His eyes flare wide, and he takes a step back. It sends a chill right through my gut.
Because I remember the moment I did the exact same thing to the king.
For the longest time, we stand there in the sunlight, staring at each other. We’re both angry. Afraid. Betrayed.
Alek runs a hand across his jaw, but he encounters the scratches and gives a sudden hiss of pain. When he speaks, his voice goes quiet. “Youliedto me.”
Another chill rolls through me. “Please,” I say softly. “You must understand. I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Does the king know?” he says. “Are you truly a spy forhim?” He shakes his head, not waiting for an answer. “He summoned this creature, didn’t he? You told him where we’d be. All your accusations againstme, and I was foolish enough to—”
“I am not a spy for the king!” I cry. I’m horrified to hear my voice break. I can’t believe our intimacy has turned into this. “I didn’t break the carriage!”
“Then does thequeenknow?”
I draw a sharp breath—and say nothing.
His expression darkens, and he takes another step back. “She trusts you with herchild, Callyn.”
“It’s not like that! Would you stop it? She’s—”
“She trusts you, and you arelyingto her.” His voice is vicious.
“Please, Alek.” I’m gasping now, because I’m seeing how this could play out. I didn’t expect his anger, his revulsion. Is this what it’s like for the king every time he uses magic?
I remember the day Jax’s hand was burned in the forge. He wasterrified he wouldn’t be able to use it for months—if it would ever heal. Lord Tycho appeared, using his magic to heal it.
Jax and I were so afraid that we chased him out of the bakery.
Yes, I think.This is what it’s like every time.
“I love Princess Sinna,” I say. “I am not a threat! Not to you, not to her, not to thequeen. She herself—”
Alek inhales sharply, and I freeze, realizing what I was about to say.
She herself has magic.
But because Iamloyal and Iamtrustworthy, I hold my tongue. I have to choke back a sob. “She herselfmarried the king, knowing the powers of his magic. I didn’t knowmine. But I am not a threat.”
He stares at me. In the grass behind him, the dead scraver has long since stopped trying to claw at the blade. Alek turns away from me and walks to the creature, then yanks his sword from the body. It gives with a sickening wet sound, and he wipes the blade in the grass.
Then he turns back to me.
The look in his eyes is enough to makemestep back this time.
“Alek,” I whisper.
Thundering hoofbeats echo along the road, and we both snap our heads around to look. There’s a carriage, followed by two other men on horseback. Within seconds, they’re nearly upon us. I recognize Alek’s driver in the seat at the front of the carriage, and the footman is one of the men on horseback.
“My lord!” the footman cries. “We were coming to warn you! Scravers were spotted—”
He breaks off as he draws close, seeing the scraver’s body near Alek’s feet, the still-bloodied sword in his hand. I watch as every man’s eyes shift to the bloodstained remnants of Alek’s shirt and jacket, and then to me, standing over the blood spattered on the ground.
“You killed it,” the footman says, drawing the horse to a halt. Hisvoice is hushed, and he looks at me again. “Lady Callyn. You were injured?”
I shake my head quickly, but I can’t look away from Alek. He’s still holding that sword, his eyes still locked on me.
Please, I think.
