Kingdom of Sea and Stone (Crown of Coral and Pearl #2) - Mara Rutherford Page 0,90

isn’t?”

His eyes searched mine. “What do you mean?”

I wrestled with telling him my plan. I didn’t want to cause a fight with him, not when I might fail and Talin could end up going to battle anyway. If something happened to him and his last memory of me was an unhappy one...

He brought my knuckles to his lips and brushed a kiss against them, the faked formality gone. “Please don’t worry, Nor. Everything will be fine. I’ll make sure your family is safe.”

Reluctantly, I pulled my hand away. “I want to negotiate with Ceren. I already spoke with your mother, and she agreed.” I didn’t tell him what her terms had been. That would only hurt him.

He shook his head, but I held up my hand before he could speak. “I’m not asking for permission, Talin. I’m only telling you because I didn’t want to do this behind your back.”

“I can’t believe my mother would agree to this,” he said, rising. “She must know how I feel about you—and how important your safety is to me.”

“I think she does. But our relationship is not her priority, and it can’t be ours, either,” I added softly.

Hurt washed over his features. “What are you saying?”

“I’m only saying that until all of this is over, we can’t keep putting our concern for each other above everything and everyone else.” I stood up and took his hands. “I’m only going to talk to him, Talin. With an armed escort.”

He gazed down at me, his expression vacillating between frustration and pride. “I’m not going to change your mind about this, am I?”

I shook my head. “No.”

He pressed his forehead to mine. “Let me at least come with you.”

I only hesitated for a moment. “All right.”

He tilted his head until our lips met, and for a moment I forgot about Ceren and Talia, about my parents and the battle ahead. Every mingled breath, each brush of his fingers, felt like an oath. I was his, and he was mine, and nothing was going to change that.

“There you are.”

I turned my head to hide my flaming cheeks as Talia entered the library. To my surprise, Talin didn’t disentangle himself completely.

“Were you looking for me, Mother?”

“You said you were meeting your captain. Unless he’s altered his appearance drastically since yesterday, I must assume you were lying.”

Her tone was cold, but Talin smiled. “I thought I was meeting my captain. Nor’s presence was a very welcome surprise.”

Talia’s voice softened. “Of course, my son. I remember what it was like to be young. But you’re a general. Your council is waiting for you.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes. My council can wait.”

I felt a brief surge of hope. Talin wouldn’t cast me aside just because his mother wanted him to. Perhaps that meant there was hope he wouldn’t let her dictate how this war went.

Talin’s hand squeezed mine for one second before his fingers fell away. “I’ll tell Mother the plan.”

I nodded and watched him go, but Talia’s green eyes were focused on me as she followed him from the room. She smiled, but there was a warning in her gaze as venomous as a sea snake’s. Do not come between us, it said. Or there will be consequences.

* * *

The next morning, I dressed in my riding leathers and went directly to the stables. A groom had already saddled Titania, and Talin was there with a dozen trained and well-armed soldiers. I was relieved to see his mother wasn’t joining us.

Talin handed me a white flag. “Raise this as soon as we reach the field. We sent a messenger last night. Since he returned unharmed, I’m reasonably confident Ceren will obey the rules of warfare. Perhaps you’re right, and he’ll agree to some sort of truce. I hope so, anyway.”

I mounted Titania, then followed the soldiers out of the stables. The drawbridge was lowered to let us out, and Titania’s hooves clomped over the wood onto the road. A moment after we’d crossed, I heard the creaking of wheels as the bridge was drawn up behind us.

It was a two-hour ride to New Castle from Old Castle, but within an hour we could see the sprawl of tents in the fields before it. Ceren’s scouts would have seen us approaching by now. From the top of Mount Ayris, they had the best view in the kingdom.

Finally, we spotted a small party riding toward us on the road. Ceren was unmistakable even from a distance. He rode the same