“I’m not mad, I’m cultured. If you hadn’t spent your days with your nose stuffed in asinine books, you might’ve learned a thing or two about our kingdom and its laws.”
Smoke billows from my clenched fists. I should’ve squeezed harder. So much harder.
“Anyway, it’s my lawful right to inflict the same amount of harm that was done to me.” Ksenia keeps stroking her wound as though to make sure it keeps weeping. “It’s written in our constitution. Article 17 to be exact. In case any of you care to check.”
Smoke tapers into the shape of a man beside Izolda—Aodhan. “Only if harm was caused by malice.”
“Which it was,” Ksenia drones.
“The only malicious one here is you, Ksen!” Izolda trembles so hard that even Aodhan’s steady arms around her middle don’t manage to calm her.
Konstantin finally looks away from his sister’s neck. “Isla apologized. The matter is closed.”
Does he protect me because of Mádhi’s oath, or because his sister’s demands are preposterous?
“How soft you’ve become. Then again, I visited Lev yesterday. Pretty heartless of you to hack offbothhis hands.”
My lungs seize as I whirl toward Konstantin and gasp, “What?”
“Huh. Fascinating,” Ksenia breathes. “You share a mind link but not your deepest, darkest secrets? Then again, I hear you also don’t share a bed.” She steps around me, circling a finger in the air to encompass both Konstantin and me. “Could thisout-of-nowherebond be an act?”
“Just becauseyoujump into bed with whoever strokes your fancy doesn’t mean the rest of us do,” Izolda says, now crimson with anger.
“Not that it’s anyone’s business, but Izolda made me wait two whole months,” Aodhan says. “Longest months of my fucking existence.”
Konstantin’s eyes taper on Ksenia. “My relationship with Isla is private, but please, do tell me which servant or guard is spreading rumors about our sleeping arrangement.”
“So you can lob off more hands? Or will it be a head this time?” Ksenia taunts.
“Lev’s lucky to be alive,” he murmurs. “Besides, I didn’t use iron, so his hands will eventually grow back.”
“You’ve rendered him magicless!”
Konstantin stretches out his fingers, before curling them anew. “Temporarily.”
“Are you planning on removing the appendages of all who touch your mate?” Ksenia spits out.
My pulse falters. He cut off Lev’s hands because of me?
“Maybe people will rethink touching what’s mine.” The glacial timbre of Konstantin’s voice crashes through the room like an avalanche. “So best keep your hands to yourself. And please, do spread my warning far and wide. Make sure to pourit into human ears, sincetheirappendages won’t grow back, no matter the metal used.”
“Who have you become, Kostya? Who the fuck have you become?” She backs up, shaking her head. “I don’t even know why I bothered coming back. You’ve all lost your fucking morals.” She casts one last disgusted look our way before wheeling around and striding toward the Great Hall.
“Feed her salt to find out which servant has time for idle gossip,” Konstantin instructs one of his guards.
The man nods, then goes after the princess.
“Why?” I ask.
“Because salt?—”
“No. Not about the salt. Why did you cut off Lev’s hands?”
His pupils churn as though to silently convey the reason. Not for the first time I wish I could read his mind, especially since both Aodhan and Izolda are observing us.
“Guards, leave the room and shut the doors.”
Once they’re gone, Konstantin asks me to inscribe a sigil for privacy. My shoulders dance with little tremors as I advance toward the first set of doors, pricking my finger on my earring. I give myself a pep talk as I reach up and begin to draw. My finger shakes so hard that the lines, which are supposed to be straight, turn out squiggly.
