Page 121 of The King has Fallen

“Two days, Yilan—”

“Don’t.”

“Two days,”he pressed. “Then I have to leave. That circumstance will not change. We must discuss what happens next.”

“I told you—”

His hand pressed against my stomach and his fingers clawed into me. He dropped his voice to an urgent murmur. “I need you to give me your word that you'll leave when I do, and not follow me. And I need you to put that clever mind of yours to a solution for how we will find each other when its safe...how to make it safe.”

I leaned back against him, warmed by his strength, shivering at the thought of losing it.

“Melek... you make it safe by winning. Then ruling what is left so they cannot defy you.”

A low, frustrated growl puttered in his chest, vibrating against my back. But he didn’t respond.

I wasn’t sure if that should give me hope, or even deeper fear.

Then he swallowed. “Yilan, I do not know if an alliance is possible, but when the time comes, I will work for it. I will tell Gault that crossing the Shadows of Shade is a death sentence and will undo all that we’ve gained. If I can convince him to negotiate, do you have the ear of your King—or anyone who ranks high enough to reach him?”

I swallowed. “I do.”

“Then the moment I go, hurry home and get word to him. Prepare. Place markers at the edge of the Shadows of Shade...” He lifted our bound hands. “Strips of cotton on tree branches. I’ll know if they’re torn cotton that they’re from you. Leave them places where your people can be reached. We will open lines of communication—”

I closed my eyes. “Melek, you have to—”

“The only thing I have to do is keep us bothsafe,”he growled.

I hugged his arm, trying to soothe him, because I could feel the tension in his body, the way he curled around me, subconsciously shielding me from threat.

I leaned into him. “God gave us to each other. We must trust there is a plan—”

“He gave you to me, made you my responsibility. You have to listen and follow my instructions so that I can sleep at night once you have gone. Please. Yilan… give me your word.”

I was breathless. “My word for what?”

“Your word that you will leave and not follow me. That you will go home—take what we’ve said to your ruler and not try to conquer Gault, or those here. That you willstay safe.That we will work together to solve whatever needs solving afterthis.”

I sighed heavily, but pressed back into his chest, hugging his arm to me. “You have my word, Melek.”

“For what? Be specific,” he muttered.

I leaned my head back on his shoulder. “I will not stay here when you leave,” I said reluctantly. “I will not go to the battlefront unless you ask me to. And I will undertake no plan without you,” I said, my chest growing tight.

He exhaled, then kissed my neck. “Thank you,” he murmured against my ear. His relief was so palpable and his care so obvious, it moved me. My throat grew tight and I squeezed his arm tighter.

For a long time, we just held each other, me in the circle of his arms, under the cover of his body, and his big, beautiful heart. Him, shielding me even from the dark. It was exactly the kind of simpletogethernessI had yearned for my entire life and come to assume would never be… it washed me in waves of emotion.

When I brushed away a tear, Melek murmured my name, then kissed my cheek when I blinked to dispel the rest.

“Don’t cry, Love,” he whispered. “No matter what comes, you have my heart. No. Matter. What.”

I prayed it was so, prayed God intended it so. I held him so tightly I feared I would cut off the circulation in his arm.

After a few more moments, he cleared his throat. “Would you sing for me?” he murmured.

I was humbled again by the request, and my heart lightened to know that he truly liked my singing.

“Do you like music?” I asked.

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