Page 72 of A Witch and Her Dragon
The king’s wrinkled brow furrows. “You truly believe that?”
I nod once, throat tight.
“Son, I don’t go back on my promises.” He leans forward in his armchair. “Trust and loyalty are of utmost importance to me. I told you when you were eleven that we’d make a deal: You’d serve me as a member of my guard, and in return, I’d ensure your family had a safe place to live and build a life. You’ve served me faithfully since the moment you shook hands with me that day. But you think I’d so easily go back on my word?”
He sounds upset, but not in the way I feared. He sounds...hurt.
“I felt I’d failed you, Your Majesty.”
“Nonsense.” He shakes his head, pale eyes focused as they regard me. “You’ve failed no one. You even fought against your own instincts in an effort to carry out the duty I’d assigned to you. I can’t imagine that was easy...” One of his bushy gray eyebrows arches.
Now I shake my head. “No, Your Majesty.”
The king makes a thoughtful sound, then takes a sip of tea. His lips twist up on one side, and he immediately adds another sugar cube to his cup. I almost shudder. That’s much too sweet for my liking.
“Tell me,” he says. “How did Alina take all of this? Did you tell her?”
I recall Alina’s face, illuminated by candlelight, when I told her the truth in the stablemaster’s office. Her magic sent snowflakes falling all around us, beautiful and silent, and when I pressed my lips to hers...
For a moment, I thought I wouldn’t be able to let her go.
But I had to.
I clear my throat and sit straighter. “I did.” I take a sip of my tea before continuing. “She was upset. She asked me not to leave.”
Upset.
I saw the hurt in her eyes, heard the pain in her voice when she screamed my name as I left her behind. It still sends my skin prickling and my stomach twisting.
“But you did anyway,” the king says slowly. “You left.”
I nod.
“Why?”
The answer to that one is easy. And now that I’m being honest, my words flow freely. “Because I don’t wish to harm her, and I feel I’m a danger to her. Telling you the truth was the only way I could keep her safe. This is the best option—for both of us.”
In response, the king tips his head. He strokes his long gray beard a few times, his rings catching the firelight, then says, “Are you sure about that, son?”
A short humorless laugh slips past my lips unbidden. “Depends on when you ask me.”
King Jorvick’s blue eyes narrow. “I’m asking now.”
Was leaving the best option? My dragon and heart say no. But my brain, the logical part of me not controlled by my unquenchable thirst for Alina, says yes.
I let out a deep sigh. “Now... I believe I made the right choice, even if it doesn’t feel that way just yet.” Looking down, I find my reflection swimming in my teacup. My brows are pulled low, my eyes pinched and hard. “But in time, I think Alina will come to understand why I needed to do it.”
“And what about you? As far as I’m aware, shifters aren’t supposed to defy the bond. It goes against nature. How will you carry on?”
“I’ll do what I must,” I say firmly, though I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince the king or myself. Perhaps both. “And I may need more magic.” I lift a hand to touch the chain around my throat. “I worry I may be running low.”
The king sits forward again. “That can be arranged.”
The look in his eyes softens, and for just a moment, I feel like he’smygrandfather, sitting with me before a fire, offering me his wisdom. I never knew my parents’ parents. He may truly be the closest thing to a grandparent I have.
“But, Raelan—”
A violent pounding on the door startles us both. The king spills some of his tea, then mumbles, “Curses, I’d just gotten it right.” He fetches a linen napkin and wipes off his hands, then calls out, none too kindly, “Come in!”
