Page 146 of The King has Fallen

“Stop touching her! Stophurting her!”

“No, Gall!” I screamed and my soul almost left my chest when time slowed, and I saw Yilan, gasping, throwing herself between me and that spear.

I grunted with the effort to reach for her, to throw her aside, but I was too late.

There was a cry, and a clatter, a groan and a scuffle. I pushed to my feet, my vision blurred and head spinning in confusion.

Where was she?Where was she?

Then everything stopped.

“Melek…Melek. I’m fine!”she gasped, panting.

I blinked once, then again, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

Gault on the floor, dead, his skin already gray.

Gall on his side, cheeks dirty and tracked with tears, eyes wide and hands clasped on the thin forearm that was wrapped around his throat.

And Yilan, grappling, clinging to his back like a monkey, only cutting off his air when he started to rise, whispering in his ear, her face pressed to his hair, and tears on her cheeks as well as she murmured over and over again, trying to get him to listen.

“It’s okay, Gall. I’m okay. You did good. You did so good. Melek didn’t hurt me. He never hurt me. It was only the King. Only the King, I promise… shhhhh…”

Gall struggled and gaped, his eyes rolling. He was overstimulated and afraid, and I was torn, yearning to hold my mate, to take her from all of this, to cover and protect her… and aching for my son. Knowing what he thought and why he was angry, flabbergasted by his courage, and so, so sad, because even when it was done in defense… the taking of a life never passed without leaving a stain on our hearts.

I was crouching on the ground, trying to reach for him, but he writhed every time my hand got close, then Yilan would be forced to cut off his air again until he stopped.

I sat down hard, watching both of them, on the edge of tears, as I realized I was only making things worse by trying to help. And so I was forced to watch my mate slowly, slowly murmur to my son, get him thinking again, get him listening.

And slowly, he started to breathe, though his breath hitched again and again. His tears rushing, rolling down his face and his chin trembling.

But he stopped fighting her.

“Why?” he coughed. “Why would you defend him? Why would you let him—”

“That’s not what’s happening, Gall. I give you my word. I told you… I will never lie to you, or hurt you. We are not enemies, remember?”

“But you saidhe was!”

Yilan’s eyes closed and she laid her cheek against his hair. She still had him in a grip, her legs locked around him. Her arm in place at his throat… He couldn’t get up without her releasing him. And yet…

She was hugging him.

“Gall, that was true when I said it. But things have changed. Melek and I… we’re protecting each other.”

His eyes flew open then and found mine—accusing. “Thisis protection?”

I sighed, shaking my head. “Gall… it’s complicated—”

His entire body spasmed and his face went red as he screamed. “IT IS NOT TOO COMPLICATED! I CAN UNDERSTAND!”

Yilan sobbed, but swallowed it back, teary, holding him as he cried and struggled again.

But he was past hearing me. He trembled from head to toe.

I’d seen him overstimulated before. I’d seen him break down in fear or hurt. But this…

He was falling apart.

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