Chapter 21 Hearts of Iron #2
He released me. “How do you do it? Is it a ritual?”
I folded my arms. “It’s a secret.”
Mist swirled around Kairos. “You nearly died with that rune in the forest. If you won’t tell us how it works, we can’t protect you.”
“I don’t want your protection.”
“You need it. The court witnessed you tearing apart my rune.”
I squirmed in my seat. “You killed them.”
“Most of them.”
“How many escaped?” Uther asked sharply.
“Enough,” Kairos grunted. “Soon, the courts will know there’s a girl who can shatter faerie deals.”
My mouth went dry. “So what does that mean?”
Kairos leaned against the table. “They’ll hunt you down. Queens. Kings. Warlords. Every ambitious fae in all the realms.”
“Then I’ll run.”
“To where? You can barely survive here. You have no allies, no coin, and no understanding of fae courts.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“They’ll catch you.” His eyes were like stone. “They’ll force you to break runes until your mind shatters.”
“Let them try.”
“The rest of them,” he said loudly, “will offer you deals. If you refuse, they’ll enslave you anyway. If there’s even a chance your gift can pass to an heir…”
The memory of a dimly-lit room slammed into me. Vaeris’s voice. His hand. The promises he’d made.
“Stop,” I hissed.
Kairos frowned. “You need to understand what’s at stake.”
“I get it. If I stay here, you can figure out how to use me.”
He flinched. “That’s not true.”
“You just want to scare me into compliance.” My hands curled into fists. “Make me so afraid of what’s out there that I’ll do whatever you ask.”
Kairos glowered at me. “I’m trying to keep you alive.”
“By controlling me.” Heat flooded my chest. “You sound like him.”
“Who?”
“Vaeris. He said the same things. That he could teach me. That I needed him, and I believed him.”
Kairos stood so fast his chair fell over. White fog leaked across the floor, coiling up the legs of the table, sliding toward me.
“Don’t you dare compare me to him.”
My pulse leapt, but I held his gaze. “Why not? You both want the same thing.”
He snarled, inches from my face.
“That’s enough,” Elwen snapped. “You’re proving her point. Control your temper.”
He pulled back, breathing hard. Something raw flickered across his face. Kairos exhaled slowly, and the mist dispersed. He righted the chair before sitting.
Elwen patted her brother’s arm. “We still have more to discuss. Like the fact that your return has thrown the realm into chaos. Your people need to know that you’re not a rogue with a vendetta. You’re their king.”
Kairos dragged a hand down his face. “What do you suggest?”
“We’re throwing a celebration. A formal one to reaffirm your rule.”
Kairos’s nostrils flared. “The summit is in seven days.”
“What summit?” I asked.
“The realms are demanding a meeting.” Kairos shot me a twisted smile. “The kings and queens of Caelir, Thalir, Lunir—all crawling out to clutch their pearls over Skalgard.”
A shudder rolled through me. The bodies. The blood. The screaming nobles.
Elwen grimaced. “They’re calling it a massacre.”
“They chained me for a hundred years,” he said in a black voice. “Treated me like a fucking slave.”
“I know, but the realms are nervous. They want proof you won’t do the same to them. That this was about freedom, not conquest.”
“And if I refuse to meet with them?”
Elwen frowned. “Then they assume you’re planning an attack. They’ll form alliances against us.”
Kairos snorted. “So I’m supposed to apologize? Grovel for defending myself?”
“Show them you’re in control. What happened in Skalgard was justice, not madness.”
“Vaeris might want reparations,” Uther added darkly. “Blood price for the nobles you killed. Trade tithes. He’ll try to weaken us.”
“Kairos, if you walk into that summit like a warlord who slaughtered an entire court for fun, they’ll unite against you.”
“If I go, I’m walking into a room full of enemies who want me to beg.”
“Not all,” Elwen countered. “Thalir has remained neutral. Lunir is cautious but fair. It’s only Caelir that openly sides with Skaldir.”
“Caelir’s always hated us,” Uther muttered.
“Which is why the celebration matters,” Elwen pressed.
“You need the clans unified before you face the other monarchs at the summit. Half the realm has no idea who’s in charge.
I’ve been regent for a century. Some of the younger warriors have never known another ruler.
The clan heads are waiting to see if you can lead or if I should just… continue.”
Kairos’s eyes narrowed. “You want to keep the throne?”
“No, but they don’t know that. And the longer we wait, the more they’ll question whether you’re fit to rule.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not,” Elwen snapped. “You’re hiding in training yards.”
“Watch yourself, Elle.”
“No. I’ve held Sanguir together while you rotted in a prison.” Her voice shook. “I made the hard calls, negotiated the treaties, and kept the clans from tearing each other apart. Now you’ve returned, and I want to give it to you. But you have to take it.”
Silence crashed through the barracks.
“The party isn’t optional,” Elwen hissed. “It’s a political necessity. You’ll stand before the clans. You’ll receive their oaths publicly. You’ll show them I’m stepping aside willingly.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then when Vaeris arrives at the summit, he’ll smell blood in the water.” Her dark gaze seemed to pierce Kairos. “We need to present unity. That means you, me, and the clans in a room as you take back your throne.”
“She’s right,” Uther said in a clipped tone. “The clans are loyal to Sanguir, but they’re not sure if that’s you or Elle.”
Kairos stared at his sister. “Fine. One party.”
Elwen’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
Uther grinned. “Perfect. Get everyone drunk and rowdy before you have to play diplomat. What could go wrong?”
Elwen squeezed her lips together, fighting a smile.
Kairos’s glare slid to me. “What about her?”
“Rumors are already flying,” Uther said. “You need an answer about what she is before the event.”
Kairos’s jaw clenched. “She’s under my protection.”
Elwen grimaced. “That implies obligation. Debt. They won’t like that.”
“I don’t owe them explanations.”
“You do if you want their loyalty.” Elwen’s voice sharpened. “Bringing her here looks like either weakness or obsession. Neither inspires confidence.”
Heat crept up my neck. They kept talking about me like I wasn’t even here.
Uther swept his arm toward me. “The clan heads have to know what she can do. They’re risking their warriors’ lives.”
“And if they talk?” Kairos challenged.
“Then you make it very clear what happens to oath-breakers.” Elwen folded her arms. “But these are your oldest allies. They’ve bled for Sanguir for centuries. They’ll keep the secret.”
“Alright,” Kairos grunted. “Clan heads only.”
“Good.” Elwen tapped the table. “We’ll tell them the truth. For the others, we’ll say that she helped free you. You brought her here to save her from Skaldir’s retaliation. It’s true enough.”
“They’ll still ask questions,” Uther said.
Silence stretched.
I cleared my throat. “I don’t have to attend the party.”
Three sets of eyes turned to me.
I shrugged. “It would be easier if I…stayed out of sight.”
“No,” Kairos barked. “You’ll stay where I can see you.”
Uther chuckled. “Oh, that’s not going to fuel any rumors at all.”
A hundred guests. Dozens of servants. Hallways bustling with movement. A distracted host. It would be mayhem—exactly what I needed to get to Rheya.
I glanced at Kairos, who grumbled under his breath. He looked exhausted. Worn down in a way that made my chest tighten. I shoved the feeling away.
I couldn’t afford to care about any of them.