Page 58 of The King has Fallen

Disgusted with myself, and simultaneously grateful that the course of events would further the story I was building, I turned away from her to remove my weapon straps, pulled my shirt out of my waistband and tore through the buttons, let the two sides of it fall aside, Then I unbuttoned the top of my leathers as well, before stalking back to the tent flap.

Shoving it aside, I found Gall standing outside, his shoulders hunched up around his ears, his arms curled around the things he’d brought, that I had requested.

A few shadows melted away when I appeared, but that was just as well. It meant they were listening.

“Give me those,” I snapped, silently praying that Gall would forgive me the next day. “You stand out here. You don’t move. You don’t let anyone but the King Himself inside until I change the order. Do you understand?”

Gall nodded hurriedly, not meeting my eyes. I stepped out of the tent so anyone watching could see my disheveled appearance and sweaty brow. I grabbed the satchel and linens in his arms and yanked them from his grip, growling as I turned and snapped the tent flap aside again and disappeared inside.

And then, as I stormed back to the bed, to her pale, still form, I realized it was done. For better or for worse, it was done. Tomorrow morning the entire camp would believe I had claimed her and taken her for breeding.

I stood back a moment, breathing hard, taking in the sight of her—dirty, messy, but untouched. Laying on my bed, in my shirt, her black hair splayed over her face, and her pale skin almost glowing in the dimness. She looked so small and so fragile… And it hit me.

That had been close. So close.

I took one shaky step back, then another, until I could get a hand on the chair and pull it closer.

I sat down hard.

So fucking close.

20. Fear Not

~ YILAN ~

I did pass out when Melek reset my shoulder.

But I came to while he was bandaging me and clothing me with gentle hands, muttering curses in the moments when he jostled my shoulder. At first I didn’t open my eyes because of the pain. But then I didn’t want to let him know I was aware because I was terrified and exhausted andso relieved he’d gotten me away.I just… needed a moment.

But then he growled at Gall, and then he left me on the bed and sat in the chair and was quiet. I didn’t want him to see me cry, so I didn’t move. I acted as if I was still unconscious.

I guess at some point I fell asleep.

My dreams were uneasy, broken visions of being in the hands of those monsters—but every time, Melek arrived just in time and relief coursed through me before I sank into darkness again.

I woke up with sunlight making the tent glow, my body warm and dry, and with a lovely, comforting scent filling my nose. But I was hurting too. For a moment I was disoriented. The cage bars were overhead, but closer. And I wasn’t laying on hard dirt, but something that creaked when I moved my leg. A cot?

I blinked and looked down at myself—I was in a long, white shirt. The cuffs rolled up many times to shorten the length. My legs were covered by dark leggings made from soft cotton.

Suddenly, a male throat cleared nearby, and I jerked to look. I tried to push up to sit, but my entire right side screamed in pain when I put pressure on that hand to lever myself up.

I ended up curling up slowly, awkwardly, gripping the edge of the cot in the other hand, breathing heavily against the pain and shaking my head when Gall stared at me, worriedly.

“I’m fine. I’m fine. I just forgot about my shoulder when I woke up,” I said, though the pit of my stomach now roiled with nausea against the pain.

“Are you okay, Yilan?” Gall whispered, his eyes wide, forehead lined with worry. “That was horrible. And you—”

“I’m fine, Gall. I promise.”

It took a minute, but I got myself up to a sitting position, my legs swung over the side of the shallow cot and feet on the ground, so at least I could brace to stand if I needed to.

Then I just relaxed and breathed for a moment, praying the pain would ease.

Gall looked at the tent flap like he was afraid someone was about to walk in.

He was armed again, I noticed. And staying a few feet back from the cage.

I smiled and nodded at the spear. “Thank you for helping me yesterday. You were very brave. And I see you’re armed again! That’s great, Gall—”

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