Page 101 of The King's Weapon

She moved out of the way as Graeson joined her, and she watched him pull the ladder up and through the hole and shut the latch. Kallie looked at him in question.

He shrugged, saying, "It's no fun jumping down when someone tries to prank you by taking the ladder away."

"Fynn?" Kallie asked. Even though she had only known him for a short amount of time, Kallie knew it was something her brother would do to mess with Graeson.

"Don't worry, I got him back later." He winked and the memory brought a coy smile onto his face.

Kallie raised a brow.

"Let's just say, Fynn doesn't enjoy swimming anymore." He waved his hand and walked away from the hatch toward the edge of the terrace.

As Kallie followed him in the dark with only the full moon to brighten their path, Kallie looked up at the stars that filled the night sky.

When she reached the edge, leaning against the railing a few feet away from Graeson, she saw why Graeson had wanted to show her this place. The Cavern of Catius was located underneath the highest building in the village, and on the roof, she could see everything. In the far distance, Kallie saw the path they took to the springs, a thick line of trees on the horizon. And behind Graeson, the palace on top of the hill. From here, the palace looked much smaller and its grandeur faded into the depths of the darkness. Below, people walked on the streets, arms wrapped around each other. And a lightness filled the cool air.

Kallie began pointing at different buildings and areas that caught her attention. She pointed to a small fountain not far off from the shops, bringing Graeson's attention to it.

"It's the fountain in honor of Pontanius' mortal wife. He built it in her name shortly after she passed. According to the myth, he met her in that exact spot," he said, leaning against the wall that wrapped around the roof.

"Do you believe all of that?" Kallie asked.

"What?" Graeson asked, looking at her, his brows creasing in the center.

"All of the stories about the gods," Kallie whispered as if the gods could hear her from wherever they lay in the stars.

Graeson's lip twitched. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. After hearing the two stories about Sabina, it's hard to know what is true and what has been altered. Then I look at this. And I find it hard to believe that all of this," she waved around to the village that thrived in the late hours of the night, "was the result of a god falling in love with a mortal."

Graeson turned his head toward the fountain. "I don't think it's that hard to believe."

"Really? To be outcasted from your kind? Go into hiding? All because of love? Seems like a fantasy world to me," Kallie said, propping her head onto her hand as she leaned over the wall.

"Love makes people do crazy things, I suppose."

"Love makes people foolish," she repeated the words she had told Fynn weeks ago. And perhaps she said them again to remind herself. She didn’t love Graeson. That was ludicrous, especially after having known him for only a month. But she did care for him, more than she thought was possible in such little time.

"Those who fear love are the foolish ones, for they forfeit their own happiness out of fear of the unknown." His voice was quiet, yet steady.

"And risk the possibility of heartbreak?"

"Some things are worth the risk, don't you think?"

Kallie felt him turn to her, but she continued to stare out toward the fountain, refusing to meet his gaze.

"I'd rather be unbroken than left shattered into pieces," she said.

"You don't actually mean that, do you?" He pushed himself up off the ledge.

Kallie turned her head and looked at him. "Why wouldn't I? I haven't believed in love for a long time. It has destroyed too many people." Kallie paused, but when Graeson didn't respond, she continued, "I love my—I loved the king, and look where that's gotten me. Confused and broken. I had thought. . . I had thought before that those in your family were the ones you could love unconditionally, but it turns out that's not true either. So why would I give my heart to someone and risk them breaking it, too? Or risk breaking theirs?"

Graeson looked at her, his eyes flicking over her face. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Do you think you would break someone's heart?"

Kallie sighed and looked away to where two women sat at the edge of the fountain. Hands grasped together, foreheads touching. "It's not that I wouldintentionallybreak someone's heart or that I would even try to have that much power over someone . . . but sometimes you betray someone without meaning to, without even knowing how much you meant to someone before it's too late."

One of the women kissed the other on the cheek, caressing her face. Then, her hand fell and she walked away, leaving the other woman alone in the dark. The woman who sat at the fountain watched the other walk away, but she didn't move, she didn't go after her. Instead, her head dropped into her hands and her shoulders began to shake.

Case in point, Kallie thought.

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