Amira froze, fortae washing away as her mother’s face took over her mind. She was familiar with the threat. Now she knew there was even more at stake. If someone found out that Amira was a witch, her mother would be hunted down since fae would assume her witch powers came from her mother’s side. No matter how awful her brother had been to her, he had at least managed to repress her powers for the last six years, protecting her in a twisted way.
“I’m trying…it has become harder to keep certainthingsunder control,” Amira admitted, trying to gauge Wryen’s reaction.
Wryen tilted his head at her. He was quiet for a moment as he assessed her. “I don’t care howdifficultit is. Try harder, or I’ll have to give you moremotivationto do so.”
Amira swallowed, her heart racing. Wryen wasn’t giving away his cards, but pushing him to do so might cost her greatly. “I’ll try harder,” Amira said, her fingers twitching to grab her bag of pills.
Wryen pulled her closer, his hand radiating a painful heat. “I sure hope you will, dear sister. Karwyn seems satisfied with you for now, but I’m aware of the rumours. And don’t think I’ve forgotten about the outrageous lies you’ve told me about Karwyn. Don’t dare repeat them. I won’t let you become a laughingstock.”
Or him.Wryen wanted nothing more than to be taken seriously by the other kings and queens, to be respected like his father before him. Years of being stuck with her half-brother had taught Amira his ambitions. Deep down, Wryen must know he would never measure up to their father.
Zain Rosston had been a diplomat, befriending others had come naturally to him. While he had tried to teach Wryen the responsibilities of a king, Wryen had only seen one goal: superiority. Over his kingdom. Over Amira. It was all hisproperty.
Amira lowered her gaze. Her brother was right; the more fae were talking about her, the more at risk her secret was. But she didn’t trust herself to keep the darkness away without fortae. If anyone even suspected she was a witch, they would do more than whisper about her. If she had to live with her power, fortae was the only solution to her problem. She couldn’t run away, or her mother would pay the price. And she had nowhere to go in this world.
Wryen caressed her cheek with his fiery touch. Amira tensed up, hating his fake display of affection. “I will see you soon, sister.”
Amira forced a curtsy as he walked out of the room. When she heard the door close, she immediately took out the small satin bag.
Opening it, she looked at the mess of pills. The one she had taken during the party didn’t seem to have a long-lasting effect, maybe because it hadn’t been fully intact. Or maybe she needed to up the dosage.
With a shaking hand, Amira took another one of the silver and red pills and swallowed it without water. Closing her eyes, she waited for the delightful nothingness to erase her pain once again.
Chapter9
Elyssa
Elyssa’s foot connected with her brother’s shin with more force than necessary, but he goddamn needed it.
“By Caelo, what was that for?” Eyden yelped, leaning forward on the black sofa in his apartment. His dark curls were dishevelled and he sported dark circles underneath his eyes, making him look hopeless—a look Elyssa hated on him most of all.
“Stop sulking,” Elyssa said. She had been at Eyden’s apartment for over an hour. It was way past noon now and all he had done was revel in self-pity.
Eyden ran a hand through his messy hair. “You did hear the part about Lora being an Adelway andchoosingto stay with the king, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but—”
“She fuckingchosethe king.”Over me.That was what he wasn’t saying. His voice exuded pain in a way she’d never heard before. This wasn’t his usual despair over the state of their world. It was heartbreak. Yet Elyssa was certain he wasn’t seeing the whole picture. The last thing she wanted was for Eyden to go back to being too careful, too inactive. They had no time for it.
Elyssa, sitting across from Eyden on a comfortable velvet chair, kicked out her short leg and hit him again. Sometimes her brother could be so goddamn daft.
“For fuck’s sake, El.” Eyden rubbed at the spot that would surely not even bruise. “Who raised you to be this violent?”
“Let me think”—she tapped at her chin—“youdid.” The grin on her face was savage.
“Should’ve thought that one through.” He cracked a small smile, and Elyssa leaned forward. She needed to get through his thick skull. In some ways, Lora had become his weak spot. Elyssa loved that he’d finally started to let someone inside that stubborn, shielded heart of his, but it made him lose his damn senses more than anything.
“She didn’tchoosehim,” she said, her hand absently reaching for her boot. She took out a throwing star, twirling it. Eyden had gotten her new ones after the shit-show in Rubien. “Lora’s not stupid. You said it yourself, she didn’t seem pleased to be there. She didn’t go there willingly. Saydren and the guards dragged her there, remember? If she’s walking around freely now, she must have her reasons for staying. The cure, as you said.”
“Right. The cure.” Eyden’s eyes were locked onto the silver-red throwing star in her hand.
“The king didn’t give her that. Saydren did. Which was our plan too. Don’t lose sight of the goal.” Elyssa slipped her throwing star back into her boot, wanting his full attention.
“My goal was to get Lora out,” Eyden replied.
“Yes, and we will. She won’t stay there forever. She’ll get whatever she has to gain from being there and then she’ll come back. Have a little faith. Meanwhile, she can be ourspy.”
Who was better fitted than the Princess of Turosian? Elyssa would be lying if she said it hadn’t been her first thought when Eyden had told her about Lora’s revelation. If Lora wanted to be there, then it could give them the upper hand they desperately needed. Lora was a freaking force to be reckoned with. She could handle it. And Elyssa didn’t doubt Lora’s loyalty for one second.
