Page 12 of King Elijah (The Zemiran Chronicles 2)

Five

THE DAY HADflitted by quickly, Elijah doing anything and everything he could to divert himself from the inevitable.

“Why does it feel as though you’re holding back?” Liam asked. “A king never loses, Your Highness.”

Elijah threw his sword on the floor and placed his hand against the column of the training room, trying to catch his breath.

“I’m a bit distracted if you haven’t noticed,” Elijah said, stretching out his back, then rolled his soft, sheer sleeves up to his elbows. “You almost sliced off my arm, Liam.”

His guard sighed. “King Elijah, our practice usually ends with me lying on my back and your magic and sword at my throat.” Elijah’s face tightened, causing the muscles in his jaw to twitch. Liam tensed. “Honestly, Your Highness, I thought you’d be able to block it.”

The blunt apology wasn’t well received.

Elijah cursed Liam silently, turning his attention away to the open window.

After Elijah was sworn in as king, Liam was named head of his guard. The king questioned if it was the right decision. Liam was tough as nails, both in his muscular physique and his ability to make the difficult decisions for the protection of the kingdom. However, it wasn’t lost on Elijah that he had once worked for King Matthias, his father. Liam never was asked to do the unthinkable to the subjects of Zemira. Still, his loyalty was unwavering, and it begged the question, would he have? He was loyal to the royal family, willing to defend the kingdom as if he had ruled it himself. Eventually, that loyalty proved to Elijah that Liam would be the right man for the job.

At the time, Elijah wasn’t ready to make Aiden the captain of the guard. The elf was too occupied leading his own people—the Elven warriors included—settling them back on Zemiran land. He trusted Aiden more than any man in the kingdom, and he was sure that Aiden would have said yes if he had asked. Aiden could have traded in his sword for a high rank at the king’s side, but it would have drawn a line between him and his own kind. It was better to focus on his people so he could rebuild the trust between the elves and humans after their banishment.

“Are you fucking kidding me with this ridiculous dress?” Janelle shouted from the doorway, drawing both of their eyes to meet her enraged face. Her arms folded across her chest before she turned up her dainty nose.

Elijah gave her a cocky smile, taking her all in.

“You’re finally dressed like a lady and not a filthy rat,” he said humorously, watching as she gathered up the train of the dress.It was layer upon layer of fabric, hanging heavy around her legs and preventing her from walking forward. He could see the fury in her eyes, but Elijah found it delightful.

A tiny strand of her white hair had escaped her high bun and fell over her right eye. The red silk dress was stiff and formal, creating a striking contrast to her curves and exposing miles of soft, porcelain skin. Her eyes glittered like hundreds of tiny blue zircons, and he found it painstakingly difficult to tear his eyes away.

She was breathtakingly beautiful; he couldn’t deny that. However, even the most exquisite flower from the Zemiran forest could be deadlier than a thousand daggers.

Elijah didn’t try to hide his amused expression, watching the rage that ran through her and flushed her skin. Her rose-colored lips were set in a thin line, and he could see her untamed hatred sharpened in her eye like a knife. Elijah had no doubt that if he could read her thoughts, he’d see the wheels turning as she plotted his violent demise. He thought being captured would be humiliating enough, let alone having to walk the castle dressed like a primped-up noblewoman. Which is precisely what he had in mind when he sent the dress to her.

If she wants to be a royal pain in the ass, so will I, he mused.

“A bit overdressed, though. Don’t you think so?” Elijah taunted, waving Liam away for the evening.

He watched Janelle’s features shift at the mocking tone of his voice. The twitch on her lip from annoyance only caused his heart to thump harder in his chest.

Elijah swallowed, hating the woman, and finding her so utterly fascinating that he couldn’t shut her face out of his thoughts.

What is it about her? he thought.

“Come,” he said. “Your dinner is getting cold.”

He walked in front of her, hearing her stomp her heels loudly behind him. She winced with every roll of her ankle, trying to keep herself from falling. At least that answered one of his questions: despite her prestigious background, she didn’t flee to family wealth when Aiden was banished. It was clear she was a warrior to her very core.

Aiden stood from his chair as they entered the dining hall.

She stilled, refusing to walk any further.

Blasted woman, Elijah cursed in his thoughts, her defiance making his temper flare.

Elijah turned around, closed the distance between them in one smooth stride, and wrapped his hands around her waist. He pulled her warm, tight body close to his chest, lifted her weight, and threw her over his shoulder. One of his arms had to press across her thighs to keep her still.

“What the fuck are you doing? Put me down,” she shouted, slamming her fist against his back as he walked forward.

A heavy sigh came from Aiden, who waited at the dining table. “Is that really necessary?” Aiden asked. “A little kindness won’t hurt you, Elijah.”

Her sharp nails dug into his neck, sending a wave of pain exploding throughout his body. He winced, grunting under his breath before dropping Janelle down on the hard floor next to the table.

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