Kael's Rejection

Chapter 14

Darkness swallowed the temple.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then the emergency torches along the walls ignited one after another.

Silver embers drifted through the air.

The shattered remains of the Moonstone lay across the dais.

And Elara realized Kael was still holding her hand.

Every noble in the temple was staring at them.

"Your Majesty."

The lead elder stepped forward.

"The bond must be severed."

Kael's fingers tightened around Elara's hand.

"No."

The elder's eyes narrowed.

"You don't understand what you're risking."

"I understand perfectly."

"No, you don't." The elder pointed toward the shattered Moonstone. "You just watched an ancient seal break. You heard the prophecy. You felt the bond."

"I felt it."

"Then you know she cannot remain bonded to you."

Elara looked at him.

"Why?"

The elder's attention shifted toward her.

"Because the kingdom cannot survive another Veyne on the throne."

Elara froze.

"Another Veyne?"

Nobody answered.

She looked around the temple.

"Who was the first?"

Silence.

Her gaze moved from the elder to the other council members.

"Who was the first Veyne?"

Still nothing.

Elara's voice hardened.

"Answer me."

The elder looked toward Kael.

"Your Majesty"

"No."

Elara stepped forward.

"You brought my family into this. Now you answer me."

The elder's jaw tightened.

"You are asking questions you are not prepared to hear the answers to."

"I've spent eighteen years hearing lies."

She lifted her marked palm.

"I think I'm prepared."

A murmur spread through the court.

Kael finally released her hand.

Elara immediately noticed.

Five minutes ago, he had stood beside her and declared that she lived.

Now he wouldn't even touch her.

She turned toward him.

"Kael."

He didn't answer.

"You just chose my life in front of this entire court."

His eyes met hers.

"Why are you looking at me like I'm the enemy?"

"I'm not."

"You are."

"No."

"Then look at me."

He did.

Elara searched his face.

"What changed?"

Kael's jaw tightened.

Before he could answer, the elder stepped closer.

"Your Majesty, you know what must be done."

Kael's eyes flicked toward him.

"Do I?"

The elder lowered his voice.

"The Veyne bloodline destroyed the previous order. Your father understood the danger."

Something inside Kael went still.

His father's voice returned.

If the Veyne girl ever awakens, never let her reach the throne.

He remembered the old king lying in his bed.

Pale.

Weak.

Terrified.

Kael had been young when he'd heard those words.

He had dismissed them as the fear of a dying king.

But the girl standing before him had just awakened the First Moon Blood.

The same blood his father had warned him about.

"Your Majesty?" the elder pressed.

Kael looked at Elara.

She was watching him.

Waiting.

"Your father knew about me, didn't he?" she asked.

Kael didn't answer.

Her expression changed.

"He did."

"I don't know everything."

"But you know something."

"Elara"

"What did he tell you?"

Kael's silence was enough.

"What did he tell you?"

The elder interrupted.

"He warned the crown that your blood must never awaken."

Elara turned toward him.

"Why?"

The elder said nothing.

"Why?"

Kael's voice came quietly.

"Because he believed your blood could destroy the kingdom."

Elara stared at him.

"And you believe him?"

"I don't know what to believe."

"Then why are you afraid of me?"

Kael looked at the silver thread between them.

It was still there.

Faint.

But alive.

Every time Elara's breathing quickened, it brightened.

The elder noticed it too.

"You see?"

He pointed toward the bond.

"Her emotions are feeding it."

Elara frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"It means the bond is becoming stronger."

"Because I'm afraid?"

"Because your blood is awakening."

Elara looked at Kael.

"And you think rejecting me will stop it."

Kael didn't answer.

"You do."

"Elara."

"Is that what you were planning?"

The elder stepped forward.

"It is what must happen."

Elara's eyes hardened.

"You've wanted me rejected since the moment the Moonstone answered me."

"Because the Moonstone should never have answered you."

"Yet it did."

The elder's face tightened.

"And now the king must correct that mistake."

Elara looked at Kael.

"Is that what I am?"

He said nothing.

"A mistake?"

"No."

"Then say it."

Kael's expression hardened.

"You are not a mistake."

"Then don't treat me like one."

The temple went silent.

Kael closed his eyes for a moment.

When he opened them, the warmth had disappeared.

Duty had taken its place.

"Elara Veyne."

She stared at him.

His voice carried across the temple.

"Before the Moon, the crown, and this court..."

Elara's stomach tightened.

"Don't."

Kael's jaw clenched.

"I reject the mate bond between us."

The words struck harder than she expected.

Elara didn't move.

Nobody moved.

The silver thread between them pulsed violently.

"You said she lives," Elara whispered.

"I know."

"You said it in front of everyone."

"I know."

"Then why?"

Kael hesitated.

Elara's eyes filled with anger.

"Why?"

"Because I am the King."

"No."

Her voice cracked.

"You're afraid."

Kael looked away.

"You are afraid of what I might become."

He said nothing.

"Say it."

"Elara"

"Say it!"

Kael forced himself to meet her eyes.

"I cannot allow something I don't understand to threaten my kingdom."

Her face went still.

"So that's what I am now."

"That's not what I said."

"It's what you meant."

The elder stepped forward.

"Complete the rejection, Your Majesty."

Kael's eyes closed for one second.

Then he spoke.

"I reject you as my mate."

The silver bond snapped.

A blast of light exploded between them.

Elara cried out and stumbled backward.

Every candle in the temple suddenly burned silver.

The nobles screamed.

The floor shook.

Elara dropped to one knee, clutching her chest.

"Elara!"

Mira started forward.

A guard stopped her.

"Stay back!"

"She's hurt!"

"Don't touch her!"

Elara gasped.

Something inside her had recoiled.

Not died.

Not disappeared.

Recoiled not from the rejection, but from the King himself.

She looked at her palm.

The First Moon Blood mark was glowing.

Then another symbol appeared beneath it.

Jagged.

Dark.

Almost like a crescent split down the middle.

The priest stared at it.

"No..."

An elder stumbled backward.

"That's impossible."

Elara slowly stood.

"What isn't possible?"

Nobody answered.

She raised her hand.

"Tell me."

The elder shook his head.

"What is that?"

He looked toward Kael.

"Your Majesty..."

Kael stared at the symbol.

He didn't know what it meant.

But he knew one thing.

It hadn't been there before.

"Answer her," he ordered.

The elder swallowed.

"We cannot."

Elara laughed once.

There was no humor in it.

"Of course."

She looked at Kael.

"You rejected me."

Kael's face tightened.

"Yes."

"You chose the kingdom."

"Yes."

"Then I hope you're right."

Her voice became strangely calm.

"Because if you're wrong..."

She lowered her hand.

"...you'll have to live with what you just did."

Kael flinched.

Elara turned toward the temple doors.

Nobody stopped her.

She walked past the guards.

Past the nobles.

Past the elders.

Mira started after her.

"Elara!"

Elara didn't stop.

"Please!"

She kept walking.

The doors opened.

Cold night air rushed into the temple.

Elara disappeared beyond them.

Kael remained frozen.

The elder approached him.

"You protected the kingdom, Your Majesty."

Kael didn't answer.

"You made the right decision."

"Don't."

The elder stopped.

Kael's eyes remained fixed on the open doors.

"Don't congratulate me."

"Your Majesty"

"You have no idea what I just did."

The elder frowned.

"You saved the kingdom."

Kael looked down at his hand.

The place where Elara's hand had been still felt warm.

"Did I?"

The elder said nothing.

Kael turned toward the shattered Moonstone.

Something about the broken stone disturbed him.

"Seal this temple."

"Immediately?"

"Nobody enters."

"And the girl?"

Kael's eyes hardened.

"Don't touch her."

The elder hesitated.

"But the prophecy"

"I said don't touch her."

Kael turned away.

But the words he'd spoken kept repeating inside his head.

I reject the mate bond between us.

He had expected relief.

Instead, there was only an emptiness where something had been.

And beneath that emptiness

Fear.

Elara reached the temple steps.

Her breathing was still uneven.

She looked down.

The new symbol on her palm began to burn.

She clenched her fist.

"Not now."

The pain intensified.

She opened her hand.

Both symbols were glowing.

The First Moon Blood mark.

And the strange crescent beneath it.

Then the ancient voice returned.

Not from the temple.

Not from the Moonstone.

From inside her.

"The King rejected the blood."

Elara froze.

The voice continued.

"The blood will reject the King."

Her eyes widened.

"What does that mean?"

Silence.

Then the mark on her palm pulsed once.

Far behind her, inside the shattered temple, something answered.

Elara slowly turned.

The temple doors slammed shut.

And beneath them, silver light began crawling across the stone floor.

Toward her.

check to be sure