Page 66 of Enchanted Heir
Krew closed his eyes and swallowed hard. “Should anything happen to me, Keir and Owen already have directions on how to take care of Warrick down to who his teachers will be and who his attendants will be. A life here without my father is the greatest life I could ever give him.”
“No!”
His eyes opened and looked at mine.
“No,” I repeated, shaking my head. “You don’t get to do this! You don’t get to say things like that to me when you are planning to die all along. You don’t get to leave Warrick like that.”
“I don’twantto, love,” Krew said gently. “But I might have to in order to finish the job.”
I shook my head, more tears falling. “No! Find another way. I agree with Owen. This plan is absolutelyhorrid.”
“Jorah,” he said, his voice going soft but his magic going nowhere. “I’ve fought him before. I know what it will take. Either an act of God or every ounce of magic I have. Every single piece of me. There might not be another way.”
I didn’t accept that. Wouldn’t. “Then find another way! You mean to tell me some of the most intelligent people in the kingdom have been working on this for years andthisis your master plan?” He didn’t say anything, so I repeated, “Find another way.”
His voice was almost a whisper. “Why?”
Chest heaving, I closed my eyes and fought the tears trying to drown me. “So we can torture each other some more.”
He walked toward me where I stood fuming. I was so,sofurious at him for this. For being able to just accept death if he needed to in order to finish the cause.
He reached a hand up and brushed one tear away so gently he barely touched my face.
Not wanting him to leave the room or this conversation like this, I reached out and hugged him, tucking myself into his body, not even remotely caring for a moment if he was sore from his scuffle with Keir. “Don’t do this,” I pleaded at a bare whisper. “Don’t leave us.”
He sighed, wrapping his arms around me. “I don’t wish to leave you, love. I just fear I’ll have to.”
CHAPTER17
Ifinished my last letter for the orphanage with only a little time to spare. The plan today was simple. Krew was heading to the orphanage for a quick trip and to ask Hattie for a favor, a sample of her blood. Meanwhile, Owen and I were going to Mother’s bakery and would fetch a doctor. Someone she trusted. It would be the divide and conquer type of day.
Get in. Get my blood tested. Get out.
To say I was nervous was a severe understatement.
“Stop sighing,” Owen barked at me.
I looked out the window at the cloudy and gloomy day. “I’m anxious and nervous is all.” I stole a glance at Krew sitting across from me, “Also still pissed at Krew.”
He glared back, not apologetic at all.
“At least we will know in a few hours what’s going on with your blood,” Owen offered.
“I know,” I said, trying my best not to sigh again. “And then we can figure out the next steps.”
I didn’t know what today would bring, I just knew I wanted to put together whatever string of events needed to form up some alternate plan. One which would result in Krew and Keir taking down the king without anything happening to either one of them in the process. There had to be another way. There just had to be.
The carriage stopped a street down from my mother’s bakery, per the usual, and Owen and I moved to get out. Krew did too apparently, as I felt a hand on my wrist as soon as I was on the ground.
“Jorah,” he said softly. “Please be careful today.”
I looked into his steel blue eyes and then hesitated. We were in the streets of Nerede now. Was he doing this, doting on me in public, because there were watchful eyes and he needed me to calm down the disloyal radicals in Nerede, or was it because he truly cared? His vague and confusing admissions to me the day before were further blurring the lines between us.
I no longer knew what was real and what wasn’t.
“You too,” I managed back with a smile.
Then Owen and I were off toward Mother’s bakery. And I felt a little guilty because she thought this was a fun visit, but instead it wasn’t. This visit was all business.
