Thane frowns. “Seriously?A secret?”
Frevella doesn’t answer. She remains completely still, her face pointed forward, the snake examining us for her.
“Fine.” Thane’s seat creaks as he adjusts his position. “I kept a dagger on me. It’s tucked in my left boot.”
Frevella’s head tilts backward as she unleashes another one of her croaky laughs. He and I pass a look between each other. This woman is mad.
She faces Thane and leans in, coming face to face with him. “If only it were that simple.”
“I don’t understand what you want.” His words come out through gritted teeth.
“I don’t want your surface secrets. I want to know the deepest, darkest fear that you’ve never shared with anyone—the one that torments you so much, it turns your sweetest dreams into cruel nightmares.” She turns her face toward me. “I want you to tell me about the fear that eats you up inside. That is the secret I want in exchange for my irreplaceable sphere.”
When she moves out of the way, Thane’s amber eyes clash with my dark brown. His teeth grind when he turns away from me, focusing on the fire instead.
“I’ve poured many of my spells, secrets, and energy into the very sphere you seek,” Frevella goes on. “It is dear to me and has savedcountlesslives. You want it to save yours, then you must reveal yourself.”
As she speaks, the cave becomes hotter. I’m dripping with sweat, and I’m certain the jagged walls are closing in on us. Everything, including the table and bookshelves, feels closer. Even the energy flowing off of Thane feels stronger, like he’s right in front of me.
Frevella grips our shoulders, and a shock courses through my bloodstream. Thane clearly feels it, too, because his eyes ignite a fierce gold.
“Look at each other,” the sorceress orders.
I stare into his eyes as he does mine. I can’t look away even if I try.
“You speak first,Thane Valkor.” I can hear the satisfaction in her voice. She’s pleased to have us under whatever spell this is—to have us as pawns in her hands.
Thane grunts as he tries resisting, but Frevella grips him tighter, her nails piercing into his buffers.
Rynthea’s words ring in my head.Make sure the sorcerer doesn’t fuck this up for us.I try telling him to just reveal something so we can get the sphere, but it’s not my turn to speak yet. Frevella won’t allow me.
“My greatest fear is not getting vengeance,” Thane confesses. He closes his eyes as if those words—that don’t surprise me in the slightest—are an earthshaking declaration.
“That’s a start,” the sorceress says. “But you must give me more. I must know why. Continue.”
Lips clamped tight, he takes several deep breaths through his nose as if he’s fighting to keep silent. “I…had…a brother…” His words come out strained and painful. “He…Fuck… I can’t.”
I have the urge to reach out to him, but I still can’t. My body is completely under her control. My emotions are not entirely my own, either. I can feel so much in this moment.
Anger.
Worry.
Fear.
Thane’s emotions have entwined with mine. I didn’t think he feared anything, but seeing him now in such a vulnerable state, fighting with his truths, makes me wonder…
“Do not resist,” Frevella commands. “Speak your truth. Your greatest fear. Your pain, I must feel.”
Maybe she feeds off emotions and gets her power from that somehow. I try to look at her, but the spell holds my gaze firmly on Thane’s face.
He manages to close his eyes. Frevella hangs on, and the tension finally leaves his body as he parts his lips to speak again.
“His name was Koa. He was… He was my little brother. He was killed in his nineteenth year, and…it was my fault.”
My throat thickens as I study the man across from me. His head sways with shame, and his mouth quivers. His eyes remain closed as he tilts his head back and swallows, the lump in his throat going up and down.
“I still see his face when it happened. I…I can’t forgive myself or the people who killed him. Ineverwill. He told me all the time that he wanted to be just like me, but…I’m the worst person. My existence is riddled with disappointment and bathed in blood. I come fromnothing, but he had the potential to becomeeverything. It’s my fault he’s gone, but I want to make it right. Imustmake it right. My greatest fear is that I will fail him.”
