Haruko, the morning of the wedding…“My brother has been unexpectedly occupied this morning…”
It fit. Taiyo… Taiyo had known her brother had come for her. And he’d never said a word.
“Let me guess, Hels, you never once received a letter from me, did you?”
Hellebore’s voice cracked. “You wrote?”
Callahan’s expression darkened. “I knew it. If he wouldn’t even let me see you from a distance, of course he wouldn’t give you any of my letters, no matter how innocent I made them sound on the surface.”
He’dknown.This whole time, Taiyo had known her brother hadn’t abandoned her and he’d lied to her face. He’d taken the letters. He’d let her believe that her brother thought she was worthless.
Hellebore squeezed her eyes shut, throat tightening painfully. She’d cried more the last six months than she had the last ten years.
“Hels?” Callahan whispered.
“Is she crying?” Emerson whispered with a panic she’d never heard in his voice before.
She covered her mouth with her hand. She was among her people again. Crying was a waste of time and energy, but shecouldn’t make herself stop. Her voice broke into a sob. “Cal—I’m so sorry—I thought—”
Then her brother pulled her into his arms and she clutched at his shirt, crying into his shoulder. Her brother held her tightly, nearly crushing her in his grip as Hellebore’s world went up in flames a second time not even a full day later.
How could Taiyo have done this? How could he claim to love her when he lied to her?Whyhad he lied to her? Why would he have hidden her brother’s letters one hour and then the next been encouraging her to write to him?
Would he have even sent it if she had? Was it just to try and raise her estimation of his character in her eyes so she would want to save his life?
Did she know Taiyo at all? Or just what he wanted her to know?
Hellebore was still shaking, trying to stop her sobs, when Callahan pulled back, bracing his hands on her shoulders and locking eyes with her. “You have nothing to be sorry about. That elf is the monster here. He lied to you. He took advantage of you. That’s not your fault.”
Hellebore nodded, taking one last breath before managing to finally win against her tears. Callahan squeezed her shoulders. “Chin up. You’re safe with us now.”
Aunt Palladia cleared her throat, and Hellebore instantly reached up, wiping away her tears. She straightened back up, pulling out of Callahan’s grip. Emerson had averted his gaze, and Hellebore almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. Six months ago, she wouldn’t have known what to do either. Or worse, she would have been rolling her eyes at the excessive display of useless emotion.
“Your brother is right.” Palladia waved her hand as she came closer. “Do not waste a moment blaming yourself for that creature’s deception. I knew the second that creature arrivedat my academy what was happening. He was finally coming to finish what he’d started twenty-five years ago. The best way to make me suffer would be to take you from me and make me helpless as he used you.”
If Taiyo had been hiding her brother’s letters, what else hadn’t he told her? Had he been afraid she’d take her aunt’s side because he’d been the one to wrong her all along?
Hellebore was starting to believe anything was possible now. She didn’t know him. She never had, had she?
Chapter 24
Palladia reached forward and took Hellebore’s hands. “I’m so sorry you were caught up in all of this. I’m so sorry it took us so long to rescue you. I can only imagine what he’s done to you these last six months.”
Wait…
“Done to me? Aunt, he’s done nothing to me, I assure you—”
“Hels, he has lied to you, used you, and manipulated you all so you cannot see him for the monster he is.” Palladia shook her head, not letting go of her hands.
Hellebore fell silent. Maybe she was right.
Hellebore needed to know the truth. She couldn’t pretend it didn’t matter anymore.
“You are not the first princess and alchemist he tried to capture and bind in matrimony.”
Now that—Of all the things she could have imagined, that was not it.
“Shortly after the old king of the Sun Elves died, so did my father, making your father king. That was when our kingdoms convened to reevaluate the terms of our truce as was standard. King Taiyo and his sister arrived, no desire for true peace in their hearts. All they wanted was to get revenge for a centuries-old grudge by taking a princess and alchemist and subjugating her to the humiliation of being married to an elf. I was just about to take my position as the King’s Alchemist but hadn’t officially received the position when the idea was put forward. A marriage alliance. Your father’s reasoning was that it would make us truly allies and finally put to rest all the bad blood between us. He really just wanted to get rid of me. But I wasn’t about to let either of them get away with it. I wouldn’t let the elf king trap me and force me to be his bride.”
