Page 115 of Enchanted Heir
“Are you sure?” Krew asked me, turning to look me in the eyes. He was asking me, but his magic was still terrorizing Easton, who was again yelling out in pain.
I crossed the room and reached for Krew’s palm. As soon as I touched him, his magic immediately fell, Easton slumping to the floor.
Emric cursed. “Did you just see that?”
“Yeah, that happened,” Apollo affirmed.
I ignored them as I wrapped myself into Krew’s arms, slamming my eyes shut, wishing all of this hadn’t happened. “No more. One murder won’t right another.”
Easton was grabbing at his neck. “I don’t deserve your mercy, Jorah. I’ve done some terrible things. I tore apart multiple families in one summer.”
Krew’s voice went lethal as he said, “It is in your best interest to stop talking to her right now.”
Keir’s skin was bright with magic, like he was about to pick up where Krew left off.
“Don’t, Keir,” I added, my voice raw. “Stop it. All of you, just stop it.”
“Owen and Apollo,” Krew called. “Get Easton out of my sight.”
“You got it,” Owen said and was moving quickly, hauling Easton to his feet and leading him toward the door. Apollo flanking him on the other side of Easton.
“And the rest of you,” Krew added as he tightened his hold on me. “Get out.”
CHAPTER28
“Jorah.”
I sat in the chair by the fire where I was reading Krew’s mother’s journals. I was finally to the journal where she had the boys. A lot of it was happy. And I was not currently happy, but for some reason, reading these journals distracted me from the news dropped on me the day before, so I was throwing myself into them. Escaping to a happier time though I knew the story before me ended in tragedy too.
“Jorah.”
My eyes went to Krew’s.
“I must go to a meeting with my father. I’m so sorry,” Krew explained, moving to sit at the footrest at my feet. “I’ll be back as soon as I can be. Owen is here, okay, love?”
“Okay.” It had to be one of maybe ten words I’d said since the day before. I tried to smile at him, but my face wouldn’t cooperate. I was exhausted. Krew and I both were. I had cried out all my frustrations the day before, but sleep wouldn’t come. I wasn’t sure if it was the fear of what I would see in my dreams keeping me awake, or if it was the knowledge that all but a few nights I’d slept in this castle had been with my father’s murderer right outside my door. Either way, sleep was not possible. At all. So here I was. Still awake.
And Krew had for the most part stayed up with me. He had fallen asleep in bed for a little while, and when his breathing was slow, I snuck out of bed, grabbed a journal, and headed to the couch, using a lamp for light to read with. But within an hour, Krew must have noticed I wasn’t there, as he curled up on the couch next to me and fell back asleep with his head in my lap. So I knew he wasn’t well rested either and dealing with his father today was going to be hard.
It was my fault he was tired. Or maybe Easton’s. Or maybe his father’s. I didn’t even know anymore.
I turned back to the journal.
Just when I thought I knew what love was, they placed my boys in my arms. And I knew in that breath of a moment everything had changed. There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for these two little boys. Not because they are the heirs of Wylan, but because they are mine.
Tears burned my bloodshot eyes. It was beautiful. I had never met the queen, but from the humor and wit alone in her journals, I knew she was a beautiful person. It was such a happy moment. She had even written the king was supportive and there with her the entire long delivery. Though there was no hint of which boy was born first, she did say there was seven minutes between one being born and the other’s arrival.
Seven minutes between a future king and a mere place holder.
There must not have been enough liquid left in my body for tears. I must have cried them all out the previous day. But as I considered the queen’s moment, I felt the darkness pulling at me spread just a little further. Would I ever have a moment like that? Where I got to bring life into this world? Krew and I had no future.
Krew was willingly going to give up his life to kill his father and remove him from Wylan for good. He wasn’t planning a future with me because he believed he had none to dream with. So what were Krew and I even doing? Because the longer he did this, the longer he treated me in such a way that I had no idea what to do with, the harder it was going to be if he died too.
For the longest time I had refused to love another man because of the gaping hole my father’s death left in my heart. Outright refused. And now I found I had finally fallen in love. With a man destined for death.
What had I done?
“Jorah.”
