Chapter 7
HARK
Kase had the sense not to say a word as she bandaged his bleeding knuckles and picked glass out of his skin. There had been one thought conceived in his mind as he’d watched Arla leave the training rooms and slam his fist into the floor-length mirror; he was a prick.
An awful, ignorant, conceited prick.
She hadn’t deserved a word of it.
But as usual, Arla Reinhart had managed to get beneath his skin and remind him how much of a failure he was.
She was right. Every word of what she had told him was true.
He was spending every waking moment in the mountains, scouting and following what he thought might be footprints in case an army was hiding out, ready to descend on his kingdom.
And yes, he was avoiding spending time with her because he hated to see the lost look in her eyes now that he had brought her here.
It was all his fault.
He had dragged her out of her fucking kingdom and brought her here to blend into his court and behave as if she hadn’t spent the last nine years of her life commanding a castle and hunting people down for a living.
And now … now he had forced her to spend her days walking the city and being downright pleasant to people!
He could see the boredom, the loss, and the anger at the betrayal her king had inflicted on her.
Truth was, he didn’t want to spend time alone with Arla for fear she’d tell him she wanted to leave. He wouldn’t survive that.
Dragonhart or not, this place was foreign to her – this life was foreign to her.
And it was all his fucking fault.
And the people needing a leader…
Well, of course she was right about that, too, wasn’t she?
Of course, they needed a leader. They needed a king.
But who was he to take that role? Yes, he had rescued them and overseen the construction of a new kingdom hidden in the mountains, but he bore no magic in his blood.
How could he take charge of a kingdom filled with magics?
They would never accept it – never respect him.
And he would not rule as his father had done.
He would not rule with an iron fist and bend his people into submission.
He had seen the effect of it, seen how Kastonia had been plunged into poverty whilst the royal family kept everything.
He had seen and heard how the people hated them for it.
He almost felt bad for his brother, inheriting all of that.
The thought of Reuben … well, there could be no thoughts of Reuben. It would send him spiralling.
‘You know, I think I prefer you when she’s torn you to pieces. You’re quieter – depressive, almost,’ Kase said, removing the bowl filled with glass shards and Hark’s blood, and pouring them both a drink.
He didn’t know how this kingdom had any reserves of whiskey left.
‘She’ll leave after this. I can see it in her eyes.’
Kase was silent for a moment, picking at the thread on her sweater before she finally spoke. ‘I think you underestimate her, Hark. She isn’t the sort of person to run a mile just because you fought.’
No, she wasn’t. But he could see how much it was hurting her. He knew she pushed her body to the point of exhaustion every time he disagreed with her just so she could outrun the ache of it.
‘I didn’t fight with her, Kase,’ he said with a sigh. The most painful parts were coming out now, the parts he hated himself for. ‘I told her she meant nothing. I told her she wasn’t important – to this kingdom or to … me.’
He couldn’t meet Kase’s eyes as she pinned him with that icy stare. ‘You fucking idiot.’