Page 16 (1/2)

Logan’s face drained With his gauntness, iteyes His voice was flat "To take the throne, my father would’ve had to murder the children of the woman he loved"

"And how many children died because he didn’t? That’s the burden of leadership, Logan: ood When you nobles won’t pay, others have to, people likemoment "This isn’t about my father, is it?"

"Where the fuck is your crown?!" Kylar de bond, Kylar could feel Vi’s concern over the ju--das off to one side

The big ard "Did you ever meet Jenine Gunder?"

"When would I an had been married to Jenine--albeit only for a few hours Khalidor’s coup had co She’d bled to death in Logan’s aran said "Honestly, I’d always assuirl as beautiful and as happy as she was had to be stupid What an asshole I was Kylar, have you ever looked into a wo, and good, and true? Protective, fierce, noble? Finding Jenine was finding so better than I ever dared to dream" Kylar didn’t want to hear it It reer would die "I was supposed to go froan asked "I couldn’t Not for a crown Not for anything"

"But I saw everyone on the battlefield, bowing to you"

"I’d given an trailed off

Kylar threw his hands up, despairing

Logan’s eyes filled with di who does that~

Kylar looked at Logan as he hadn’t looked at him even when he’d rescued him from the Hole Then, he had only been able to see the physical wounds Now he saw an’s eyes "You’d do it again," Kylar said

Logan forced a weak laugh "Hey, I’hter died "Yes, I aaze never wavering "But yes, I’d do it again This is who I am" He had never been more royal

Let an, through his own eyes, less handso raw flesh fro the Holers, sinking into the filth, beco over the hard knot of hunger that gnawed hiht that he would share his next ether There he was, handing out food and hating those who accepted, but doing it That san had, and he would pay any price for it

That lesson was bound up with Serah Drake, who had been Logan’s fiancée before King Gunder forced hian had loved Serah once, but that love had withered over the years, finally propped up only by false kindness He’d been planning towo his engage to do, but it had seeed, Serah wouldn’t have been at the castle the night of the coup She’d still be alive In the Hole, sharing food had been the right thing to do It had seean because he helped thean’s failure and his success had driven hoet the best consequences in the end

It was, Kylar thought, why Logan reat You could count on hiht to the death to do the right thing Always

"We’ve both come pretty far," Kylar said "You think we can be friends?"

"No" Grian shook his head "Not friends Best friends" Then he grinned, and the last year seemed to roll off Kylar’s back They were the kind of friends ould stand and be counted For Kylar, who had always kept dirty secrets that threatened everything, the feeling was precious beyond words