To Chain an Elf King: An Enemies to Lovers Fantasy Romance (Sands of Maeoris Book 2) by Atley Wykes

Author:Atley Wykes [Wykes, Atley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Alder Circle Press
Published: 2023-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Kael

I bristled at Xadrian’s casual tone, my hand instinctively reaching for my sword hilt. The humid air in the temple was heavy against my skin, causing beads of sweat to form on my forehead. I took a step forward, fixing Xadrian with a fierce stare. “What are you doing here?” I demanded, my voice sharp with suspicion.

Niko intervened before Xadrian could respond. The flickering torches lining the walls cast an orange glow on his face, at odds with his blue coloring.“He’s here to teach you.”

Xadrian’s smirk turned into a full-blown grin, the flicker of the flames dancing across his angular features. “Oh, I’ll teach her all right.” His deep voice reverberated through the temple, sending a shiver down my spine.

I glowered at him, assessing. He wore a simple shirt and breeches, the black fabric hugging his lean form. A silver chain adorned his neck, glinting in the torchlight. His boots were made of a supple leather that looked comfortable, yet durable.

“We’re not at the palace, you can turn off the charm,” I hissed before turning to Niko. “He’s from a High House. His sister wants to be emperor. How can you trust him?”

Xadrian’s expression grew darker, his normally flirtatious tone replaced by a sharp edge. “Caelia’s ambitions aren’t my own,” he growled. “You know nothing about me.”

Niko sighed and looked at me. “Xadrian’s been in the rebellion for the last few years, giving us intel as he traveled around the empire. He’d recently come home for the competition as heir and got even more involved.”

I was stunned. He was working against his sister? I thought back to when he flashed me the rebel hand sign as the emperor’s entourage was leaving and how I wasn’t sure or not if I’d seen it. It all made sense now—why he claimed his Sálfar heritage so openly, his insouciance and accent that differed from the other elves.

“I don’t understand.” I couldn’t wrap my head around it. “Why didn’t Teodosija tell me when I told her about my magic?”

Niko raised a brow. “You can’t be serious? You disobey orders and defy her at every turn. Of course, she wouldn’t inform you about our outside agents.” Niko held my gaze, trying to judge my reaction before continuing. “We need all the help we can get. And Xadrian has proven himself to be trustworthy.”

“I guess so.” I shifted uneasily, my fingers flexing around my sword. The cool bone was comforting in my hand, grounding me in the present. To me, Xadrian was still that flirtatious courtier who seemed determined to annoy Theron. That he was a rebel sympathizer...

Xadrian stepped forward, his expression unusually serious. The flicker of the torches played across his face, casting deep shadows in the hollows of his cheeks.“I’m sorry I didn’t help you more in the palace. I wasn’t sure if you were a rebel or not until after you fought in the arena.”

I remembered how Theron had told me that Xadrian had given him the antidote that saved me from Theodas’s poison, and I nodded in understanding.

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