Page 102 of The King has Fallen

By their traditions, everyone believed Melek had taken me—laid claim to me. More than once. In their eyes, heownedme.

Gault telling Melek to hand me to him meant he’d make me the King’s property. He was the only male I knew of who outranked Melek, and therefore, the only one who could make the claim as an order, without an outright challenge.

And if Melek were to resist, itwouldbe a challenge.

You did not challenge a King without staging a coup, intentional or not. And we all knew it.

Melek hesitated a bare second, before dropping his chin and thumping his free arm to his chest. “Of course. But if I’m to do this, I need to move now, Gault. There’s a lot to do before I’ll need to travel if I’m going to make it in time.”

Gault nodded, his expression unchanging as his eyes returned to me. “I look forward to victory,” he said absently, then licked his lips.

I wanted to scream. But thankfully, Melek only bowed, then whipped around and dragged me out of the tent. He moved so quickly I was pulled against him and bounced off his arm and side until I found my balance.

When I was back on my feet and steady, I was still having to stop my teeth chattering.

And Melek was so tense his entire body felt like steel.

35. A New Understanding

~ YILAN ~

“You should have run when I gave you the chance,” he insisted as he dragged me through the camp.

“We couldn't know—”

“Of course we could! Do you really believe I would just release you on a whim? That I hadn't thought that through?” he hissed.

I halted suddenly, turning to stare at him. “You knew the King would decide to take me?”

“Of course not!” But before he continued, his eyes cut up the trail and he jerked me into motion again, closing his mouth with a snap and warily watching the trail ahead between the tents where a line of women carting water and other resources hadappeared, walking single file, their heads down and eyes on the feet of the woman in front of them.

The first in line looked up fearfully when we moved... then when she saw Melek's face her shoulders sagged with relief and she dropped her eyes again.

The little exchange was so telling that it brought home to me what a blessing it had been that the King put me in Melek's capable—no,honorablehands, and not some other Nephilim. I’d known that in my head, but I was washed with some potent relief of my own as he tugged me forward, ignoring the women.

As we walked, he ground his teeth, eyes blazing, daring anyone who looked to find anything but a fierce General dragging a prisoner through the camp.

But I didn't miss that he had kept away from the main tracks that were wide and passed the central stable tents and other busy areas. And he walked so quickly, eating up the distance with his long, angry strides that I had to trot to keep up with him.

“Melek,” I started when we were alone on the trail again. But he interrupted me.

“Not now,” he muttered, continuing to tug me along. “Wait until we’re at the tent.”

I sighed, but kept up with him, letting some of my fear show so that if anyone saw us they’d think he was about to punish me and I was afraid.

When we finally made it to the tent, Melek blew out a breath he must have been holding. But he didn’t slow. He marched me straight inside, pulling the arm up where we were tied and muttering as he worked at it while we walked, tearing the knot free before grasping my wrist and tossing me into the cage, slamming the lock home before turning away and stalking over to his clothing trunk, wrestling with the knot on his own wrist as he did so.

“Melek, this just makes everything clearer. You must do it now. It’s time.”

“Time for what?” he muttered, putting his teeth to the knot on his wrist to finally pull it free and tug the scarf off with a snap of the silk.

“Time to lead the coup. To take out Ga—”

I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen such a massive body move so quickly. One moment he was crossing the tent with his back to me, the next he was at the cage door, throwing it wide, grasping my hair in one fist and clapping his other hand over my mouth, looming over me, glaring with such fury my relief fled to make room for sheer terror.

His eyes were flames of rage as he stared down at me. Then, without letting go of my mouth, he slowly lowered his head until his jaw brushed mine and his breath fluttered in my ear.

“If you ever again say those words out loud here, where a listener could hear, I will slit your throat myself.” He lifted his head only far enough to meet my eyes, his nose almost brushing mine. “I am not a traitor, Yilan. Icannot bea traitor, do you understand?”

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