As he put the flask back in its hiding spot, Rhay steadied himself against the door and stood up. He took off, away from Amira’s room. He was glad that the few fae he passed by didn’t pay him any attention. Everyone was too excited about Kawyn’s nomination.
Rhay slapped his forehead. “Fuck,” he said way too loudly. He glanced around the corridor, but no one was around to notice his outburst. What should he tell Karwyn?
Curses went through his head like a mantra. Why did he have this overwhelming desire to save broken people? First Karwyn, now Amira. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen the signs before. The princess was probably a very powerful witch. She’d have to be in order to hide her condition that well. He felt his anger rising again. Had she played him? Had she purposely led him on? Amira wasn’t who she said she was. She wasn’t even fae. She wascursed.
Another thought crept into his mind. Maybe she hadn’t even been aware of her own abilities. Maybe a distant relative of hers had been a witch and the gene had skipped several generations until Amira. The princess had looked utterly terrified by what was happening in her bedroom. Should he go back and talk to her?
No,he shouldn’t make any hasty decisions, those were the kind he always regretted. The memory of Amira rejecting him was only a few minutes old after all. The best thing to do was to stay as far away from her as possible. He had no idea how dangerous she could truly be and he didn’t want to find out, to further his entanglement in her mayhem.
No, what he wished now was to be excluded from her life. Rhay wouldn’t be dragged into her mess, her darkness. He wouldn’t be the one responsible for unleashing a dark fate on Amira, but at the same time, he wouldn’t help her any more than that either. Looking away from a problem, that was his preferred way of dealing with things.
With Karwyn he had… No, he didn’t want to think about that. The only thing he needed to do now was have another drink. A stronger one that would help him leave this memory behind.
Yet, as he quickened his steps, he couldn’t help but think of their kiss. Ever since he’d first seen Amira, he’d wanted to kiss her. Was it because she was his best friend’s fiancée? Someone he knew he had no future with? Amira was utterly unavailable to him, yet he had felt an immediate closeness. Maybe it was because he felt like she still had some hope for the Turosian kingdom, because she was blissfully unaware of the darkness that had taken over the palace.
Amira didn’t reciprocate his feelings, that much Rhay knew now. Truth be told, he had known what to expect when he’d started flirting with her. She could have never been his and if he was honest with himself, that might have been the reassuring part.
His feet led him to the ground floor after a small detour to his room to grab a bag heavy with silver. As he was walking up to the entrance, he heard a door open on the corridor to his left. His eyes met Karwyn’s and he immediately noticed how shifty they were. Karwyn put something in his pocket, his movements too quick for Rhay to discover what it was.
“Karwyn, what are you up to?” Rhay’s voice was colder than he had intended.
“I could ask you the same question. You look awful. Are you not happy about my selection?” Karwyn’s gaze bored into him, but Rhay refused to drop his stare.
“Of course, I’m glad. Even though it wasn’t much of a surprise.”
“What, you wanted more of a struggle?” Karwyn said, half teasing, half serious.
“That’s not what I meant.” Rhay eyed Karwyn’s pocket “Anyway, what are you doing now?”
Karwyn avoided the question. “Are you sure you are not hiding something from me? I find myself having trouble trusting you after that little stunt you pulled with Amira.” He moved closer to Rhay at a slow, menacing pace.
Should he tell Karwyn what he had found out about Amira? Karwyn was his friend and he deserved to know. But then he thought of the mistreatment witches received, being forced into a life contract in order to survive—if they weren’t killed on the spot. Rhay couldn’t picture the frail Amira being used, having to obey her rich owner’s wishes. And he couldn’t bear to be the one responsible for it.
“You have not seen Amira recently, have you? She is not allowed visitors at this time,” Karwyn said. His hand was hovering dangerously close to Rhay’s as if battling with the decision to invade his thoughts.
“Are you going to break your promise, Karwyn?” Rhay’s voice was heavy with mistrust and the soon-to-be high king quickly retreated.
“Are you?” Karwyn asked, clearly offended. “It seems to me Amira has become your priority. How far will you go, Rhay?”
“You know I’m loyal to you. I’ve proven myself countless times.” Rhay had turned a blind eye more than once, never doubting his friend even as a hidden voice in his head screamed he should. “Your jealousy is getting old, Karwyn,” Rhay added, knowing he’d strike a nerve.
Karwyn took a step back as his lips parted. “My jealousy?What are you trying to imply, Rhay? Have you brokenyourpromise?”
Rhay took in his friend’s features. The truth was, he didn’t need to read Karwyn’s emotions to know how the king felt about him. “I wouldn’t dare,” Rhay said, looking away for a moment. Then he remembered something Amira had said when they’d been in Caligo. “But how aboutyou?Did you ask your shadow to impersonate me in front of Amira? After you promised your little spy would never shapeshift into me? Because you know very well that is something I won’t forgive.”
Something shifted in Karwyn’s turquoise eyes. “It seems to me that you have always been very forgiving in the past. Would you end over twenty years of friendship over an assumption?” Karwyn’s hand caressed something in his pocket and his eyes darted to the front door, as if he was in a hurry.
Karwyn’s suspicious attitude triggered Rhay’s curiosity. He tried to gauge where his friend had come from and noticed a door was left slightly ajar. He knew where it led. Rhay shivered, trying to repress a distant memory.
“What were you doing in the underground?” Rhay asked. He couldn’t help but think of what Amira had whispered about her maid being dead. “And does it have anything to do with Nalani?”
“Nalani? Why are you asking about amaid?” Karwyn replied, not revealing any of his cards. “Are you questioning me, Rhay? After you avoided my own question?”
“You do know that the more you talk, the more suspicious you look?” Rhay countered. “A clear and simple answer would’ve sufficed, but now I’m fearing the worst.”
Karwyn lifted his chin, his wavy golden hair moving with him. “Are you sure you want to know? I thought you avoided all matters that could tie you to being an actual advisor. Did you not make that decision years ago? The inner court is not for the faint-hearted—as you recall.”
Usually, Rhay would have retreated, letting Karwyn keep his secrets as he had done countless times before. When he’d first become an advisor, Rhay’d wanted to be involved in everything. He’d felt as if he’d found his purpose, his life blossoming with possibilities. But then the deeper he’d gotten pulled into the ongoings at the palace, especially the underground, the more he’d wanted to turn away. So, he did just that. Turning a blind eye to the king’s schemes became his forte.
