Arawn sighed. “This is the only place fatherwon’tcome to find me. I needed a break.”
The king’s lessons for his brother were constant, these days. Arawn learned and grew in all ways to protect the kingdom...while Kinlear was left alone, like a sad hero in a story, hiding in his tower. The only thing he could make it through lately was temple, because it didn’t take much energy to pray.
The other younglings knewsomethingwas different about him. But he was forbidden to speak the truth.He was born with a lung condition,the Masters told the others.A hindrance to his training, but it’s perfectly normal and will ease with magic and age.
Do not worry about him.
It was a lie, of course. But the Masters shielded themselves from paying penance, because they claimed the act was done with righteous intent.
To save the Laroux family’s honor, when it came to the kingdom.
If they knew the truth?
It might cause them to stumble, and doubt the power of the Five, because surely...they wouldn’t give a Sacred prince an illness suchas his.
So, he carried the truth in his heart.
He was born to die.
Both in his waking life...and in his dreams.
Kinlear frowned now, as he focused on getting the monster’s claws just right. The charcoal smudged against the side of his left palm like shadows. He shivered, even though the room was sweltering. The fire always seemed to burn a bit brighter when Arawn was nearby.
“What are you working on now?” Arawn asked, as he shut the door behind him. He was easily double Kinlear’s size. And where Kinlear’s hair was dark to match their father’s, Arawn’s wasperfectly Sacred white, like the queen’s. “Not another drawing, Kinny. They’re awful.”
Kinlear met his brother’s gaze. “Rude.”
“Not rude. Honest,” Arawn said, as he sat down on the chair across from him, getting sweat on the cushions. “As any good Sacred should be. It’s not good to draw them. It’s not even good totalkabout them. You risk...a seed of darkness, seeping into your soul.”
He sounded just like their mother.
“I’m still dreaming of it,” Kinlear said. “No matter how hard I pray before sleep. The monster always comes for me. Why don’t they take it away?”
Arawn frowned. “The gods do what they please. Maybe they’re trying to teach you something.”
Kinlear huffed out a laugh. “I don’t need any more lessons ondying.”
The fire crackled, sending embers dancing into the hearth. And outside the window, the wintry wind howled like a shadow wolf on the hunt.
“I wish you wouldn’t talk about it,” Arawn said.
Kinlear shrugged. “It doesn’t make it not real.”
“I can stilltryto,” Arawn said, his hands curling into fists. “I’llalwaystry to save you.”
They locked gazes.
And in his brother’s eyes, Kinlear sawlove.
It was why there were no secrets between the twins. Kinlear told Arawn most things, because even if Arawn didn’t like it...he wasn’t ajudgerlike their mother. Certainly not like the Masters, either, who seemed to get a bit of sickening glee each time they made a youngling pay penance.
Kinlear, more than the rest of them.
He always told Arawn about his dreams.
His death.
His monster.
