The Reckless Reign (Book 3, The Culled Crown Series)

Chapter 7

Anna's Suite.
Oredison Palace, Gazda.
The day before the Welcome Dinner.

Kai shut the door behind himself and just stood there, the two of us face to face in the small entryway. I took a hasty step away, nearly knocking over an antique-looking vase in my attempt to put space between us. Whatever emotion he saw on my face made him wince. The pain that filled his eyes had me resisting the urge to step forward. It had me digging my nails into my palm. For a moment, the only sound was our heavy breathing and the soft clink of Anna's paintbrush as she rinsed it in a glass of water.

"I...I'm sorry." Kai's voice was hoarse as he said, "I didn't know you were here."

I swallowed down what was left of the scone I'd been eating and cast a glance down the hall, checking to see if Anna had heard Kai's voice. I made sure to keep mine at a whisper as I said, "Caine told me he left guards...?"

He scratched nervously at the back of his neck. "Yeah. They're a bit distracted currently. I doubt they'll be back any time soon..." There was a long pause and then he said, "Look, Monroe, I—" Kai moved forward, reaching for me.

"No." I wrapped my arms around myself defensively and moved back another step. In my panic to get away from him, my hip hit the table and the vase tipped. In an instant, Kai was there, his body caging mine in, one hand braced on the table and the other holding onto the vase, keeping it from shattering. Carefully, he righted the piece of art.

His body was now so close to mine that all I'd need to do is rise up on my toes and I could kiss him.

The thought, the desire, was so raw and unfiltered, that it took every ounce of self-control I had to keep still. I was used to leaning into him. So damn used to letting him hold me up when I felt myself slipping.

The loss of Kai was something I'd been silently mourning for weeks. And now, being so close to him, all I wanted was for things to return to how they'd been before. I wanted to trust him. I wanted him to be the young man I'd fallen in love with. But it was difficult to look at him without seeing what that night had been like—how Uri had died and bled, and how he had worn that same crown and betrayed all of us.

He'd betrayed me.

Kai glanced down the small hallway to the brightly lit sitting room beyond. When the sound of Anna's painting didn't cease, he swallowed and turned back to me. "I'm sorry."

I didn't know what he was apologizing for. Standing so close? Breaking my heart? Lying to me? Letting Uri die? Being the king of a country that wanted me either dead or on the throne? Too many choices. There were so many things that needed righting, it was difficult to know what hurt those two words were meant to soothe.

I kept my voice down as I said, "If Caine catches you here with me, he'll—"

"I'll be gone before he returns." Kai didn't move away from me as he explained, "He's busy with visiting dignitaries from Pellarmus. They'll probably keep him distracted for a while."

My brows rose. "Pellarmus?"

He nodded. "The letters Caine got yesterday. One was about my mother's arrival and the other was from an envoy of Pellarmi ambassadors docked on the coast. I think they're here to experience the Culling and meet me—" He shook his head and shrugged. "Regardless of their reasons, they've requested we house them and, in an effort to keep the peace, we're sort of obligated to do so."

"So, why aren't you with Caine? Shouldn't you be off playing king?"

A muscle in his jaw ticked and he shook his head, dismissive. "This isn't a game to me. You know it isn't."