“I know what you are,” Alobaz said.
“If you know all that, then you know who my brother is.”
“I do.But Velle”—no one had ever called her that before—“I didn’t kill your brother.”
I blinked.Blinked again.“What?”
“I didn’t kill Mateo.”
“You … what?”
He clutched my upper arms.His gaze dragged across my collar, probably noting the blood smeared across the iron, then jumped to my bloodied hands.
Eyes back on my face, he said, “I didn’t touch your brother.I met him before, but never did a thing to harm him.”
I blinked some more.“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.Despite what you may have heard about me, I take every death I deal very seriously.”
“But … I felt him die.”Immediately after, I pursed my lips.That was more than I should have revealed.Not even Alonso and Rafaela knew how closely Teo and I sensed each other.We’d never told Marina either, though the goblin was extremely observant and might have figured it out on her own.
My world was spinning.Even well aware the prince of the Rubor Empire was the very last person I should lean on, I sagged into his grip.
He held me up.“I’m not the one who killed him.”
“Then … who did?Where is he?”
“I don’t know.But I’m going to help you find out.”
My world spun faster.
“Why?Why would you ever do something like that?”
His lips pressed together.His eyes flared.“I need to figure that out too.”
No.He had to have killed Teo.Rafaela and Alonso were fully certain, and Alobaz was a scheming, bastard liar.
“So … I’m not going to be your prisoner anymore?You’re going to let me off the spit for trying to kill you?”
“Only because I understand why you did.But if you attack me again—or worse, anyone under my protection—I will make you pay.”
“Fair.”More than fair.Fairer than the Razer or the Ghalubu was said to be.
“I can’t release you though.Not yet, anyway.”
“And why not?”I demanded, though it was a bit cheeky of me.
“Because my friends out there don’t know who you are.They think you’re a threat to me.”
I still was, wasn’t I?
“Plus, they saw you trying to carve my heart out.”
I didn’t apologize.As Teo’s murderer, it was the least he’d deserved.
“If I show you leniency, there’ll be bigger problems than I’m ready to explain to you.”
“Why?”
