Brahm leans back in his chair, toying with the royal signet ring on his finger. “You can ask. I may not answer.”
“Who was the last person with Father when he died?”
He clears his throat. “Mother, of course. She was by his side until the end.”
“Did she…help him to die?”
Now he looks up. “What do you mean?”
“You said he died of wasting disease. Was it a particularly brutal death? Did Mother do anything to ease his suffering?”
“What an odd question.”
“I only wish to know of their final moments, Brahm. I deserve to know the truth about their deaths. The whole truth.”
“He went peacefully. They all went peacefully,” he says with a dismissive flick of his fingers. He’s lying. I know he’s lying. I catch a smirk, just for a moment, on his otherwise scowling mouth. His gaze darts toward Banias. He shifts in his chair and fiddles with his paperwork. This is the Brahm I’d sometimes see when we’d confront him about his drinking or when our parents caught him doing wrong. I never thought my brother capable of murder, but I know he’s capable of lying.
“Did you see his body after his death?”
“Of course I did,” he mumbles. “Although he was covered with the coroner’s shroud. I did not wish to see the whole of him. But I was there when they laid him to rest.” Oddly, now I get the sense that he’s telling the truth.
“How long did Mother live after father’s death?”
“A few weeks. Her exact date of death is on her grave marker.”
“You don’t remember?”
“As you might surmise, Father’s death created turmoil in the kingdom. It was a busy time.” He focuses again on the papers. He’s losing patience with me.
“And Karyl?”
“Died the same day as our mother.”
“The exact same day, of the same disease?”
“The sickness was ruthless.”
“Right.” Every cell in my body urges me to tear into him, but Banias is the only one in this room with a weapon. If I learned anything from being Valeska’s prisoner, it’s that timing is everything. I’m not invincible. My mistakes allowed Valeska to imprison me. Use me. And in doing so, I put my mate at risk. I failed to protect Eloise when she needed me the most. My failure is the reason she’s a vampire now. My failure is the reason we’re trapped here and she’s lost her magic. If I’m going to make this right, I have to get her out of here, and I have to be smart about it.
“Actually, I’m glad you stopped in, Damien.” Brahm’s eyes narrow, and he rubs his chin with the side of his finger. “I realize our family’s deaths are new to you and might be hard to accept, but that’s exactly what you need to do. What you do reflects on this kingdom. I can’t have you visiting the west villages again, or any other place where your presence might be misconstrued as support for their passive revolt.”
I snort. “Are you forbidding me from leaving the castle?”
He waves a hand. “It doesn’t need to come to that, does it? As long as you keep in mind that you represent New Stygarde, I have no quarrel with you. But…” He lowers his chin, his eyes going icy as he adds, “You should know that your visit to Bolvet has had consequences. We can’t have their citizens trying to hunt on our grounds now that they’re stronger. I’ve ordered a continuous patrol of the border in response. It would be wise for you to make sure I know where you’re going before you leave. A former umbrae like yourself might be able to slip by my guards without being noticed, but your mate? She can’t shift into shadow at all, can she? It would be so easy for them to mistake her for an aggressor. It would be a shame if she were injured or killed by mistake.”
I stare and stare at my brother. Alarm rings through me at the news of the patrol. Thank the goddess I’d picked up the dresses from Adriane that afternoon. He must know. Somehow, he must’ve known I left the grounds today. My eyes flit to Banias. There’s always someone watching here. Always.
“Damien?” Eloise appears in the door behind me, her hair just settling behind her as if she’s run from the stables. “Can I talk to you?”
When I turn back to Brahm, he’s grinning wickedly. “Go with your mate, Damien. You best warn her about what I’ve told you. We wouldn’t want any accidents.”
21
Convergence
ELOISE
I want to know what the hell Brahm was talking about, but Damien shakes his head and whispers, “Not here.” By the time we reach his room, I’m hot with anger and buzzing with frustration. I didn’t hear everything that transpired between him and his brother, but I could’ve cut the tension with a knife. I’m just glad Damien hadn’t started something with Brahm. If Banias didn’t take his head off right then, he’d likely face even more brutal consequences later.
