Kull didn’t answer, so I ploughed ahead. “I think you know as well as I why Rolf shouldn’t rule.”
He shook his head. “No matter how bad he is—how tactless, how inept, how young—he will do a better job than I ever could. I am the king no more. I am broken. I deserve nothing. I know you don’t understand, but that’s the way of it.”
“So, you will stay here, hiding in Grandamere’s cottage, forever?”
“Yes, if I must.”
Honestly, it didn’t sound like such a bad idea. The fairies would become dark creatures, the plants would suffer, the magic would fade, and the world would most likely die. But if one refused to face the consequences and think only of the moment, then the plan was flawless.
“Kull, I know you’ve been through a lot. The death of a parent is one of the worst traumas a person can go through, and you never had a moment to grieve—”
“He is not the only one I lost.”
I didn’t make a reply. If he was referring to losing me, then he shouldn’t have. He’d made the decision for us to separate, not me. If he was unhappy about the decision, then he only had himself to blame.
“Once I return,” he said, “I will be king once again. I will have to make decisions based on the kingdom’s well-being first, not my own. I will be forced to marry out of duty. For now, my engagement to Ket has been dissolved, but if I return, that may no longer be the case.”
“Your engagement is off?” I asked, surprised. “What happened?”
“I haven’t told anyone yet, but Ket hates me just as badly as my men. I admit that I have no feelings for her. I went forward with the engagement because it’s what my father would have wanted. But when we arrived back at the fortress two days ago, I found that she had cleaned out my father’s chambers without permission, and while I was upset, it was my mother who sent her away. Believe it or not, she can be worse than my father at times.”
“Are you sure Ket will take you back if you return?”
He shrugged. “Whether she does or not makes little difference. I will still be forced to marry out of duty. There are others in similar positions who would make a suitable match, someone for whom I have no affection.
“My own personal feelings have no place in that world you’re asking me to return to. I tell you this so you may fully understand what you are asking me to do.”
Did he want me to support his decision to abandon his duties as king? I couldn’t do it. No matter how hard it was to say, I couldn’t let him leave his people. At a time like this, with war looming closer every day, with the fate of the fairies’ stone hanging in the balance, they needed him more than I did.
“I understand that you will have responsibilities again, and that you will be obligated to marry. But before that—and more importantly—you will fulfill your oath to the fairies. You will search for the bloodthorn and reclaim the stone, and then you will most likely return to the Northlands, where you will negotiate territory with the elves. There, does that sum—”
He grabbed my waist, pulled me to him, and pressed his lips to mine. Shock overrode all rational thought. His lips were firm and commanding, and he kissed me with a passion so intense the hairs on my arms stood on end. Sounds faded. The world blurred. I existed only in that moment. He and I together, my heart beating wildly.
He ran his hands down my arms, then cupped my elbows and trailed his fingers along my fingertips.
The kiss deepened, and my entire body tingled with excitement. A tiny moan escaped my lips, which only goaded him more. He pressed his hands to my back, drawing me closer, so close I felt his hardened muscles pressed against my chest, our breathing heavy. Need welled inside me, an ache so intense it was almost painful.
When he pulled away, I stared, shocked, wondering what had provoked that. Was he well? Perhaps he’d had a momentary lapse of judgment. Perhaps he’d forgotten that he’d dumped me.
“When I leave this place,” he said, “I cannot be who I am now. Do you understand?”
“You’ll become King Skullsplitter again. Yes, I get it.”
He lifted my chin, a bemused smile on his face. “Skullsplitter?”
“It’s your nickname.”
“I see. How long have you been calling me that?”
“Since I first met you.”
“Were you ever going to tell me this?”
“Of course not. I only tell you now because I know we’ll never be together again. I’m entitled to calling you whatever names I like.”
“Fair enough. Then by all means, call me what you will. You should do it now rather than later.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. I’m curious to know what you think of me.”
I blew out a breath of air. It was getting more difficult to keep the tears away. “You’re selfish,” I said. “And prideful. You’re also arrogant, rude, and you don’t listen.”
“Really? Is that all?”
“No. You are a liar. Even more, you are an oath breaker. You promised you would always be there for me, and then you left.”
He grabbed my hands between his. “I meant what I said. I did not know what the future held.”
“It doesn’t matter. An oath is an oath. Once you give it, you can’t change it—I believe you are the one who told me that.”
“Olive—”
“You are also infuriating. You are a scoundrel, a coward, and I regret ever falling in love with you. I regret it every day of my life, and if I had the ability to erase my memories, I would erase every single memory I have of you.” I looked away. “There. That pretty much sums it up. I’m done.”
He
