Guardian of the Crown by Melissa McShane

Author:Melissa McShane
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: magic, fantasy romance, fantasy adventure, female main character, strong female protagonist, thief fantasy, politics fantasy
Publisher: Melissa McShane

Chapter Fourteen

In the carriage, seated across from her, Kerish said, “I had to use your money to pay. I didn’t bring enough.”

“It’s my healing. I think that’s fair,” Willow said.

Kerish nodded. His mouth was set in that straight, hard line again, and it made Willow’s heart hurt more. “I’m sorry,” she blurted out.

“Sorry for what?”

“For everything. For killing Amberesh. I swear I didn’t mean to, Kerish, but he was trying—I know you’re angry with me—”

Kerish’s eyes widened. “I’m not angry with you.”

“You certainly look like you are.” To her horror, her voice trembled.

In one swift movement, Kerish was beside her. “Willow,” he said. His arms encircled her, and it was so comforting, so familiar, that her eyes burned again. She clutched the front of his shirt and buried her face against his chest, and felt him stroke her hair.

“You looked so angry,” she murmured.

“Of course I was angry. I was furious. It took them the whole damn day to bother sending word to us that you’d been arrested. Amberesh dead, you gone missing, and when we found out you’d actually told them to tell someone—” His arms tightened around her. “The guard didn’t come until just after breakfast, when we were preparing to send out search parties. He’s lucky Mother was there, because I’m sure he was just a poor grunt who didn’t deserve what I intended to do to him. His boss wasn’t so lucky.”

“Thank you for coming for me.”

“As if anything on earth could have stopped me. Oh, Willow, khaladesi, forgive my slowness.”

Khaladesi. Beloved.

“It’s not your fault,” she murmured. “I killed Amberesh. You should hate me.”

“Never.” He brushed a kiss across her forehead that made her tingle all over. “I know whatever you did was in self-defense. It’s true, he was my fuoreno, but if I had to choose between you, I would pick you every time. If he’d killed you…”

“He nearly did. I was lucky.”

Kerish’s arms tightened on her again, almost painfully, but being held by him was so blissful she didn’t care. She put her arms around his waist and closed her eyes, breathing in the cinnamon and cloves smell of him and trying not to remember the awful cell.

He stroked her hair again, so gently. “After last night—after this morning—I realized you still hold my heart in your hands. I love you. I have never stopped loving you. Just…let me hold you, please, if only for a little while.”

His quiet voice, his gentle hands, brought back everything she’d felt in that long, dark night. “I love you,” she whispered, and felt his hand still against her hair, heard him take in a quick breath. “Kerish, I love you.”

She felt him kiss the top of her head, and it sent another tingle through her. “I hoped,” he said. “Sometimes, the way you looked at me…it was as if all those years had never happened.”

“All those years. I never stopped loving you, either. I tried to forget—did forget, for a long time—but there was always a part of me that knew the truth.

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