His only response is a manic laugh that sends ice through my veins. Once he’s closed the door and convinced himself that no one else is in this empty room, he turns his attention to me. He seems to be taking me in like I’m the intruder, not the person he just knocked out and kidnapped.
I can see how sunken in his eyes are. He’s lost weight and looks so tired. Despite everything, for a moment I feel bad for him.
“Are you okay, Caspien?” I understand what it’s like to be uprooted and discarded like you are worthless.
“Am I okay?” He breaks out in a laugh again. “Really?” He runs his hands through his hair and pulls it at the ends, then bends down to look me in the eye. His face is too close, his breath carrying the sour stench of ash and decay. “Hmm, let me think. I was supposed to be the king, and you and your damn sister had to go screw everything up!” Straightening, he looks around, spreads his arms. “Now I’m hiding out in this shit hole, while you and my brother are playing house inmyfucking castle! I’ll give you one guess, Nissa. How the fuck do you think I am?”
“Right, so not okay.” Even as I mumble it, I know it is the wrong thing to say, but I can’t seem to stop myself. Oh, how I wish I had listened to Isolde’s lessons about holding my tongue.
“You stupid bitch.” He is pacing the room again, and when he turns back towards me, a blade flashes in the dim light.
The wind catches in my lungs. “Caspien, please. It isn’t my fault that Gaia selected us. You don’t have to do this.”
“Oh, this is very muchyourfault! If Nova wasn’t dead, then it would be her and me ruling now! Not you and that traitor of a brother!”
“I wish Nova was alive too,” I soothe, making a conscious decision to omit that he was never intended to rule. “I’m still trying to figure out what happened to her. That’s why I was in Varethiel. Is that still where we are?” My voice is slow and calm, following up on what he’s said, like I’m speaking to a toddler.
“Alive?!” He spits the word in my face. “Alive?! She’s dead. How is itnotyour fault?! If you had shown up when I sent for you, then she wouldn’t have died! You knew what would happen!”
My mind is reeling, trying to understand. The pounding from the back of my skull isn’t helping. “What are you talking about?”
His manic laughter fills the room again. Maybe he’s been drinking the wrong elemental’s experiences. Maybe that’s making him hallucinate, and he’s confusing that with reality.
Back in my face, he’s burning with anger. “I sent for you! You were supposed to come. Not Nova! You were supposed to die,Nissa!” He hisses out my name as he backs away, pulling at his hair again.
“You…youkilled Nova?” I’m barely whispering, but he must still hear me over the horrible rattle that fills the room from something outside.
“No, you fucking idiot! I killedyou!” His eyebrows knit together, and he is pacing the room again. “But when I went toget rid of your body, it was Nova!Ifucking killedyou.” He says the last part like he is trying to convince himself of it, like saying it could make it true.
He sent forme. The castle must have sent his request to my mother’s house, just like they did my gown and the letter from the queen. Nova must have received it. Nova who always preferred I stay away from Caspien. Of course she would have gone to see what he wanted. He sent for me.To kill me.
“But why? Why did you want to kill me?” I’m still not positive he isn’t hallucinating, but I have to know if he truly killed her.
“Because SolevaraandVarethiel are mine!” he snaps in my face. “I was supposed to be the one to rule the Two Kingdoms. ‘Two crowns to rise from ancient lore,’” He mockingly quotes the prophecy. “If you were what Aiden needed to finally separate from us, thenyouhad to die.” He looks at me like it’s the most obvious answer. As if I should just agree that I should have died that day to put both kingdoms under Vaylorian rule.
“The prophecy.” I whisper. A chill runs down my spine. He is the one that knew about it all along. He is the one that was trying to stop it from coming to fruition. Not Aiden.
He ignores me. “But now everything is ruined and Cillian is the king! With Nova gone, that conniving brother of mine is ruler ofbothkingdoms—of all of Castara. My brother, who claimed he never wanted to be king. Yet our whole lives he showed me up in lessons, in meetings and made me look bad. Acted like I was nothing but an ember for enjoying my position! But I’m the one who did all the dirty work!”
His black eyes turn back to me, full of venom. “But don’t worry. With the storms starting back, he will lose Varethiel. And he’s already lostyou.” A vindictive smile splits his face, and a new level of fear grows in my stomach. “My brother, who claimed thatmybetrothed washis. Funny how things play out.He may be king, but I have his queen.” He slides his eyes up and down my body.
Oh Goddess, no.I can’t hide the tremor that racks my body. His smile grows even wider at my obvious fear.
I swallow the bile rising in my throat. “Do your parents know you killed Nova?” Probably not the best question, but it will keep him talking. Give Cillian time to find me.
As soon as the words are out of my mouth I try to connect to our mental bond. Of all times for me to get a message through to him, it would be now. I don’t know where we are, but I know we started in Varethiel. And Caspien couldn't have gotten two unconscious females very far.
“Caspien has me. Varethiel.”
“Caspien. Varethiel.”
“Caspien. Varethiel.”
“Help. Please.”
I don’t know if he’s hearing any of it. Tears fill my eyes as I continue to try and send anything through to him.
He ignores my question, continuing his ranting. “They tried to keep the truth of the prophecy hidden. Keepyouhidden. Why do you think your family sent you away? Why no one ever trained you to be a royal? If Aiden did get his hands on you, we weren’t going to be the ones who prepared you to be the perfect little queen forthem.”
