Page 7 of The King has Fallen

“Even banded together, they should not hold us so easily,” Gault growled with a dark look at me. “How do they manage it.”

She raised one brow. “You truly do not know?”

Gault’s expression didn’t change, but the air suddenly went thin with his disapproval.

She licked her lips and glanced at me before she spoke.

“The terrain at the western end of the continent does not give you the freedom to simply overwhelm them. Even you cannot just sweep through a battle waged among trees, swamps, and ravines. You must be much more strategic in your approach. Add to that… they have Aethereans among them. At least four, that we are aware of.”

I cursed. The Aethereans were wraithlike creatures with the ability to soul-bond—create links between themselves and others that would feed strength, energy, and power between parties and enhance any abilities that already existed. Some could communicate telepathically and even heal.

But a bonded Aetherean also took on some of whatever was within those they bonded. Which was why they avoided the Nephilim as if we were poison. Because to them, we were. After all, it was impossible to soulbond to something that lacked a soul. An Aetherean attempting to bond a Nephilim was suicide.

It was no surprise that they would choose to stand against us. But the Aetherean weren’t only rare, they were notorious loners, incredibly sensitive to the emotions of others, even those they hadn’t bonded. Standing on a battlefield would be torment to them.

To have one join a warring faction against us was stunning. Let alonefour.That small fact changed the entire landscape of this war, and filled me with trepidation. But also relief. Because it explained how our most recent enemies seemed to coordinate their attacks—and retreats—so perfectly. And how our effortsto take the front so far had been met with such seamless maneuvering that we could never gain traction.

The first time we had advanced, we’d almost been surrounded. They’d kept me sweating ever since.

Shit.

“Is this true?” Gault growled at me.

“It makes sense,” I replied reluctantly.

Gault’s eyes narrowed as he turned back to the Fetch. “Doyourpeople enjoy this… alliance?”

The Fetch shook her head. “We have no need. Our land creates a natural barrier and our reputation discourages confidence. Our neighbors have already learned to respect our boundaries. Iftheywin, they’ll leave us alone. And if you do… well, we will defeat you without tying ourselves to the soul-suckers,” she said viciously.

It was said that while the Aethereans strengthened and enhanced any creature they bonded,theirstrength came from subtly pilfering some of the life-essence of the bonded one.

Did her comment mean that was true? Or was it just a curse on a people that she clearly despised?

I huffed, amused by her arrogance, but Gault’s expression went dark with loathing.

Quick as a snake, he stood and took her by the neck, lifting her off her feet and shaking her like a doll. She tried to fight, but his grip was too tight, and just as she had with me, she ended up only gripping his wrist and fighting for air while he held her by the throat and snarled in her face.

“The only reason you still live is because of mymercy,bitch. You will not live a moment beyond your usefulness—and your people will not survive beyond my descent. Answer my questions without taunts or barbs, or I will prove to you how powerless you are by turning my men on you to rip your flesh from your bones.”

Still gripping his wrist, she nodded. Or tried to. She couldn’t breathe and he was holding her entire bodyweight by that one fist clamped at her throat.

Despite my natural aversion to harming females, I couldn’t say I regretted his aggression. The Fetch were a massive threat to us—if for nothing else than that they could inform our enemies about us. Having one of them caughtandinforming was a coup.

Mind you, she wouldn’t be informing much longer if he didn’t let her breathe soon.

“Gault,” I said quietly. “She possesses very useful information—insight that could be the key to us finally taking this battle. If you kill her…”

He stared at me for a moment as if he were considering whether or not my words were disrespectful. Then he dropped her without a word, snorting when she landed on the ground with a thump and a wheeze. Then he turned on his heel and went back to his lounge.

I grabbed her upper arm so that she couldn’t flee. Her limb was so narrow I circled her bicep completely, my fingers overlapping in the fist. Her lithe stature tempted me to complacency. But I’d heard how easily a Fetch could melt into shadows to escape, even in broad daylight. I didn’t know if the rumors were true, but if she’d stayed hidden here for three days, there seemed no point testing them.

“I weary of this,” Gault muttered. “Take her. Interrogate her. Whatever you need to do, you have my permission. Get the information from her. Make sure she doesn’t escape. Then go win this fucking war so we can return home.”

“Yes, Sire, I just—”

“Do not forget that I hold you personally responsible for her, Melek. Donotlet her escape. Kill her first.”

“Yes. Of course. Only—”

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