“Stay out of this,” I hiss.
Tiernon glances between us, and then his gaze drops to the place on my neck where Bran’s mark burned the night he tried to help me escape.
“Of course,” he mutters. “It’s why you want to join the imperius, isn’t it?” His brows draw together and his eyes widen. “You killed Tiberius by mistake. You’re being forced to kill my father.” Understanding dawns in his eyes and I swallow around the lump in my throat.
“Ti—”
“Someone needs to teach her how to control her powers.” Rorrik narrows his eyes at me. “All it would take is one little mistake like the one you just made, and my father would kill you.”
“No one will know that she gets her power from—” Tiernon stops speaking, but I finish his sentence.
“Death,” I say woodenly. “I get my power from death.”
Rorrik strolls toward us, but his eyes are intent when he waves one hand in my direction, his gaze still on Tiernon. “Do you believe our father will care where she got her power? The moment he learns she has powers from both maginari and sigilmarked, he will see her as the threat she is and kill her. That’s if he doesn’t torture her first.” He gives Tiernon a humorless smile. “Perhaps she will get lucky, and our father will merely line up his enemies, forcing her to kill them one by one to take their power so he can use her on the battlefield.”
Tiny dots blur my vision, and I stumble. A flash of movement—Rorrik’s hand shoots out—as if to steady me, but he freezes just short of contact. I suck in a breath, and Tiernon is suddenly at my side, wrapping his arm firmly around my shoulders.
Rorrik steps back, his jaw tightening.
“Why wouldyoucare?” My voice is hoarse.
Rorrik’s eyes linger on Tiernon’s arm, and his expression turns flat. “Because if the wrong people learn what you can do, and thatIknew about it, things might become complicated for me.”
Of course this is about him.
“No one will learn about it. I’m being careful.”
Rorrik nods toward the water pooled on the floor. “You’re careful until you’re under threat.”
My skin prickles. I wasn’t under threat today, when I almost conjured a shield in the training hall.
“So what are you suggesting?” Tiernon asks.
“Simple, brother. Either you train her, or I will.”
Tiernon actually looks like he’s thinking about letting his ruthless brother train me.
I have no doubt that if I’m forced to work with Rorrik in any capacity, one of us will end up dead. He’s lethal, but I’m motivated.
Shaking off Tiernon’s arm, I walk toward the door. “We’ll talk about this later,withoutyour brother.” I’m more than willing to be trained. But not by Rorrik. Never by him.
“Giving up?” Rorrik’s voice drips with amusement. Amusement and something darker. Ignoring him, I push open the wide library doors and freeze.
Jorah stares at me with glistening eyes, his expression frozen.
Oh gods.
I shut the door behind me, hoping Rorrik and Tiernon are still busy antagonizing each other.
“Jorah—”
“You … you killed Tiberius.”
I take his arm, dragging him away from the library door. “You were spying? If Rorrik and Tiernon find out—”
Jorah wrenches his arm away. “You killed the best man I’ve ever known.”
“I—” My voice trembles, and I drop my gaze. I can’t even look at him.
