Karwyn’s face turned sour. “Not for long. I have already decided what to do with your body.” He inched closer. Lora forced herself to keep still. “I will have it thrown through the border with a suicide note so your family can spend the rest of their lives regretting not being able to save you.”
Lora clenched her teeth hard, hurting her jaw. It would never happen. Even if she did die, Eyden would make sure her family knew what had really happened. That she had fought with everything she had.
Another thought hit her then, something she had thought of often since their fight but had been too afraid to tell the others as it went against her contract. Karwyn was half-fae. As much as she hated having anything in common with him, Lora felt that knowledge gave her power. And if Karwyn was half-fae, then that very likely meant her fae father, Lozlan Adelway, hadn’t been speaking about some random half-fae who had crossed and lived.
Karwyn and her had something in common as much as she hated to even think it. Their mothers must both be human. Everyone knew of Harten Adelway’s high power, so it could have only been the late queen who had secretly been human. Or the late king had had a secret mistress.
“Why don’t you deliver the suicide note yourself?” Lora asked. Karwyn watched her intently. “I mean, youarethe only one besides me who can cross, aren’t you? Perks of beinghalf-fae.”
Eyes flaring, he forced her back a step. “I had hoped you would be smart enough not to talk about matters you do not understand. Do you need another reminder after dinner?”
Lora swallowed, her head leaning back. “You must have been quite young,” she forced out, trying not to let his threats get to her. Her mother had overhead Lozlan talking about a half-fae at the treaty meeting twenty-five years ago. “Why did you cross back then?”
Karwyn’s gaze burned her neck as if his hands were there again. “If you do not stop asking questions, I will make sure yourfriendsand everyone they have ever known will experience crossing for themselves. I am sure it will be even less enjoyable than my experience was.”
Lora couldn’t figure out what would have made Karwyn, of all people, cross, especially since he must have only been about five years old. But she knew she would get no answers from him.
“Shouldn’t we get going?” Lora asked, not wanting to speak one more word with him.
Sidestepping her, Karwyn walked into her room and headed straight to her closet. He moved her clothes around until he found a thin scarf. Satisfied, he went back to her and, without asking, wrapped it around her throat. Lora’s hand clenched into a fist at her side, the fire in her daring her to act out.
“Much better,” Karwyn said as he drew back. “Now, remember to behave tonight. The guards might not have found your friends yet, but I assure you they will. There is no place in Liraen they can hide. Your behaviour will decide their punishment.” His eyes flashed with a hunger for inflicting pain. Was this all he knew? All he cared about besides power and Rhay? If she wasn’t so angry, she’d feel sad for him.
Karwyn might have picked up on the drop of pity in her eyes as his lips turned down and he turned his back to her, silently commanding her to follow.
* * *
Sitting next to Karwyn, Lora hadn’t had a chance to talk to anyone, but now that the plates had been cleared from the table and the dinner had turned into an after-party, Lora saw her opening. The members of the court were mingling. Some were even dancing to the music provided by the fae band. Karwyn was deep in conversation with Nouis, no doubt scheming something Lora would disagree with.
Her eyes took in the rest of the crowd and finally landed on Amira. The princess had been talking with Tarnan, but their conversation seemed to be over as the King of Carnylen squeezed her hand before moving away. On quick feet, Lora approached the princess.
“Hey,” Lora said, drawing Amira’s attention.
The princess turned to her. An uncertain smile appeared on her face. “Lora, glad to see you again.”
“Same here,” Lora replied, tugging at her scarf that had been suffocating her all evening.
Amira’s eyes tracked her movement. “Did Karwyn give you that scarf?”
“Can’t have anyone see his true self.”
Amira’s gaze was burdened. “I wish I had realised sooner that you hated him just as much as I do. All I saw was your fire power and your last name,” she said in a low voice, careful of anyone listening.
“It’s not Adelway,” Lora corrected. “It never was and never will be. I have as much desire to be an Adelway as you do.”
“So, you’d also rather swallow a nail than embrace that name?” Amira’s lips turned upward.
Lora laughed lightly. “You could say that.” Her laughter died as the seriousness of their situation took over. “You and I, we have more in common than people might think. I don’t think anyone else can truly know what it feels like to live under your enemy’s roof, never knowing when he might strike, what twisted ideas you might be forced into complying with.”
Amira’s eyes told Lora everything before she even spoke. “It’s a fate I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
Almostanyone,Lora thought. A part of her couldn’t deny that she wished Karwyn would get a taste of his own medicine. “How did you manage to convince Karwyn to let you go to Carnylen?”
Amira glanced towards the bar where Rhay was nurturing a drink. “I didn’t. It was all Rhay.”
“That makes sense. He must care about you,” Lora observed, thinking about what Eyden had said.
Amira’s gaze lowered to the sleeve of her violet dress, her fingers running along the seam. “We are…werefriends. But that’s not why he did it. Rhay didn’t so much free me as he pushed me away. ”
