Mist's Edge (The Broken Lands #2) - T.A. White Page 0,120
I led to make the right decisions or to keep themselves alive. Your council should be different.”
Right?
“Why? Because they’re Trateri?” His smile was humorless. “Or is it because you think clan leaders should be above such things. I trust them as much I would a viper at my throat. Perhaps less. They are my allies because it serves their needs, but make no mistake, they would turn on me in a moment if it served their purposes and they thought they could survive.”
“I thought you trusted Darius and Braden.”
He nodded. “They are among the few. I consider them brothers.” An echo of pain entered his expression. “Perhaps more so than my actual blood. I can trust that they and my Anateri are unlikely to betray me.”
Her gaze sharpened. That sounded like he allowed for the possibility for anyone to have the potential of betrayal. That was a distressing thought. Did he feel the same about her? Was he waiting for her to turn against him? She didn’t know if she could live her life constantly having to prove her love and loyalty.
“Your army is loyal to you.”
He nodded. “Yes, and many of the clans as well. The difference is they love a legend—the Hawkvale, the warlord to unite all of the clans under one banner. It is both harder and easier to lose their trust and loyalty.”
She understood what he meant. An idea was both easier and harder to discredit. It was ephemeral, something intangible. As Shea had discovered when she was a scout, everyone had a story about the Hawkvale. He was this larger than life character that they only knew by what they’d heard.
It would only take a few well-placed rumors and whispers to get the ball rolling. If Fallon’s actions then fed into that rumor, it wouldn’t be long before the morale in his army turned nasty. For instance, if the loyalty of his Telroi was called into question, his men might not be so willing to back him against the clan leaders.
She looked down at the table, drawing a pattern against the wood as she pondered his words.
His hand touched hers. “Our enemies are numerous, and they are looking for a chink in our defenses. They are hungry for blood. To everyone else, we are partners, united against all comers.”
On the surface, she believed his words wholeheartedly, but there was an undercurrent to them that left her feeling their time together was running short. She covered his hand with her own and leaned into him, resting her forehead on his bicep.
How was she going to balance the two forces in her life without losing sight of who she was and the promises she’d made?
His other hand cupped the back of her head. He smoothed her hair before touching his lips to her ear.
He tugged on her, scooping her up and dragging her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, setting her chin on his shoulder.
“You know they’re going to try to kill you,” she said softly into his ear. She wasn’t talking about his council.
His arms tightened around her for a brief moment. “They may try, but better men than them have failed.”
She sighed and pressed her face into the side of his neck.
“They’ll seek to divide us. They’ll strike while we’re not looking.”
“They will not be successful.”
She wanted to believe him. She really did. She just didn’t know if she could. He didn’t understand her people like she did.
“This is not a good idea.”
“You said it yourself. There is something wrong. We must do everything we can to find that problem and destroy it.” He moved a piece of hair away from her face. His thumb ran up and down the side of her neck in a caress that sent shivers coursing through Shea’s body. She leaned into his touch. “Besides, wasn’t it you who advocated for going up there to see what was happening?”
She pulled back, her eyes snapping fire at him. “I’d planned to go by myself, and you damn well know it.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “How is that less dangerous than what I have planned? At least I will be taking an army to protect my back.”
She rolled her eyes. “More like present a nice big target. I could have slipped in and out before anyone was the wiser. You can’t kill what you don’t even know is there.”
“Now who’s cocky?”
She gave him a sharp grin. “It’s not arrogance if it’s true.”