All Chapters of Bound to the Hybrid King: Chapter 21 - Chapter 27

The room Nikolai chose was small and windowless, selected for exactly that reason, to limit anyone’s ability to observe him more than necessary. Nikolai had barely closed the door before Koda rounded on him.Koda was pissed.His face lost its usual casual composure.'You could have told her something. Anything. Mother-fucking Goddess, Nico. She doesn’t have a fucking clue what happened to her. And you just… you just stood there like you were carved from stone, letting her believe you’re a monster so she’d be frightened of you.' Koda wasn’t shouting, but he wasn’t calm either.Nikolai’s hackles rose at the accusation. He didn’t want it to be this way, but he had little choice. He knew Koda knew that. He strained to stay calm, to keep his voice even and hard. 'The world believes I am a monster, Koda, or did you forget? There are witnesses everywhere here. I cannot afford to be seen as kind towards the girl.''How about just not treating her like she’s nothing?' Koda's voice climbed, and

'Her horse comes with us,' Nikolai said, before Koda could finish enjoying himself. 'I never said otherwise.''You didn't say anything at all, which is exactly the problem I'm raising.' Koda folded his arms. 'And while we're at it, there's no one on her door tonight. Not one guard, Nico. She's the Queen of Ashbane now, as of about six hours ago, in a palace full of people who'd sooner see the treaty fail than see her leave it breathing, and you forgot something a green recruit wouldn't forget on his first posting.'A flicker of genuine annoyance, directed solely at himself, crossed Nikolai’s face. ‘A fair point. Irritatingly so.’'I do enjoy these moments,' Koda said, entirely without remorse.'I'm certain you do.' Nikolai exhaled, some of the coldness he'd worn all evening finally easing out of him now that there was no one left in the room to perform for. 'See it done tonight. Someone who answers to one of us, not palace staff.''Already arranged,' Koda said, insufferably pleased wi

Nothing about this family had ever operated by the rules he was describing, and she suspected he knew that better than anyone at the table. There was, however, no version of saying so that would not make her sound petulant in front of these strangers and a man she had not yet learned how to read. So, she said nothing and instead reached for the cup in front of her, to give her hands something to do.Koda, two seats down, said, easily enough that it did not draw attention, 'No one told her.' It was not quite a question, and it was aimed, she realised, at nobody in particular, a fact simply set down on the table to see who might pick it up.Nobody did.Elior, who sat across from Koda and was beside General Callan, did not say anything either, but she felt him look at her once, briefly, in the same way he had in the throne room. A gaze that was assessing the weight of the room rather than its appearance. She found herself sitting straighter without deciding to, the old instinct kicking i