Page 54 of Lord of the Lone Wolf
The half-wolf shifter settled into the offered seat. “Yes, she sought me out.”
“What did she tell you?”
The direct question caught Maseo off guard. He had expected to discuss battle strategies, not dissect his confusing conversation with the War Power. “Many things, though I confess I understood very little of what she meant.”
Kitsuki’s expression turned sympathetic. “Kizoshi has a talent for speaking in riddles that only make sense in hindsight. What did she say?”
Maseo shifted in his chair. “She mentioned I would have vengeance against my father. That it was something she had wanted to do for centuries but had restrained herself from.” He looked down at his hands. “She spoke as if she hated him with a passion I could not comprehend.”
“Kizoshi has despised your father far longer than you have been alive. But what else did she say about your vengeance?”
“That it would be glorious.” Maseo’s brow furrowed as he tried to recall her exact words. “She said my suffering was almost over and that every decision I make during the war will lead me to what I want most in life.”
Kitsuki leaned forward, his intense gaze fixed on Maseo’s face. “Did she say anything about you facing Nasume?”
“Not in so many words.” Maseo hesitated. “But she said I would do what only I could do. That I had the honor of claiming my reward for every scar my father carved into my soul.”
Something dark flashed in Kitsuki’s eyes. “She told me you would confront Nasume alone. Without interference from anyone else.”
Maseo sat back in his chair, processing the implications. “Alone?”
Kitsuki’s hands clenched into fists on his desk. “She claims it is the only way to break the cycle of abuse.”
Maseo’s mind raced. A one-on-one confrontation with his father? The man who had nearly killed him multiple times, who possessed shadowmancy while Maseo couldn’t use magic because of his half-human heritage?
“I see.” He kept his voice steady despite the fear clawing at his chest.
“My concern is that Nasume is a powerful shadowmancer with centuries of combat experience. You are a skilled warrior, but you cannot match his magical abilities.”
“No, I can’t.” Maseo met the king’s gaze. “But if it is my responsibility to kill my father to save Talwyn and protect the people I care about, then I will gladly do it.”
The conviction in his own voice surprised him. When had he become someone willing to face certain death for others?
But he knew the answer. It had started the moment Auslin had saved his life in that forest clearing. It had grown stronger with every kindness shown to him in the castle, all the acceptancefrom Jaega’s warriors, and the glimpses of the life he could have if he was brave enough to fight for it.
“Your courage is admirable,” Kitsuki said. “But courage alone may not be enough against someone of Nasume’s power.”
Maseo couldn’t help the dry laugh that escaped him. “With respect, how much more dangerous could it be than the last time he almost succeeded in killing me?”
Kitsuki blinked, and then his expression shifted to something that might have been rueful acknowledgment. “You make a valid point.”
“My father has been trying to break me my entire life.” Maseo’s voice grew stronger. “He has beaten me, poisoned me, starved me, and told me daily that I was worthless.”
“You are far from worthless,” Kitsuki said with unexpected heat. “Anyone who has spent time with you can see your true value.”
Maseo glanced away, afraid that his face would reveal too much of what Kitsuki’s words meant to him. “Thank you for your kindness.”
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken emotions. When Maseo looked up, he found Kitsuki watching him with an expression he couldn’t decipher. There was concern there, yes, but also something deeper that made Maseo’s heart race with dangerous hope.
“I worry about you,” Kitsuki admitted, his formal mask slipping. “The thought of you facing Nasume alone…” He trailed off, his hand moving to his chest.
Maseo’s breath caught. Was the king touching the wish pendant he had given him? The possibility that Kitsuki might treasure it sent warmth flooding through his veins.
“I will do everything in my power to survive,” Maseo said. “I have too much to live for now.”
“Such as?”
The question hung in the air between them. Maseo knew he should give a safe answer. Talk about his newfound friends, his place in the army, his chance at a better life. But looking into Kitsuki’s eyes, seeing the genuine concern there, he spoke from the heart.
