“I’m sorry,” I say, and my voice is rough. “I shouldn’t have snapped.”
“It’s my own fault. I did tell you to say anything you want.” Harper squares her shoulders and looks at me. “But Rhen isn’t the only one who’s made bad choices, Jax.”
I look away. “Tycho already told me about the king and what he—”
“I’m talking aboutyou.”
My eyes snap back to hers.
“You were part of a plot against the king,” she says. “You hadyourreasons, and I know you were desperate. But you knew who you were helping. You knew the Truthbringers hated the king. You might not have known what they were going todo, but you were a part of it.”
I’ve gone stock-still.
Now it’s her fury that’s been unleashed. “They took the queen and the princess, Jax! Sinna isthree, and they tried to kill her motherright in front of her. I heard—I heard one of them tried to cut her throat—” Her voice nearly breaks, but she catches herself.
Her emotion is so potent that I almost can’t breathe. “Your Highness—”
“No. Stop.” Her eyes are full of fire. “I understand why you’re so angry. I do! And I know you helped save everyone in the end. But Grey is Rhen’s brother. Sinna is his niece. Hisfamily. The only family Rhenhas! He’sallowed to hate you, too, but he doesn’t. You think he doesn’t deserve a friend, but hedoes. I wish you knew everythingheendured, because if you knew what the enchantress did to him, you would never—”
“Harper.” Prince Rhen’s voice is quiet and sure, but he speaks from a short distance away. He’s leading a large gray gelding that paws at the ground. He’s trailed by guards who wait on horseback just outside the forge.
All of the other workers have gone home for the day, so the forge is cool and shadowed, and I can’t read his expression from here. I have no idea how much he heard, or how long he’s been standing there. Tension locks into my spine as I wait for him to react.
The princess takes a slow breath, and it’s clear she’s deliberating over the same thing. She finally looks over. “Rhen. I didn’t mean to make you wait so long. Jax noticed Will had a loose shoe, so he offered to fix it. I can meet you in the courtyard in a minute.”
He leads his horse into the forge to stop beside her. “If you’re going to lecture Jax about my past,” he says, his Syssalah slower than hers, “I believe I should wait right here.”
There’s a weight to that comment, and my fingers tighten on my forge tools.
But Harper frowns, then sighs. “Rhen. I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intent.”
“Ah, Harper,” he says gently, and there’s true warmth in his tone. “I know your heart. You don’t need to explain to me.” His gaze falls on me, and most of the warmth evaporates. “Jax can hate me if he desires. As you said, we’re both allowed.”
I wonder if that means hedoeshate me. Good. I hope he does.
But as I look back at him, I realize . . . ?he doesn’t. There’s no animosity in his expression, despite how things ended between us the last time we spoke. And now I have Harper’s words rattling around in my thoughts, poking holes in all my convictions.
“You are right,” Rhen adds, his gaze holding mine. “I don’t deserve Tycho’s friendship. Nor his loyalty. Neither does my brother.”
I can hear the genuine weight in his voice. Tycho’s friendship really does mean something to him—and my anger really does affect him.
That’s wrapping up with what Harper said, about all the thingsIdid wrong, too.
I hate that this has chipped away at the ice around my heart. I draw a long breath and scowl. “Well . . . ?Iprobably don’t deserve his friendship either.”
Harper’s eyebrows go up. “So . . . ?does that mean you don’t hate Rhen anymore?” she says hopefully. “Did I fix it?”
I inhale sharply, then stop before I can get myself in trouble. I clamp my mouth shut.
A wicked light sparks in Prince Rhen’s eye. He’s no fool.
“Not quite,” he says. He lifts Harper’s hand and kisses her knuckles, then gives me a nod. “You do have my full gratitude for your actions last night. The soldiers were very lucky you were there.”
“I’m not a soldier,” I say. “And it wasn’t just me. I only shot a few of them.”
“I saw most of the surviving soldiers when they came in. More than half were drunk. The rest of them were close to it. I heard you went through your entire quiver. Soldier or not, it rather does sound like it wasmostlyyou.”
I stare at him. He stares back.
