Page 26 of Shadow Queen
Shock stopped the obvious argument on her tongue. “What?” she breathed.
He could barely get it out the first time, the second cut even deeper. “Phillip’s offer for marriage still stands.”
Norah shook her head, her brows stitching in confusion. “I’m already married.To Mikael.”
“For how long? Even if this all doesn’t come crashing down, there are many who seek his fall.”
She shook her head again. “Mercia stands with him.”
“Norah, the council will never support the Shadow King.” He hadn’t intended to be so direct, but she needed to understand.
“He’stheirking! I wed him!”
“In name only!”
She stopped. But it wasn’t the stop that suddenly gripped his heart. It wasn’t the abrupt quiet. It was the small catch of her breath—so faint that it was barely noticeable.
But he noticed.
The catch of breath she gave when she was caught…
“Welcome back, Lord Justice,” the Shadow King’s voice called from behind them.
Alexander spun to see the king and the Destroyer step out from the shadows. How much had they heard? He almost didn’t care, his mind was still on Norah’s reaction.
“Interesting news from Aleon,” the king said calmly. “Does it come with a proposal of how to be rid of me?”
The scraping of the Destroyer’s giant axe on the stone floor as he stepped toward Alexander made Norah step closer to him, but that was the opposite of what he wanted her to do. He needed to get her away from here, away from the danger of this situation, and away from this king.
“There were no such discussions,” Alexander said stiffly. His mind replayed the catch in her breath, and heat rippled over his skin.
“Then a little premature for a marriage conversation. Don’t you agree?” the king asked.
Alexander didn’t agree, but he said nothing. His pulse thrummed deafeningly in his ears.
The king pulled his sword, and Alexander put his hand on his hilt.
“Alexander,” Norah pleaded. In normal circumstances, he might have listened.
His mind swirled—the catch in her breath…
He pulled his sword.
Her head jerked to the Shadow King. “Mikael, wait.” She was trying to calm the tension, but there would be no calming. She looked back desperately at Alexander. “Go to your chamber.”
He wouldn’t need his chamber after this.
“If I didn’t know better”—the Shadow King took another step toward him—“I’d think you were a man of Aleon.”
Insult to injury.
The catch in her breath…
“I’m a man who will see your end,” Alexander bit back.
The Destroyer let out a roar and raged forward, swinging his axe with a fury.
“No!” Norah cried as Alexander charged forward to meet him. The clash of their weapons echoed through the halls. Footfalls sounded, soldiers fast approaching. They swarmed into the hall and surrounded them.
