The Promised Queen (Forgotten Empires #3)- Jeffe Kennedy Page 0,96

chasing me through the main hall of the palace, bellowing, and the very public argument that Percy was no doubt spreading even now to capitalize on the exclusive and titillating news, the gossip would be blazing.

“You do that so well,” Con said, in an almost wondering tone, and I had to think back to what he could possibly mean. “You just declare what you will and won’t discuss. You deliver your edicts and then refuse to listen to—”

“To listen to lies and foolishness!” I shouted.

“To any opinion that’s different from yours,” he roared over me. “You cut me out of your life, tell me you’re done, and banish me from your precious realm with less compassion than you’d give a stray dog.”

“Because I am queen here,” I shot back, trembling with righteous fury. “It’s My responsibility to protect Calanthe and—”

“Yeah, yeah. Protect Calanthe, blah blah blah,” he snarled, closing the distance between us. “This isn’t about the throne or Calanthe, and you know it, Lia.”

I did want him gone—if only to end this roiling surf of up-and-down emotions. He was determined to kill himself; nothing I could say would stop him.

Unless I told him about the baby.

Did I dare use that lever against him? And what then, if it worked, where his love for me hadn’t? I might not survive that blow. “I know no such thing,” I spat, but I lacked conviction.

“Liar.” He reached for me and I scrambled back, barely evading him. He only followed. “This is about you, Lia. The woman. Now what in great green Ejarat is going on inside your head?”

“My personal emotions aren’t relevant,” I replied stiffly. The only feelings of yours that deserve attention are those regarding the throne.

“The hell they aren’t.” He reached for me again. I backed up—and hit the wall. A glint of victory in his eyes, he took me by the shoulders.

“Drop your hands,” I warned, “or I will hit you with a ‘whammy’ that will put you out for three days.”

He searched my face, smiled thinly. “Do it then.”

I summoned my magic, ready to fell him like a tree, but there was nothing to push against. I couldn’t reverse the violent intention if he didn’t have any. Curling my lip at the discovery, I glared in impotent fury instead. “Very clever, wolf.”

He looked grimly satisfied—and deeply unhappy. The wolf, kicked on his tender muzzle. He flexed his hands on my shoulders, searching my face, searching for words. “How could you say those things to me, Lia? Don’t you care for me at all?”

I wanted to tell him no, that I did not care, not a whit. The words assembled themselves in my brain. The sex was great. It’s been fun. Thanks for saving My life. Good luck storming the citadel. Go ahead and get your fool self killed for all I care.

But none of them reached my lips. Instead, without warning or sense, I burst into tears.

“Oh, Lia.” Con’s arms came around me. “No, Lia. Don’t cry. Yell at me, but don’t cry.”

“I hate you,” I sobbed.

“I know.” He picked me up, again carrying me to the bed, but this time he sat on it, holding me on his lap. “I’m sorry, Lia.”

I caught my breath, viciously wiping the tears from my face. “Fuck me—all I do anymore is cry.”

His chuckle rumbled under my ear. “Barely at all. And only in front of me, which is allowed.”

Was that true? Bright Ejarat—it was. Tears were a sign of weakness, I’d thought, but …

He tipped up my chin so I’d look at him. “You should be able to trust me with your tears. Besides, you get a pass, considering what you’ve been through.”

“You never cry,” I accused, more querulously than I’d wanted.

“I do. I have. But mostly I rage and roar and make stupid choices.” He brushed the last tears from my cheeks. “I really am sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I got caught up in…”

“Vengeance,” I finished bitterly.

“Yeah.” He smoothed the wild strands of blooming hair from my damp temples. “Is it so terrible that I want Anure dead? That I want to destroy those wizards for what they did to you, so they can never do that to anyone again?”

“No,” I admitted. “I understand that this is how you deal with an unjust world. It’s your nature to bash and destroy your enemies.”

“You make me sound like a savage.” He kissed me, not savage at all, but infinitely gentle. “And it’s your nature to control everything with icy logic,