More and more since meeting my sister in the dungeon. “He told me that my twin sister is locked in the dungeon.”
Gratia blinked. “What?”
Her shock was genuine.Huh,unexpected. “Carmine locked her in there five years ago and never told me.”
“He wouldn’t do that,” she blurted.
I doubted she was referring to the “never told me” part. “I assure you, he did. Despite all his own experiences there.”
Gratia’s mouth fell ajar. “Brother. I wouldn’t have thought him capable of it. Have you apologized to him?”
I sighed. “No, Gratia. I’m not going to apologize to him.”
“But you allowed it to happen. You betrayed your mating by failing to suspect him.”
I rubbed my temples.Demons.Seriously. Her shock was centered on Carmine surprising her, and not at all by his actual depraved act.
Still, I’d expected that she would know everything. Her ignorance was almost making me like her, even if she believed I was to blame. “I don’t see it the same. This knowledge has consolidated everything I felt about Carmine since learning that he murdered my family.”
“If someone murdered my family, I would stop at nothing to end them,” she said, and her gaze was very intent on me.
I smiled. “But it would be your fault they died, right?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “And my duty to fix.”
I answered, “I will hardly risk my sister now I know she lives. But I do want a shower, so what do you want to tell me that you shouldn’t?”
“It’s worth two of the three favors left.”
I grunted. “I’d prefer not to know.”
I turned to leave.
“You really want to know this!” She cursed. “One of my favors will be struck off,andI want to know more about my mate.”
Consider me curious. “Deal. Spill.” At her blank look, I said, “Tell me.”
Gratia checked the hall, then leaned closer. “I heard from my mother this morning. She sounded different. Gleeful.”
My stomach dropped, but I rolled my eyes. “You wished to tell me that your mother sounded excited this morning. Don’t waste my time.”
She hissed, “She only sounds like that when she’s close to her target.”
To grandfather.Except Grandfather wasn’t the person I cared about her finding. Not that I wanted him dead. But myfear for Adeuto overshadowed any fear I held for others, even my twin. “I see. What was her location?”
“Outer realm. She’s staying with some red wardens out there.”
I knew of them. Their housing was two days’ walk from our shack. I had time. Carmine’s mother could hardly portal at random to find the shack, and Grandfather would have covered his tracks well. He never took a direct route back. She might have a general idea that we were hiding in the desert, but searching for our hideaway would take time. More than two days certainly. Maybe even until the end of Tiers. “Consider me warned.”
Gratia extended her hands. “Your spilling turn.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Like mostly everything you say,” she retorted.
I chuckled, then took her hands. My divination magic swept up her arms, and my voice floated between us. “Ask one question.”
“Where is he?”
