Page 76 of The King has Fallen

It was the nation on the western side of the Raven Peaks, a nearly impenetrable mountain range that acted as a natural fence along the Nephilim’s border, both a warning and a protection for the rest of the continent. The high, freezing summits were nearly sheer cliffs. Only the Nephilim could cross because they could fly. But they rarely did.

Or should I say, rarelyhad.

Legends were recounted by the parents of every culture of the Continent, terrorizing stories of the Nephilim flying over the Raven Peaks, then descending on disobedient children, stealing them and taking them back to Ebonreach—their nation—to be slaves.

“Idon’t take slaves,” Melek said firmly. “And I don’t encourage it in others. But my people… yes. Women are enticed, seduced, even paid. But many are just… taken.”

I suddenly lost my appetite. “Breeders,” I said through my teeth.

Melek’s eyes snapped to mine, a warning there, but he nodded slowly.

“Fuckingpigs,”I muttered under my breath, stabbing the beef again, just for something to do with my hands.

“They aren’talltaken against their will—"

“Even one is too many,” I hissed. “And you havegenerations?Could you imagine if you were taken by a—but no, wait, what am I thinking. There are no other peoples that out-weigh the Nephilim. No wonder your young think they can take a woman and ride her like a horse stolen from the neighbor’s barn.”

Melek’s jaw rolled. “I don’t condone it, Yilan.”

“You do—by sitting here, you do.”

“No, I—”

“Stop living in denial—”

“I cannot change the ways of my land—I can only show the right way!”Melek growled, leaning towards me, furious.

I met that fiery gaze and pointed my knife at him. “Youfaked itso they’d leave me alone.Thatis the example you set—”

A low puttering growl rippled through the room and my heart began to race.

“You would have preferred I take the risk that they frenzied and overpoweredmeto take you? Because that’s where that was heading, Yilan,” he said firmly, meeting my eyes unapologetically.

“Sick,” I hissed, shaking my head and trying to hide the way my hands were beginning to tremble. “This entire society is just…sick.”

“Notallof us.”

I huffed. “Don’t think I’m going tocongratulateyou on simply abstaining from something monstrous that shouldn’t happenanyway.”

Melek’s eyes went flat. “I work hard to teach my men to take only the willing—”

“And yet, over forty years old and never married because of the risk to a woman when you leave her home?”

He gave an impatient huff, but shifted in his seat, as if his thoughts madehimuncomfortable.

“Our cities aren’t the same as a war camp. There is more… restraint. But from a weak woman’s perspective, it’s dangerous enough. Especially left unguarded. Unless I found the One God intended for me, a true mate, I wouldn’t bring a woman into all ofthis. For obvious reasons,” he muttered, his eyes flicking up to mine—an admission—then back down to his grapes.

I was still furious, but I knew I needed to keep him talking. He was growing tense and almost finished his grapes. I couldn’t let him decide he needed to lock me back up. So, I forced myself to let the subject go.

Sort of.

I huffed. “I suppose no decent human female would accept your brutish pawing unless she’d been forced into a marriage contract anyway.”

Melek snorted, but then shrugged. “We don’t use marriage contracts.”

“Oh? What do you do—swoop in from the sky and kidnap them, show them yoursnakes,and see if they don’t faint?”

He gave me a flat look. “In our tradition marriage is rare. But when a woman is found to be a twin soulwe speak a vow, then join bodies to complete the bond. It’s far more binding than signing a piece of paper.”

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