Blakeshire (Insight #9)(90)

“Gotten into me? Nothing. Now I understand why this was so hard for you: he is in your head.”

“No one is in my head,” she snapped back.

I pointed to the bed. “How many times did you question whose bed that was? And remember that I can read your eyes better than any book, with or without the ability to see.”

“A few.”

This could not be happening. Not now. If she truly doubted me, I didn’t think I wanted to know the truth. But rage had taken over. “So minutes after you told me you loved me, he was in your head. As you walked across this room with me, you were hearing him? Testing me?”

“We are past this.”

“Are we? He is still in the palace.”

“And whose side are you leaving our bed to fight alongside?”

She did not just go there. “So this is a war of exes?”

“That is what you are making it out to be. I didn’t hide anything from you. If you can see as clearly as you are saying that you can, then evidently you heard what I said to him.”

“I heard you tell him that you are with me because he cheated on you. What if he hadn’t? What then, Madison Marie?” The anger was gone from my voice. I was using the judgmental royal tone I was taught to use.

“I came here,” she bit out. “I left him and came here to save your ass.”

“And you begged to leave seconds after you did.”

“As any sane woman would do!” she said as she threw her hands in the air.

“Willow was not the only one between you and me. Britain is right beside her.”

All she could do was glare at first. “Willow is not between us any longer, and Britain never was. I am nothing more than food to him.”

I smirked. “Doubt that.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I saw how he looked at you. I saw him feel you up when I was feet away. I saw him bring you food that was no doubt laced with something that would have impaired you beyond reason.” Xavier was behind this. I knew he was. He knew all along that Madison was mine. He sent his minion to her world to seduce her. There would not be a death that would ever match what he deserved.

“An action that was retaliated against. Food that I didn’t eat. Where the hell is this jealousy coming from?” she argued.

I stared at her endlessly. I had every right to be wrathful, but I had no idea why I was jealous. I could easily see that she loved me. What the hell was going on? “I don’t know. But I know I don’t like it.”

She glanced down, then at the bed, before looking back at me. I saw what she was processing. Right now, I was jealous and only seeing the dark side. She was on the defensive, explaining away her actions with reason. We had shifted. We had traded points of view. It had to be because of the energy we shared before. There was no other reason for this to happen this fast.

“We have shared so much tonight. Clearly, some of the negative has been passed between us. There is no reason for you to be jealous…I already told you how I feel.”

Creator, I love this woman. Please don’t take her away from me.

My anger washed away. “You’re right.” I stepped forward and pulled her against me. “That doesn’t mean I have to like it. That I will not fear for your safety. That boy and Donalt can and will hurt you.”

She didn’t bother to reply. I had the suspicion that her fear was back. That could not be good. She needed to be fearless if what I saw in Draven’s mind had any chance of coming true. Beyond losing her, the worst thing that could happen would be me watching her grieve.

“Promise you will stay with Aden.” That was as close as I was going to get to telling her that both Landen and Draven had seen a harsh future for her cousin Aden. I knew she could keep him safe if she did indeed have any of my energy within her.

“Like some weak girl who can’t defend herself?”

“You need to keep him safe just as much as he needs to keep you safe.”

She didn’t want to know what I knew. If she did, she would be searching my mind endlessly for the answers to the questions that were on the tip of her tongue.

“Your kingdom is waiting,” she finally said.

I leaned down and let my lips meet her forehead. She reached for the lapels on my coat to pull me closer.

I held her for a silent moment, then let her go and walked to the window.

“How are these explosions impacting Willow and Landen? Draven and Charlie?” she asked timidly.

“Apparently, my kingdom is attacking his. Dividing us. But we will turn what is meant to hurt us into a power.”

I held my stare on the horizon. I needed to let this go slowly. If I didn’t manage to control the wave of time that was to flow forward, more than a few lives were at risk. Key players in this war.

The floor trembled slightly, and the fire on the horizon expanded in such a subtle manner that I doubted it had moved. Another tremble. The fire moved more, and black smoke was starting to emerge. That went on for what seemed like forever, then all at once I could see the fire on the horizon moving with the natural flow of time.

“That would not have been fun if it happened the way it should have,” she said under her breath.

I just hoped it was slow enough. Creator-speed to Landen Chambers. He needed all the help he could get right now.