quietly.
“That’s good.”
Willow wrung her hands together. She longed to touch him again, to trace the curves of his face, his body…why wasn’t he rushing to her…or screaming at her? Anything would have been better than this casual talk.
“We closed down the church,” he told her. “I found books with every slave’s name in it. We’re going to find them all and set them free.”
Willow closed her eyes, so grateful that this man walked the earth.
“I’ve missed you so much.” The words spilled from her mouth before she could stop them. She couldn’t control them or her trembling lips and fingers. But he lowered his gaze to her chair when he spoke.
“You’ve recovered, and for that I’m eternally indebted to God.”
“Caleb, I know you’re angry with me for staying here, but I was sick.”
“I know,” he said softly, “and then you weren’t sick anymore. Did you send word to Shondravar that you at least lived? Did you even think to send word to me that you lived, Willow? I was—” He shook his head slowly and the sudden flash of anger in his eyes was replaced by such longing Willow had to grasp the wall not to run into his arms. “I searched for you.” His voice broke on a ragged breath. “I missed your smile, and the way you smell, and how you feel in my arms. Only to learn that you’ve been here in your palace with Seth.”
“Caleb, I was beat and starved every day while my ankles were shackled, and I had to relieve—”
He took a step to move closer to her, but she shook her head and backed away.
“I had to clean the bodies of people who were going to be sold into slavery, and their faces still haunt me.” The more she spoke, the harder she sobbed, but this was the man she had wanted to tell these things to. It was Caleb who would understand the depth of what she endured and how it changed her. He was the only one who would understand and feel what she felt. “I drank filthy water and ate scraps of food, green with fungus. And every night I fell asleep to the sounds of wailing from the people on the floor above me.”
She was sobbing so fitfully that she didn’t realize she was in his arms. And then she did, and she wanted to die there, pressed against his heart. “Caleb…Caleb…” she cried into his tunic while he quieted her with tender whispers. “He saved me from that.”
“He’ll be rewarded for it, Willow.” She felt the warmth of his tears against her skin and nodded. All she wanted now was to hold him, and to be held by him, just like this. Forever.
“Caleb!” Shauna appeared in the doorway. “We found him. We found Baltrasard!”Willow stiffened in his arms. When he withdrew, the look in his eyes told her how sorry he was. And then he let her go and followed his sister.
Willow remained frozen in the spot where he left her. But only for a moment.
Chapter 33
Jonas held the king’s arms behind his back while Caleb walked toward them. Here it was. The day he’d waited for almost all his life. The day he’d dreaded since meeting Willow.
Baltrasard squirmed in Jonas’ vice-like grip, but to no avail. The hall was littered with dead guards. Seth was held immobile by Marcus’s sword at his throat.
Caleb was aware of Willow entering the palace. She stopped when she saw her father…or Jonas. Caleb realized that Willow had thought him dead, for she look stunned, elated and horrified all together.
Caleb took slow, deliberate steps toward his mortal enemy. When he reached Baltrasard, he stopped and looked down at him when Jonas shoved the usurper to his knees. “You know who I am?” Caleb asked him.
“You’re the son of King Samuel Desai so I am told.” Willow’s father sneered up at him, refusing to pay homage, as Jonas would have intended.
Caleb shook his head, no. “I’m your judge.”
Willow moved forward, her hand to her mouth.
They had ridden a long way, and all the time Caleb could think of nothing but killing Baltrasard for all he’d done. He’d even convinced himself that he could do it in front of Willow. He was wrong. He loved her too much to do something so cruel to her.
“You can’t do this,” Seth shouted, making Caleb turn his venomous gaze on him.
“I can’t?” Caleb’s smile was laced with a challenge that could never be met by Seth. “What