Deciding Skies (Fate's Intent Book 2) (16 page)

“I wanted to kill him. I wanted to make him feel every bit of suffering I went through because of him but something from the past kept me from actually doing it. Instead, I told him to leave and never come back, that I didn’t want to see him again and I didn’t want him near my unborn child. We parted on those terms for the last time and he left, never to return.”

“You must be telling us this for a reason. Why?”

“During my time on the other side, I became quite close to those I’d never expect to see again but now my sons have seemed to fall in my path and brought me their offspring with the painful memory of our parting.”

Breaths halted and hearts stopped. I was good at feeling that.

“Father, I—”

“It’s all right, Zayden. I know why you did it.”

“Do they know you know?”

“Why don’t you ask them?”

The door to the conference room opened and a guard stepped aside, forcing the girls to enter. Adele was barely dressed from being pulled from Zayden’s room and the Black Wings of Death marks were visible on her hips.

“Leave us.” I said to the guard.

The door was closed and everyone stood in silence.

“Allow me to introduce them to you properly, boys. Jaylyn Chamberlin, daughter of Bryce and whose mother is unknown to me. Both deceased, I imagine. Neither of them a fault of mine, in case you’re wondering. Ruby Paige, daughter of Gwen and whose father is—well, unknown to the world. Both deceased? Most likely sad to say. Gwen was a unique breed that is hopefully being carried on through her daughter. Then finally, Adele Balwin, born of her Kaluian father, Aleksander and her Senian mother, Cynthia. Any questions?”

“Yeah.” Zayden said. “What are you going to do now?”

Everyone looked at each other but I sat quiet in my chair only to make them more nervous. “Well, I know what I should do. The charges are quite severe, lying to me is probably the worse one though I knew it the moment I saw them standing at my door. It was like looking my past in the face. I could very well see that things are taken care of as they should but just speaking of the past is making me feel merciful because I am not my father and you boys better be thankfully lucky that I’m not. I do care about you so I’ll tell you that this is going to be hard. I can see just as well as any other of the bonds you’ve created in your short amount of time together.” I sat back in my chair and thought to myself, letting out a light chuckle. “You know, there was a time when Aleks and I actually planned for our children to be together.”

Adele and Zayden looked at each other a little shocked but tried not to smile. It only made it easy to dash their hope.

“But that all changed quickly. The world will not allow these unions to take place and it seems I must be the one to end them.”

Zayden stood up to defend Adele by taking a stance in front of her. “Father, no. I will not allow you to sentence them to death.”

I rose to my feet.

Everyone stood still, nerves shattered and hearts heavy. My judgment could be as severe as I wished and it only made them anticipate to know it more.

“The decision will be mine to make. I cannot overlook everything that’s happened.”

“Father, please. They’re not—”

“They came to kill you!” I shouted, echoing my voice and even making the Kalu Assassins shutter in fear. “That is simply not something that should be taken lightly by anyone!”

“Things changed.”

“Kalu’s will, will never change! And yet by letting them into your hearts you have left the door open for the enemy into our house! Into our city! The people here have lived peacefully behind the walls and I will not have you compromise their perfect way of life by bringing them fear!” I took a breath, lowering my tone to a more normal level. “This will be dealt with quietly, not publicly. No one will ever know they have even existed here.”

“What are you going to do?” Zayden asked.

I didn’t answer right off. I started to walk around the table and gave them time to think things over on their own. “I am going to my quarters where I do not wish to be bothered until dinner. Do with your time what you will but I expect you all to be present.”

Chapter 21

Zayden

He walked out without giving me an actual answer. I wouldn’t have it. “Stay right here.” I left the conference room after my father and hurried down the hall to catch up. “Father, wait!”

He kept walking. “Didn’t I say I didn’t want to be bothered?”

“You are yet in your quarters. I just need to know. You have to give me a real response.”

“Do I?”

“Yes.” I stopped him and we turned towards each other. “What are you going to do?”

I was waiting for an answer but my father looked around and took my arm, pulling me along with him. “Well, I’m surely not going to have this discussion out in the open.”

I walked briskly in my father’s grasp straight to his quarters. The door was closed and we were locked inside. “Now will you?”

“And what is it you want me to do? Praise this treason? That’s something that’s just not going to happen.”

“I never expected it to be. That’s why we lied about it.”

“If you came to compromise some agreement, you already know where I stand. What is it you want from this?”

Silence hit and my eyes traced the tiles on the floor. I already knew the answer but I was still torn about what to do.

“Well? Tell me you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking.”

I was curious. “What am I thinking?”

“You know what you’re thinking and the answer is no.”

“Maybe it wasn’t in the form of asking you.”

My father took a breath and I knew I was going to get some kind of lecture from him. “You walk away from your crown and Seni will burn. Is that what you want?”

“No but—”

“Then stop with this obsessive compulsion for this girl that can never be in your life! They belong over there. We belong here. That’s the way the world was meant to be.”

“If that’s true then just let them go back. Send them home.”

“You want me to just let the enemy leave after everything they’ve done like they should simply get away without paying a price? No. The Kalu Assassins stay until I see fit to release them in whatever manner I choose.”

“Father—”

“No, Zayden. That’s my final word. They stay. Make any attempts to leave before my judgment and you might as well gather the necessities to be sending them back without their heads. Am I clear?”

I sighed and lowered my head. Continuing this could have made him pass that harsh judgment now. “Yes, sir. I will not attempt any such thing but I wish that you would take the appropriate time to think this through properly. They are not at fault of your past. They are more of the result.”

He started to smile and became intrigued. “Really? How so?”

“I know who Adele is and where she came from. How else would her parents have met if not of that past? We were all born after it and not long. Whatever happened back then effected how we got here. Don’t condemn them because of that.”

“I won’t have to. There are plenty of other things I could condemn them for just from being who they are.”

“Father—”

“But I understand your purpose for saying so. I will take in consideration of your request so long as you make sure they spend their days here comfortable. They want to share in our luxury, they’ll have it. They’re still seen as our guest after all and we always take care of our guests.”

“So, even with you knowing, it’ll be like—”

“You don’t want anyone else finding out about this, do you, Zayden?”

“Of course not.”

“Then this is how it’ll be until I make my decision. Everything will seem as it was. Do as you normally would have done hadn’t I confronted you about the truth and that includes dressing up the little minxes and having them join us for dinner.”

“If that is my King’s wish, it’ll be done.”

“Relax, my son. As future King, you must not let the little things bother you. Go now and we’ll take this just a step at a time.”

“Father.” I bowed my head and left my father’s quarters.

I didn’t much like this plan and I could only foresee how others were going to react.

Chapter 22

Izin

“What are you going to do, Izin?”

I turned and saw Kathryn standing in the doorway to our bathhouse. “I haven’t made a full plan yet. Perhaps I just let them sweat a little. They might come up with a plan that meets both of our needs.”

“Your needs are to have them out of here. You do that and Zayden will follow her. You do that and you’ll be pushing away our son. It would be dangerous for him.”

“I’m sure Zayden is aware of the consequences, my love. What he chooses will be his choice.”

“If you only really mean that, you’d let him have this now and allow them to go when they pleased if that’s even what they’d do at all.”

“And how would they stay here? In hiding? Pretending to be someone they’re not?”

“It’s what we’ve decided on—long ago.”

I sighed and stepped closer to her, gently touching the skin of her neck. “I know where your heart is, my love and once mine was there too but times have changed. Things like this aren’t easily done anymore and with there being so many, it would only be harder. Let it happen long enough and the Leccans will realize that they never sent three mere warriors to aid us. That could lead to their exposure and I’d either be a fool for not seeing it or accused of being involved which is what I would be.”

“Izin, just—”

“Please. I’m begging you. Just be with me on this. See my reasons. This. Can’t. Last. The future we once envisioned died a long time ago. The world is not going to accept peace this way.”

“Then how will it, Izin? Tell me that.”

“I don’t know but it wouldn’t be up to us. Kalu’s crazy Queen has something to do with keeping it this way. It’s not our responsibility to change it.” Kathryn lowered her head like she had bowed and I lifted her chin. “No despair, my Queen. Everything has an end even a time such as this.”

I kissed her in hopes to end her worry but these days it was much harder to do. I had to fully distract her with something she would never want to associate Zayden with.

I put a gentle hand around her back and got her to step in closer. I knew she wanted to turn around her mood when she let out that moan of desire and she was right where I wanted her. The door was locked and I spent my afternoon fully in her company.

Chapter 23

Adele

“Well, what happened? What’d he say?” Troy’s voice was anxious the second Zayden stepped back inside the room. He noticed him before anyone and I turned to see what he had to say, not that I was too interested. I already knew how this was going to end.

“He doesn’t know what he’s going to do yet but he wants it quiet like he said. You’ll be staying here as guests and everything will remain the same as if he never knew.”

“So, you don’t think we should just leave?” Jaylyn asked.

“Ah, no because—well—you can’t leave.”

Now he caught my full attention. “What do you mean we can’t leave?”

“He’s not allowing you to leave—just yet.”

I sighed and sat in one of the chairs. “That’s great. So, he’s just going to make us stay here?”

“Until he can decide what to do with you.”

“That’s not exactly a good thing.” Ruby muttered.

“Don’t worry. I don’t think it’s going to come to that.”

“You don’t?” Jaylyn wondered.

“How do you know?” Darius asked.

“The way he was when we spoke. Give it enough time and he may at least just send you back.”

“How much time?” I asked.

“I’m not sure but we’re just supposed to go about our time as we would have normally done.”

“Not as easy as it sounds.”

“Things will be fine. He’s the only one that knows and isn’t going to risk telling anyone else.”

“So, what do we do now?” Jaylyn asked.

“Well, I’d like to get clothes on before I make it any more obvious about who we are.”

Zayden smiled and took off his jacket, draping it over my shoulders. “There. That should get you back upstairs safely.”

“Thanks. I guess now I’m going to go finish the nap I was rudely awakened from. What are you guys going to do?”