Page 163 of The Blade in the Ashes
Clay tensed as I tried to figure out the words to describe the hurricane of emotions swimming inside the woman he loved.
Heaviness.
Sorrow.
Despair.
Resolve.
“She’s changing, Clay,” I struggled to explain it to him. I wasn’t even sure I fully understood what she was feeling myself. “And she’s grieving the part of herself that she had to let go of.”
He turned to me, concern spiking in his own emotion, and he opened his mouth as if he wanted to question me further, but then Thea wasalready walking up to us, and his love for her overwhelmed anything else as she pulled me into a hug.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered in my ear.
I squeezed her. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
Pulling away, she stared up at me with watery eyes and possibly the warmest smile I had ever seen. “I meant that I am sorry for your pain, Kentoni.”
Her words hit the center of my heart and reverberated through my body.
It was, perhaps, the first time I had looked at her and recognized her as a Goddess staring back at me.
The level of awareness in her gaze was startling. There was no way she could have known my struggle over those months we were separated. No way she could have known about the loss of my mother or the strife of having to face war again. She couldn’t possibly have felt the hatred I had towards my own magic.
And yet, she looked at me as if she knew it all. Likeshewas the one who could feelmyemotions.
I had to know how she did that. I had to know what she saw when she looked inside me.
She was already turning away, though, hand flying to her chest as Antoni, Patrek, Michonne and the rest led their steeds over the hill.
Thea gasped. Iris released an impressed laugh. Clay only stepped forward, staring as horse after horse made its way over the hill.
Only it wasn’t just horses. Hundreds more followed on foot.
Thousands of Mortals, all following behind Elaijah. Rankor’s brother looked first to him, then to Clay, and finally to Ayanna. Together, he and the Instructor both beamed in pride.
“How?” Clay whispered, apparently unable to look away from the new forces.
Rankor winked at his brother before grinning sideways at me.
I shrugged at my king. “We asked.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Clay
There was something incredibly grounding about sitting at a table surrounded by my friends and allies. My court, I supposed.
We didn’t have a High Council. Not anymore. I decided not to be called the Dragon. It was a title my father had poisoned and a government structure that he had corrupted.
No, together we would build something new.
Thea to my right, Iris to my left. Nikolai beside Iris and Kent beside him. Rankor and his dark-haired instructor on the other side. Elaina sat across from me, bouncing Myla on her knee.
None of us had been prepared to step into this role, but here we were.
It was finally starting to feel like we stood a chance at finding success.
