Page 74 of The King has Fallen

Thoughts of everything that should have been happening inmylife came crowding in, but I pushed them away. Because there was absolutelynothingI could do about it. But as the two men stepped apart and gathered themselves, settled back into their chairs and began to talk, I allowed myself the feelings.

I allowed myself to feel the loss. I allowed myself to miss my loved ones, and be grateful that events had spun out of our control. And I allowed myself to feel the relief—and the self-disgust for it. And then, a very, very tentative hope for the future.

A future that was now very foggy. In part because of the man who sat in front of me, now eagerly asking his son the questions they hadn’t discussed for the past ten days.

In the spirit of the Days of Peace, I made a resolution that no matter what happened when I was finally free, I would not forget this moment. I would honor these two men in my mind for their kindness and strength. And no matter what happened in future, one day I would tell Gall the truth about his very honorable father.

25. Dinner for Two

~ YILAN ~

I lay there on my cot, happily drowsing for the next hour as they continued to speak and reconnect. Although I was hungry, I didn’t want to interrupt this precious reunion.

I must have fallen asleep, because it was entirely dark outside and the lanterns had been lit when a clanging sound woke me with a jolt.

I sat bolt-upright—my shoulder giving a zing of pain and my heart racing… then galloping when I looked around to find Melek standing just outside the cage door, staring at me with a strange look on his face.

Theopencage door.

When our eyes caught his forehead pinched. I blinked and breathed, heart racing, trying to figure out if I was dreaming or—

“I still don’t trust you,” he muttered.

I swallowed hard and nodded.

“And yet, I find myself in the mood to give a certainfuck youto… those around me.” He clawed his hands through his hair and raised his chin. “It is the Covenant Days. I seek God blessings at all sides. And He blesses those of us who seek peace and offer hands to enemies on these days.”

My breathing got shallow. I nodded again because I wasn’t sure what to say.

Melek took a deep breath then folded his arms. “Give me your word that you will not flee, or harm me or Gall, and you can join me at the table. Unbound,” he said.

I blinked and looked past him to see a new, fresh platter of steaming food sitting on the table.

“Your dinner,” he added.

“I—”

“Give me your word, Yilan. Before God.”

I stared at him, shocked. “I do. I mean, I will. I mean—”

“I know what you mean,” he muttered as he stepped back, opening an arm towards the table, leaving room for me to walk out of the cage.

I had never been more stunned. “But…Why?”Was it a trap?

He sighed. “Yilan, it is the Covenant Days of Peace. I am reunited with my son. You are safe. And there is nothing that can be done about the struggles in our lives for another five days. God will bless me for blessing my enemy—whichdefinitelyincludes you,” he said with a wry look. “Even you aren’t heathen enough to break the Covenant, surely?”

“Is it after midnight?” I asked, pretending to consider his proposal. “After all, if it isn’t, I technically wouldn’t bebreakingthe Covenant—”

He growled, and it startled a laugh out of me.

Then we both went serious.

I stared at him and he stared back and neither of us spoke for a time, yet thathumwas in the air.

“Where’s Gall?” I murmured.

“I gave him the Covenant Days off. He’s gone to be alone which is his favorite thing to do when he’s confused, or had a bad event.”

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