth like bitter poison. “I hurt her, Aren. I broke her heart.” I swallow against the lump in my throat. “She will never forgive me.”

“You do not know that for certain.”

“I can feel it here.” I slam my palm to my chest, directly over my heart. “I can feel her pain and her agony through our bond, Aren.” I shake my head. “What I did was unforgiveable.”

“Go back to her,” he urges. “Explain to her why you lied. She will understand, Kyven. She has to.”

“She told me to leave,” I say defeatedly. “She does not want me near her.”

“She’s hurt. She lashed out. People do that when they’re in pain. But it does not mean she never wants to see you again.”

“What if she leaves me? How will I live without her?”

“You are fated. The gods set this path,” he states firmly. “There must be a reason. There has to be. They would not bind you to her only to have you separated.”

“We are not fully bound,” I remind him. “We have not yet sealed our bond.” I draw in a shaking breath. “She will leave me now. And I do not blame her.”

“If you love her, you must fight for her, Kyven. Do not let her go. Not without explaining yourself. She doesn’t understand why you lied, but she will when you tell her the truth.” He rests a hand on my shoulder. “Even though she is hurt and angry, she still loves you. She will listen, Kyven. I know she will.”

I wish I could believe his words as truth, but I cannot. Even now, her agony flows across our bond; the weight of her sadness threatens to tear my soul in two.

“Return to the castle,” I tell him. “Make sure she is well-guarded.” I sigh heavily. “When you get there, please ask Talyn if she has eaten. And if she has not, have something prepared.”

“It will be done.” He gives me a pitying look. “I hate seeing you like this. I hate knowing she is in pain as well. You are both… important to me.” He sighs heavily. “Think on what I have said.”

“I will.”

Aren thinks I should go back to her… try to explain myself. I want to. More than anything. But she asked me to leave. She does not want me near her. And yet, every instinct inside me demands that I return to her, gather her in my arms and do whatever it takes to earn her love and her trust again.

But I do not know if love and trust can be mended once broken, and the thought that they cannot terrifies me more than anything. Because I cannot bear the thought of being without her. She is everything to me.

Determination fills my chest. Aren is right. If I love Grayce, I must do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness. I cannot risk her leaving without knowing my heart and understanding why I made the choices I did. Turning around, I make a wide arc out over the city to return to the castle. Resolve burns deep within. Grayce is mine and I will do whatever it takes to earn her forgiveness.

When I reach the balcony,my nostrils flare as I scent the nylluan. A fluttering of wings catches my eye and I turn to find Talyn approaching.

As if sensing my question, he gestures to the bedroom. “Aren told me the queen was upset. So, I sent for her nylluan.”

I look around him, peering into the bedroom. Greywind is lying on a nest of blankets at the foot of the bed. Turning back to Talyn, I arch a brow. “Did you do that?”

“Yes.” He tips his head up with pride. “When I was a child, my grandfather was injured on the Great Wall. He had a nylluan, and when I would stay with my grandparents, she would sleep in my room every night. She was a great source of comfort to me after the death of my parents.”

I look in again and my heart squeezes in my chest as Grayce sits down next to him and leans back into his side. Greywind drapes his wing over her, nuzzling her shoulder and cooing as she pets him.

Turning back to Talyn, I smile. “Thank you. You have done well.”

A beaming grin lights his face, and he bows low. “Thank you, my king.”

Quietly, so as not to startle her, I step back into our chambers.

Grayce turns toward me. Her eyes are swollen and red from crying. The hurt in her expression is like a dagger to my heart.

If I’m not mistaken, Greywind narrows his eyes at me, covering Grayce even more with his wing.

“May I speak with you?”

She sniffs and then gives me a reluctant nod while Greywind practically glares at me from behind her.

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