Fateful Magic (The Star-Crossed Series Book 8) Read Online Free Page A

Amory
explained why we’d come all the way out to the farm tonight. “Our vision for
the Resistance is changing tonight. As you all know, Lucan called off the
engagement between the Prince and Seraphina Van Curen .
And I believe we all know why he would do such a thing. Tonight, while we meet
here, Kiran is with my granddaughter.” He took a long
moment to pause, seeming to collect himself.
    Amory was usually stoic and commanding. I found it
unnerving to see him struggle with emotion. Especially when I
didn’t understand his emotion. Was he angry at Eden for entertaining
ideas of a future with Kiran ? Or was it painful for
him to think his only granddaughter would marry into the Kendrick family?
    The longer I watched him, the more confused I became.
He didn’t look like he struggled with the idea, he looked proud. He seemed…
moved. Especially when he said, “The Prince is going to ask her to marry him
and I have no doubt that she will say yes.”
    Every voice seemed to erupt at the same time. The
majority of the Resistance seemed angry at Eden’s choice. The rest of them were
beyond angry, they were livid . Even
Avalon shouted something at his grandfather.
    Nobody wanted Eden mixed up with the Royals. Not even
me. As the future King, I found him incredibly lacking. And as my best friend’s
boyfriend or fiancé or whatever, I found him even worse. He hadn’t even dated
Eden before he asked her to marry him. Their entire relationship, he’d been
engaged to a different girl. Whom he’d treated just as
poorly.
    I didn’t have any respect for him for those reasons
alone. Not to mention, he’d been the one to get me thrown in prison in the
first place. After I’d helped save his life! And he would have let me rot there
if it hadn’t been for Eden.
    I didn’t understand what she was thinking. Although…
it was easier for me to understand that sometimes love didn’t make sense or fit
exactly right.
    I had my own confusing emotions to deal with, so I
couldn’t really judge her.
    “Quiet,” Amory commanded and the room fell immediately
silent. “I have more to say.” He cleared his throat and with his rich, melodic
voice, he continued, “I have lived a long time. Too long, some might say. I
have been fighting this secret war for almost just as long. I am weary of it. I
am weary of plotting and scheming and advocating for a selfish Kingdom that
doesn’t want my help. I lost my wife.” He cut himself off when his voice broke
with emotion. My own eyes burned with unshed, empathetic tears. “I lost my
daughter, and I have only just begun to know my grandchildren. This long, endless
life has taken its toll on me.” I held my breath in anticipation for his next
words and it was only because I had ceased moving that I heard him mumble under
his breath, “But it’s almost over now.” My ears perked up and I scooted forward
in my seat. I didn’t think I could have possibly heard him right. I started to
doubt myself. And then he went on, “In all my long history, I must say, this is
the most I’ve managed to accomplish. This is the farthest I’ve ever reached and
it is because of you all. You are the greatest group of soldiers I’ve ever
fought with and more than that, some of the best people I have had the
privilege to know. I have watched this Kingdom self-destruct for thousands of
years. Immortals filled with prejudice and malice and brutality. There has
never been a right time to supersede the Monarchy because there has never been
enough good people to help carry out the task. Until you. Until your generation. These last sixteen years have
been some of the best in my life. And I thank you for that. I thank you for
being the people worth fighting for. Please stay these people. Our struggle for
justice won’t end with Eden’s engagement. I hope in the future, no matter what
happens, you remember the reason we do this.”
    Amory finished and walked straight to Avalon. He
pulled him aside and began speaking