Renwell’s attention snapped back to me, and his arms fell to his sides. “No. You’ve broken both of my rules. You helped my quarry escape, using resources I’m certain you’ve kept hidden from me.”
The tunnel.
“You also seem to know surprisingly little about this plan,” he continued. “Are you lying to me, or are you simply a poor seductress?”
His serpentine stare made my insides crawl. His words threatened to poison my beautiful memory of being with Aiden, but I refused to let them.
“I’m not lying,” I said, pouring every ounce of truth I felt into my expression. Like we were back to playing a game of Death and Four in his study, and I was trying to bluff my way to victory. But in this game, defeat most likely meant death.
“I have difficulty believing you’re a poor seductress, Kiera,” he whispered.
My skin grew cold and clammy, but I lifted my chin. “Believe what you will. Not every man gives up his secrets with a mere kiss.”
Renwell’s dark eyes dropped to my mouth. “Only the weakest men. And Aiden is not weak. Something we have in common, I suppose.” He shook his head. “No. If I let you go back to him, it will be for one purpose only.”
He pulled Mother’s sunstone knife from his boot and unsheathed it.
I flinched. After our meeting atThe Crescent Moon, I hated to see it in his possession.
He pointed the knife at me. “Kill Aiden, then come back to me.”
Chapter 37
Kiera
My whole bodyrebelled at the thought. “No.”
“No?” Renwell’s voice deepened, as dark and heavy as the bottom of the sea. “You dare defy me again?”
“I’m not an assassin.”
“Yet you would let Aiden murder your father?”
“No, even though my father hasn’t extended the same courtesy tome,” I snarled.
Renwell’s grip tightened on my knife. “I would never let him execute you.”
“Let him?” I gave a shriek of laughter. “He is the king, Renwell. He can do whatever he pleases. But I willnotbe a murderer like he is.”
“Oh, but you are. You just threatened to kill both me and Korvin.” His eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head to the side. “And you murdered my Wolf.”
I stilled, remembering the Wolf with my knife in his throat. “That was different. He... he would’ve killed me.”
“And Aiden wouldn’t if he knew who you truly were? The daughter of his worst enemy? I’m assuming he’s told you his reasons for wanting your father dead.”
The ground seemed to tilt beneath my feet. Aiden wouldn’t kill me. But the secrets and lies had grown so great between us...
“He wants to put Everett on the throne,” I said, grasping at straws. “Which is something I want as well. I could convince him to merely imprison Father and let Everett have the crown. You would support my brother, wouldn’t you?”
Renwell’s eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to force me to speak treason?”
“It’s a simple question,” I replied. Something deep in my gut told me his answer was important. “Everett will inherit under whatever circumstance. Will you serve him as you do my father?”
“I will serve whoever sits on the throne.” Renwell smirked, running the knife edge over his pale finger. “But that means you must be anexcellentseductress if you think you can bend your rebel assassin to your will. Do you think he cares for you, Kiera?”
I swallowed hard. We were treading into dangerous waters. One wrong word, and he would drag me beneath the current.
A bead of blood appeared on Renwell’s finger. He sucked it clean, but it bubbled back up. “Aiden hasn’t trusted you with his entire plan. He hid the gold from you. He’susedyou to get what he wants. What will he do with you when you’re worthless to him?”
