Brela was shadow-cursed.
“How did we get out of the mountains?” he growled, curling his fingers into the cushions in an attempt to keep calm. Easy questions first, at least until he got his magic back under control.
Her jaw clenched slightly. “I realized that I was the only one left to fight. Our exit was cut off so I couldn’t take Serill and run. You were dying. I didn’t have any other option.” She swallowed. “I used my shadow magic to protect everyone.”
To protect herself and her friends only, the fire seemed to say as it licked along his heart.
“When you were stable enough to be moved,” Brela continued, “I used the shadows to get us here quicker.” After a beat of silence, she added, “With Serill’s permission, of course.”
Of course, as if she hadn’t just done whatever she wanted whenever she wanted before now. As if she hadn’t been lying and manipulating them from the start of this. Because she’d never really cared about them. It was always to protect herself and her friends. She’d seen an opportunity to get something out of the King of Severina. She’d only ever been interested in her freedom.
And she’d used him, too.
Cason couldn’t swallow the fire this time, instead biting down to keep the heat trapped behind his teeth. She’d manipulated him from the start. Lowering his guard, not because she cared about him but because she could get something out of him. Protection.
She’d tricked him into revealing his weaknesses. Tricked him into thinking she was worth saving. Tricked him intolovingher.
“Please,” she whispered. “Talkto me.”
Cason leaned forward and bared his teeth, huffing out smoke. “You’re shadow-cursed.”
Brela took a step back. “I’m not—”
His voice raised. “You just admitted—“
Her hands flew up quickly in defense. “Stop!” Purple eyes shimmering, she waited for him to take a breath before she released her own. “Let me finish. I’m… I’m not really shadow-kind.” Her hand rested over her collarbone. “This obsidian infected me with shadow magic. If I were actually shadow-blessed, I would have gotten through the wall when I was younger.”
Cason stared at her. He… he didn’t actually care.
He’d given her everything, and she’d known. This entire time, she’d hidden the truth of who she was knowing that he’d hate her. And yet she’d still led him along for her own gain. Used him. Lied to him.
She’d broken him.
He couldn’t trust anything she said. The shadow-cursed were cruel tricksters, and he’d fallen for it.
“Cason, please,” Brela whispered. “I… You were never supposed to find out.”
He shoved out of his seat, ignoring the slicing pain along his stomach and leg. “Youliedto me. This entire time, you’ve beenmanipulatingme.”
“No!” she gasped. “Cason, please, I never meant to hurt you.”
“Really? You just schemed to find all of my weaknesses, tricked me into feeling something for you, and then planned break it off at the end of this?”
“We were always going to end, Cason.”
“Stop saying my name!” he snarled, shoving a finger at her. “Youplayedme, all for your own sick pleasure. All to get your reward money and get me to lower my guard. To protect you over my own gods-damned duty. You made me care for you enough to ask you to come back to Aelstow with me.”
Tears sparkled in her eyes. He still didn’t care.
“I loved you,” Cason spat. “I have never felt what I felt for you, and none of it meant a thing to you.”
“Ca—Itwasreal,” she whispered, swallowing. “It was real for me.”
“I don’t believe you. Ican’tbelieve you,” he growled. “If it was real, you wouldn’t have done this to me.”
Brela opened her mouth only to shut it again.
He let out an emotionless chuckle. “Exactly. You’re even worse than Era.” He curled his fists at his side. “Go ahead. Defend yourself. Tell me you’ve never used magic on me to manipulate, trick, or get something you wanted.”
