Page 177 of The Last One
“We were just catching up, Jadon and me,” Gileon starts. “You’re searching for Olivia, right? I’m searching for someone, too. My commander. Last time I saw him, he was somewhere near Caerno Woods.”
I cock an eyebrow. “Last timeIsaw him, he was still there. In a sense.” I pause, then add, “Depending on your definition of ‘was.’”
The muscles traveling along Gileon’s jaw and neck bulge. But he pushes his rage down and takes up his feigned politeness. “You’re devolving, Jadon. Can’t believe you traveled all the way from Maford, fighting beasts at every turn, risking your life for Olivia Corby, some simple bitch from Stiwood, whose father is just a, what? Duke?”
Gileon squints and points to me. “So areyounow his simple bitch?” He throws his hands up, pretending to be frustrated. “I’m confused. Clear this up for me, Jadon. Which one are you fucking? This one right here or my fiancée?”
His words slap me. My cheek stings and I see stars as I choke back my surprise and watch in horror as his smile challenges me to respond, to dispute his official proclamation. Blood drains from my face, but I won’t cry. I won’t fall apart, especially not in front of the men who already see me as a worthless trinket.
Jadon doesn’t respond, and his silence means that he agrees with Gileon Wake—that I am nothing. I don’t want to believe that, and I’m still clawing at the earth, imploring him to speak a word of defense, just one word that I can hold fast to.
Gileon’s brow crumples with sorrow. “Kai, I’m assuming he told you that Olivia is not his sister.”
“What’s the point of this?” I whisper, arms spread. “I want nothing from you. I’vedonenothing to you. I just want to reclaim something that Olivia has, something she stole from me.”
“I guess I was looking forward to seeing your reaction,” Gileon continues. “I wanted to see how you’d react as you discovered that this honorable man seated across from me hasn’t been honest with you, Kai. I admit…” He spins a geld atop the table. “I thought Olivia ran off to be with Jadon because they were in love, but…” He presses a finger to his lips, then taps his fingernail against his tooth, thinking.
“Don’t,” Jadon warns Gileon, his eyes burning. “We’ll resolve this, you and me. No need to bring Kai into it. Tell her where Olivia is and let her go about her business.”
But Jadon’s request only makes Gileon’s wicked smile widen. The prince sets his palms flat on the table. He meets my eyes, and there is hurt there. “I’m the fool. I was told by reliable sources that the love of my life… That she doesn’t like men. She could’ve told me. We could’ve figured something out. Marriages aren’t about love in our world, and families make arrangements all the time. But she didn’t even give me the opportunity or the respect. Andthenshe steals my family’s book on top of that and runs?” He shakes his head, sits back in his seat, his nostrils flaring.
Behind me, Philia weeps. Before me, Wake’s fingers tap the tabletop as his anger crackles until he clears his throat and pushes out a breath. He snaps up the geld from the table, flicks his eyes at Jadon, then levels his gaze at me. “I apologize. I’m sure you didn’t expect such melodrama. Thank this guy right here. All of this clamor and tumult is for him. And for…”
He searches the ceiling and counts to himself. “Nearly an hour now, I’ve been trying to convince him to return to Brithellum and do what’s required of him. The emperor was amused at first, Jadon, but then you stayed away foryears. But!” Gileon lifts a finger. “Good news! In his kind wisdom, his endless patience, he will forgive you. If you return peacefully, no one gets hurt. Not Olivia. And not this one.” He scans me from head to toe again, then lifts his eyebrows. “I can see the appeal.” He chuckles and winks at me. “No offense.”
My shoulders, as bruised as they are, now tingle, and my hands, oh,fuck, my hands…
Gileon slaps the table.
We all startle, even the soldiers.
“Snap out of it,” Gileon spits at Jadon.
I agree. Snap the fuck out of it, Jadon.
Jadon lifts his eyes to meet Gileon’s.
“They’re all lined up to meet you,” Gileon snarls, “to marry you, to have your babies. Women with class and royal blood, whose families are powerful—”
“No one’s as powerful as the Lady!” Philia shouts.
This makes Gileon finally turn around in his seat to glare at Philia. “I recognize the true Supreme, theoneSupreme, manifested in my father, Emperor Syrus Wake. No true believer accepts false gods.” He glares at me. “Not even a fuckable one like the Lady here.”
Stay calm. Wait as long as you can. You kill him now, you may never find Olivia or your amulet and you will never reach Mount Devour and you will die in this pigsty called Vallendor.If you hurl wind or fire like you want, Separi and her family may get hurt. If you kill Gileon Wake, Caburh may suffer even more than Maford did.
Gileon scowls at Jadon with unfiltered loathing. “Are you doneslumming, Jadon? Have you gotten it out of your system?”
Jadon’s jaw tightens, and his skin flushes red.
I loudly exhale, then close my eyes, let my head fall back. After counting to ten, I open my eyes and search the ceiling for anything—a ladybug or a painted posy—to calm the rage bucking against its cage. Somehow, I’m able to focus on Gileon Wake without having to strangle him. “I don’t know you,” I say, calm and soft, “but I had really hoped that you were killed by my fire. There’s something about you that makes me want to start another.”
Gileon pales some but returns to spinning that coin on the tabletop.
“How is that soldier?” I ask. “Not the one I killed with his own pike and burned so thoroughly that even Supreme would give up putting him back together. No, I’m talking about the one who lost his hand after striking his horse. Is that soldier still alive? Has death claimed him yet? If you tell me where he is, I can finish him off, if you wish. YourHighness.”
Gileon’s eyes widen, and any color he had left has abandoned his body. He remains silent, though.
A smile plays on the edge of Jadon’s lips.
