Page 70 of Hearts on Fire

“Oh, I bet there is something that he loves even more, Amber. Maybe notsomethingbutsomeone. Isn’t that why he ended the day making love to you in my cave instead of playing politics in the Bozyr Peak?”

Elex loved me. I didn’t doubt that. But was he making a sacrifice by planning to leave the castle with me? After all, the Bozyr Peak was his home. And the crown was his birthright.

Except that he couldn’t have it now. Could he?

“Elex can’t be the king, Voron. And it’s not because of me. In fact, for Dakath’s prosperity in the future, King Edkhar has to remain on the throne.”

With both elbows on the armrests, he steepled his fingers. “And why is that?”

Was it the wine that kept me talking? Or was it that sharp intelligence shining in Voron’s eyes? He seemed to have an answer to every question, and I wondered how he would handle the cave-in if I threw it at him.

I put my glass next to his, then leaned over the table toward him.

“Dakath does have a bright, prosperous future ahead of it. But King Edkhar has to stay where he is for that to happen. He is an asshole, don’t get me wrong. Nothing good will come from this guy but his son, King Elex.”

“Elex?” Voron echoed.

“Yes. My Elex… I meanLordElex was named after that particular ancestor of his.”

“So, he’s from the future.” It wasn’t a question. Voron didn’t sound that surprised. By now, he must’ve connected all the dots, from my confession about Elex taking me from my world, which meant he’d crossed the River of Mists and traveled through time, to my referring to someone who hadn’t even been born yet as his ancestor.

“Right.” I turned to stare at the fire again. “You see how it complicates things? King Edkhar can’t die. If he does, it would wipe out Elex’s entire bloodline, including him. He just wouldn’t exist. And Elex can’t take the throne, because, well, he can’t be his own great-grandfather, can he?”

“No. That wouldn’t work,” Voron agreed. “He can’t father his own ancestor.”

His chin on his hand, he stared into the flames with me.

I wondered why he was interested in all of this, anyway. True, he hadn’t displayed much respect for King Edkhar during our conversation. Maybe he cared about his men at the Desolate Peak more than he liked to admit and hoped for prosperity and recognition for them under the new king?

“Anyway…” I took my glass again and emptied it in one sip. “Sorry for intruding on you. Elex and I will be gone first thing in the morning. If you do feelinclined, a clothing donation will be greatly appreciated. All I have to wear at the moment is the redsalamandrarobe. And I’m getting really, really tired of wearing it.”

“Unless…” Voron refilled my glass, then handed it back to me, indicating he wasn’t finished with the conversation. “Unless we won’t kill King Edkhar.”

We?

He really was into this, wasn’t he?

“Well, yeah,” I said. “Weare not killing him.”

“The king doesn’t need to die. He just needs to lose his crown.” He flicked his wrist, waving his hand as if knocking the Crown of Dakath off the king’s head already.

“And how would you suggest we do that? Jail him?”

He tilted his head back, rubbing his chin.

“You see, the reason you want King Edkhar to stay alive is for him to have a son. But he doesn’t have to be a king to father one. Challenge him, defeat him, lock him in one of the towers of the Bozyr Peak. Let him marry his betrothed. Or don’t marry them. Make her visit him until the future comes true and she bears him a child. Then, you can take the baby and do with the parents as you please.”

I stared at him, speechless.

“Huh… That simple, is it? These are real people you’re talking about. King Edkhar may have deserved every consequence he’d be bringing upon his head. But how about his future wife? She is set to marry a king, and you want to reduce her marriage to some kind of conjugal visits in a tower? And the baby? You think it’s okay to kill his parents—”

He stopped me by lifting a finger.

“I didn’t say ‘kill.’ Though…” he added casually. “I have to admit, I’d prefer them both dead by that point.”

I didn’t know much about the king’s future bride, Lady Amree, other than what the king had told me about her, and it wasn’t good. But I couldn’t agree with this plan.

“Voron, we’re talking about real people here,” I repeated. “Living, breathing, feeling people.”