"I need you to return to the Golden Moon Realm and take command of my army before they mistakenly attack the Dark Realm."
Landon Mercer's direct words hung in the air between them, the silence stretching uncomfortably as Ronan stared back at him with unreadable eyes. They stood in the small clearing outside the cottage, dawn barely breaking through the trees.
"You do realize my sister and I are traitors to your throne, don't you?" Ronan finally responded, his voice flat. "Your army won't listen to me."
"They will if I command it." Landon crossed his arms, his massive frame blocking the rising sun. "And you're not traitors. Not anymore."
Ronan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Since when?"
"Since you both nearly died protecting my mate and daughter."
The bluntness of Landon's answer seemed to catch Ronan off-guard. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, looking away toward the cottage where his sister and Seraphina lay recovering.
"I can't leave them," Ronan finally said.