Aya let out a strangled sound, her fury so thick she could choke on it.
Because she knew, sheknewexactly whose handwriting she’d find as she tugged out the letter.
Tova’s.
Aya scanned the page, her eyes devouring each and every damning sentence.
Lena says there’s been no word. What’s happening there? … Gianna grows more anxious by the day. Has the Council given anything? … What if we’ve been looking in the wrong place this whole time for the supplier? … It was Will’s plan to bring you to Trahir. He pushed Gianna for it vehemently … Do what is necessary. Come home!
Aya staggered back from the desk.
There was such silence in her head. Silence that slowly turned into a dull roar, blocking out every thought, every sense, as her hands curled into fists and she tried to rein in the surging in her veins. It was fueled by enough fury to burn this entire palace to the ground.
‘Aya.’
She whirled, her knife appearing in her hand in the span of a breath. But Will was ready for her, his hand catching hers and pressing into that spot that had her grip spasming, her knife falling into his outstretched palm. He wedged her against the desk, but he kept the knife lowered, his other hand twisting her arm behind her back.
‘What the hells?’ he demanded.
She swung at him, but he dodged her easily, pinning her hand to the desk.
‘You lying piece of shit.’ The words were a hiss pulled from somewhere deep within her. Will went deathly still for a heartbeat as his eyes darted to the letters scattered across the polished surface. Guilt darkened his gaze.
‘Aya—’
‘I knew it,’ she whispered, her body trembling against his.
‘Aya, listen to me.’
She threw her weight against him, rocking him off her. She had another knife free in the span of a heartbeat, its blade slicing toward Will’s face. But he knew her. Had trained with her for years now. He blocked her blow again, grabbing her arm and twisting her so her back landed against the wall.
‘I was going to tell you,’ he bit out, his body sealing her against the smooth plaster of the wall. She bucked against him, but he was an immovable force against her.
‘When it benefited you most, I’m sure.’
‘When I was sure you weren’t going to do anything rash,’ he snapped, his hips shifting against hers. ‘Aya, listen to me. Tova’s letter, it’s not—’
She was too furious to hear him, to take anything that came out of his mouth and dub it as truth.Gods. He had kept her distracted, first with Aidon, then with her ‘training’, then withhim, and she had left Tova to waste away …It was Will’s plan to bring you to Trahir…
‘Were you the one who told Gianna to bring me here?’ The question was as sharp as any knife as she thrashed against him. Will swallowed, but he didn’t release his hold on her.
‘Yes.’
He was saying something, something about how it was his only option, his words were lost again to the roaring in her ears, thefurythat seemed to cut off her air.
‘I trusted you,’ she choked out, her breath coming in deep heaves. ‘I trusted you!’
Pain flickered in Will’s eyes, and he glanced back toward the desk as if to gather himself. But he froze as he took in the vial, his body going taut against hers.
‘What is that?’
A cold, cruel laugh burst from her.
She had honestly thought thisthingbetween them was real? That they couldtrustone another?
She was a fool.
She shoved him off her, brandishing her knife. ‘A tonic to suppress my power,’ she seethed as Will stumbled back, the blade he’d stolen from her stretched out in front of him. ‘I took it from Aidon’s stores.’
