Everly~
"What news?" Ronan's deep voice echoed from behind me.
I could feel the warmth from his body and couldn't hide my smile when he wrapped one of his strong arms around me from behind. His need to touch me had grown and my love for it had intensified.
"Ragnar has invited many visitors to Thoracia." Kaes started.
"Visitors from where?" I asked, but it seemed as though Ronan already knew the answer to my question.
"Praet, Warwitt...Maddmore."
"Other kingdoms." I muttered under my breath. "Why?"
"To see you, no doubt." Kaes said with a grin. "Ragnar has been boasting of your gifts. I am certain the lords wanted to see you with their own eyes."
"What does he know?" Ronan asked coldly, his arm wrapped around me and his hand on my upper abdomen.
"He knows she can heal. He also knows she can take life without contact."
I felt Ronan take a deep breath behind me.
"Nothing of the source?" Talon asked, joining us as if he'd never truly been far.
"No."
"Good." Ronan added. "We must keep it that way."
"He has requested an audience with us and is expecting a full report."
"When?" Ronan was displeased by Kaes' last statement.
"Two days."
The woods were silent aside from my pounding heart and the cooing of morning doves.
"We will confirm what he already knows to be true. Everly is a healer who can also take life. She commands human flesh and bone...that is all we know." Ronan locked eyes with Kaes and then Talon who nodded along with his statement of fallacy.
"So you will go to him?" I asked, trying to mask the fear in my voice.
"We." Kaes corrected. "You are included in the summons."
Feeling my blood run cold, I looked up over my shoulder at Ronan whose fury was evident, yet controlled.
Talon did not care for the idea either, shaking his head as if he was trying to reason his way to a different solution.
"Perhaps you could appeal to his humanity, Ronan." Talon asked.
The suggestion forced an arrogant laugh from Kaes' chest.
"Ragnar was once your friend, was he not? She is your mate, perhaps if he knew he might..."
"He might what? Turn her over willingly and forget the whole thing? I thought you were smarter than that, Talon." Kaes sneered, mocking Talon's request.
Clenching his jaw, Talon glared at Kaes, but said nothing.
"He's right, Talon. Ragnar values power over friendship. If he's already boasted of her gifts he means to use them to intimidate other kingdoms. He will not recant. He will not stop."
Turning in Ronan's arms, I looked up at him, pleading with him not to take me there.
"We could run." I said almost desperately.
"And where would we go?" Ronan asked calmly, brushing a few loose strands of hair away from my face.
"Anywhere. Between the four of us, we could defend ourselves. We could disappear."
Shaking his head, Ronan placed one hand on the side of my face, brushing his thumb across my cheek in a soothing motion.
"Concealing you now only confirms your great gifts. Ragnar will send an army to hunt us to the ends of the earth. He will not stop. That is not a life, Everly."
