Page 20 of Clash of Kingdoms
“We’ll find them.”
He slowly turned his head to look at me. Instead of being assuaged by my encouragement, he was pissed off. “You can read minds.” His gaze hardened like the steel of his sword, and he looked at me like I was his enemy once more. “You know every move before I make it.”
“That’s inaccurate.”
“Don’t lie to me, vampire.”
Now we were back to where we’d started—ground zero. “I understand your anger has been provoked, but let’s not forget all the progress we’ve made. We’re allies, and the Teeth are our enemy. Before you left, you entrusted your kingdom to me. I’m the one watching your back while we’re out here.”
He looked away, and there was another, more potent surge of anger.
I knew I was just making it worse. “And I need you to watch mine.”
In silence, he seethed, looking at the shadows as they grew longer. It took him a few moments to respond, to wrestle his anger like a combative dog that wouldn’t return to its cage. “You’re right. Whenever I think about that time…I lose my mind.”
“I understand?—”
“Unless you’re a father, you could never possibly understand.” His look was back on me. “I know I should be grateful that it was you who was put in charge of her abduction, because if it had been someone else, the events that transpired would have unfolded very differently. She would probably be dead right now…and my kingdom gone.”
“That didn’t happen, so let’s not entertain the fantasy.” My dead heart had come back to life and pounded for a single woman. I didn’t understand his grief as a father, but as a man who loved a woman…I understood a different kind of grief.
“You can read minds,” he repeated, his eyes prodding for an explanation.
“I can’t,” I said. “But I can feel minds.”
His eyes narrowed.
“I can feel the emotions of those around me. At first, I could only feel emotions when they were intense, but with more experience, I was able to pick up on more subtle ones. Now I can feel a lot more…even though it can be suffocating. So much experience has taught me to read intent in emotions, to anticipate where that emotion will drive someone next. So when you were striking me, I could feel where you would hit me next. When you grew frustrated, I knew there would be several blows in a row.”
He listened, his eyes unblinking.
“Some people feel more deeply than others. Some more often. That’s how you and your family are. You all feel things very intensely. Most people live a passionless existence.” I could feel it in his mind at that very moment, and I missed the company of Harlow’s intensity. “I’m not the type to condone an inconvenience. I’m not compassionate toward others. I rarely care about anyone but myself. I tolerate very little, and in another circumstance, I wouldn’t tolerate you. But I’ve never met a man who cares so deeply for others, especially his family. I feel the way you love your children. I feel the loyalty you have for your wife. For your brother. It’s hard not to respect a man who possesses so much integrity. You may not like me, but it’s impossible for me not to like you.”
His eyes remained on mine for a long while before he turned away and released a quiet sigh. “All vampires are capable of this?”
“No. Just the Originals.”
He gave a slight nod. “What about the Teeth?”
“They’re the dogs of our species. They have no abilities.”
“So, when we approach the Teeth, you’ll be able to perceive their intentions immediately?”
“Yes.”
“Do they know you have this ability?”
“No.” It wasn’t something we shared outside our own. Larisa had the ability to feel minds, but her abilities were akin to a newborn’s. She could only feel the most intense versions of emotions.
“That’s a great advantage.”
“The only reason I survived the demons.”
“Then you must know how my daughter feels for you,” he said quietly. “I see it on her face.”
I stared at my hands, unsure how to respond.
“It’s hard to stand there and let it happen, knowing what the aftermath will be.”