She knew.
She’dseenit.
Lyra must have watched Pavel and him that night the other member had surprised him.
She captured his chin and forced his head to the side in her first display of roughness that night, scowling at the spot behind his ear that had already healed over weeks ago. “You’re still wearing his tag. Why haven’t you cut it out?”
The reasoning he’d given Pavel wasn’t going to work here, so Zane remained silent.
“Watching the way you let him handle you was…” she let her sentence trail off, shoving at his throat so he stumbled back a step. “I got off to it. I must have played that video three dozen times by now.”
Zane didn’t like where this was going. “Pavel isn’t interested in a threesome. Perhaps—”
“Would he let me watch while he fucks you? The same way Kazimir did?” She searched his face and must have found an answer. “He wouldn’t? Is he really that possessive of you already? More possessive of you than I am?”
“Lyra.” There had to be something in the air, that was the only explanation for why everyone was acting crazy around him.
“Should I ask baby brother if he’ll give you to me, officially?”
“What?” He had to have misheard her.
“Technically, you’re his,” she continued. “But if he gifted you to me, those bonds would be broken. You wouldn’t have to waste any more time following him around. I’d remove you from the Retinue and position you permanently at my side.”
Absolutely not.
The Retinue was the one place Zane felt like he belonged. The one place he was truly needed. As Kelevra’s third in charge, he had a power and purpose most others would never be able to dream of. He had a duty, and that meant he couldn’t be tossed aside or abandoned.
“You’re right about Ansel. He’s not what I’d hoped for. He’s not cut out for this job. I have to be his Imperial Heir first,but he seems to forget that and treats me like a girlfriend he can give the silent treatment. You’ve never done anything like that, Zane. You’ve always been perfect. I didn’t see it before, but as soon as I saw that video—”
“Stop.” Zane removed her hand and took a step back. “Lyra, you can’t just remove me from the Retinue.”
“I can if my brother hands ownership of you over to me.”
While it was true he’d technically been a gift, Kelevra had never treated Zane that way. He wasn’t an object in the prince’s eyes, but the fact that he was one in hers…Any fondness he may have formed for her over the years vanished in a puff of smoke.
“That isn’t going to happen,” he stated.
“Do you think Kelevra wants you that badly as well? As badly as I do?”
“This isn’t about want, Lyra. You’re confused and upset because of Ansel, that’s all this is. Why don’t I go find him for you and bring him back—”
“You can’t,” she said plainly. “He’s dead.”
Zane frowned, waiting for her to explain.
“I wanted to play with him the way Pavel played with you,” she admitted. “But he couldn’t hold his breath as long. It was an unfortunate accident.”
“Are you telling me you drowned your boyfriend?” Zane turned and glanced at the pool.
“Not here,” she reassured. “It was in the bathtub. I couldn’t carry the weights down to this level of the palace, so we did it there. I cut him as well, but it must have been too deep.”
Zane went cold. “You killed him on purpose.”
“I said it was an accident.”
“You’ve had training with weapons, Lyra. You know how deep is too deep.” He’d seen her lose interest in people before, but this was particularly cruel, even for her. “What did you do with the body? Was it cleaned up? Do you need me—”
She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, and rested her chin against his chest. “I knew you cared.”
