Page 186 of War Queen
She held up the butterfly to him. By now, it was barely recognizable in her clammy hand.
His eyes moved to the crushed remains in her palm, and his brow creased more. “You killed a butterfly.”
“No.” She shook her head, stepping closer and clasping his arm as she held the dead creature nearer to his face. “I mean, yes, I did, but I saw it fly away.”
He glanced at the butterfly again, and his eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t look like it flew away.”
She wanted to scream. Her conversation with Mikael had shaken her. She knew she wasn’t making sense, but she couldn’t get her words out. “No! In the temple of the seer, Bhasim showed me a vision. It was of me in the garden and a butterfly landing on my hand. And I let it fly away. But look!” She shoved the butterfly closer to his face. “Ichangedthe vision.”
He lifted his chin to avoid her smacking him with the dead insect. “Changing the fate of a butterfly doesn’t mean you can change the fate of a king.”
Did Soren and Mikael both inherit the same blindness? “Why not? Bhasim said visions can’t be changed, but they can! If something small can be changed, why not something more significant?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“But what if it is?”
“If it were that easy, we would have changed it by now.” Irritation grew in his voice. “But look at everything that’s happened—everything has unfolded as it was seen. No matter what we’ve done to stop it.”
“Because we didn’t recognize the moments, or what they meant! My father couldn’t stop my capture because he didn’t know it wasMikaelwho would take me, not the senior Shadow King. Mikael didn’t know that the vision of me on his throne was as his wife and not his enemy. We thought Lucien was Alexander. Don’t you see? We couldn’t stop them because of our ignorance, not because it was impossible. But this vision of Mikael’s death, it’s here now. I know it. And we have the chance to stop it.”
“And how do you know that everything you do won’t take us one step closer to that vision?”
“We have to remove Mikael. We have to get him away and let this moment pass. We can save him.” It sounded weak, she knew, but it was the only thing left she could think of.
He shook his head. “I can’t do that.”
“Soren, why won’t you even try?”
“Do you think I haven’t given everything to trying!” His voice shook in anger. “Do you not think I’ve spent my life trying to find ways to save him? Fate is always one step ahead. And it toys with us, teases us, gives us hope when there is none.”
“I don’t believe there’s no hope!” she cried. “I don’t accept that.” She wiped the smear of butterfly on her dress. “Soren,” she begged, “please.”
“Have you shown him this? Have you told him what you’re telling me now?”
“Yes! But he refuses the idea.”
“Then what would you have me do?”
“You can force him away. You control the army; you can force him to return to Mercia where he’ll be safe.”
“You would have me usurp his power?”
“Just until this is over.”
He reached out and clasped both sides of her face and held her. “Do you hear what you’re saying? You would have me take his choice?” He shook his head. “I’ve done that once, Salara, and you above all others should know what it takes from you. I won’t do it again. It’s his decision to stay. I stand by his side. And you can’t change fate. It’s shown us time and time again.” He released her, and with a final look of sadness, he left her to the room alone.
The room they’d taken for their chamber was quiet. Mikael sat on the edge of the bed in the dim candlelight, his hair loose around his shoulders. He was beautiful. She tried to capture this image of him, tried to burn it into her mind to remember forever. In the morning, he’d be gone. So she just stood, looking at him.
He returned her gaze. “Can I see you, Salara?” he asked softly.
He wanted to see her, to remember her, the way she wanted to remember him. Slowly, she reached behind her and loosened the ties of her gown. She pulled the shoulders down, slipping one arm from its sleeve and then the other before pushing it over her hips and letting it fall to the floor. Her corset, her shift, the silks—she removed them one at a time and discarded them to the side until she stood naked in front of him. Her skin prickled in the cool air, but she stood as he looked at her. She let him take his time.
He held his hand out for her, and she took it. Slowly, he pulled her to him. She stood between his knees as his eyes traveled her face and then ran back and forth between hers. He didn’t speak. He only reached up and flattened his hand against her chest. Her heart beat under his palm.
“Of all the things this life has given me, you’re the most precious.”
She took his face in her hands. “Come away with me,” she begged.
