For a long, tense moment, the room was silent. Thorn’s eyes bore into Tehvan’s, anger radiating from every inch of him. The stillness grew thick, suffocating, and then, finally, Thorn spoke.
“They’ll hate her,” he said coldly. “She’ll be an outcast, marked from the start. They’ll resent her for being treated differently.”
Tehvan’s head shook slightly, as if trying to convince himself more than Thorn. “But she’ll be protected. She’ll be safe.”
Thorn turned his back on the professor, his gaze drifting to the intricately carved window. From the yard below, a child’s laughter floated up, light, fleeting. His expression darkened. Slowly, he pivoted, lips curling into a smile that never reached his eyes.
“Fine,” he said, drawing out the word like a blade sliding from its sheath. “But onmyterms. Or not at all.”
Tehvan’s body stiffened. “What terms?”
“Every time she falls out of line, when she earns a punishment, a different student will take it in her place. One of her friends, perhaps. If she makes any.” His eyes glinted with a dark promise. “They’ll suffer because of her. Can you live with that?”
Tehvan’s face twitched, but he didn’t respond right away. The silence stretched between them, the unspoken weight of the bargain sinking in. Finally, Tehvan gave the smallest nod.
Thorn continued, his voice dropping lower, more sinisterly. “And if she fails the trials, and is forced to remain here as a ward, she will belong to me. You will forfeit all access to her.” He closed the gap between them, the weight of his nearness pressing like a shadow over Tehvan. “You will lose your daughter all over again.”
Tehvan swallowed hard. “What if… what if she passes the trials?”
Thorn chuckled. “Then she’ll serve The Empire, like the others. But she’ll never be welcomed into this family.” His eyes narrowed. “I will never see her as my niece.”
Tehvan stood still, his shoulders slumped in defeat, the bargain hanging between them like a death sentence.
“Do you agree with my terms?”
Tehvan closed his eyes. “Yes, brother.”
Chapter 18
Elora
Abright light drowned out the shapes of the room. Everything was a blur, sounds muffled. Gray hues and the scent of sterilized metal.
Brother.
The word cleaved through the haze. Elora’s senses came back in full force. She gasped, her breathing rapid until her eyes landed on the man studying her with the sharpest look of resentment. Even Symond’s worst glare had never burned like this.
“You and Tehvan are brothers?” The words shot out louder than she meant.How is that possible?Thorn was cruel, thriving on fear, reveling in power. Tehvan… Tehvan was warmth. Safety.Love.He had saved her. This had to be wrong. Some twisted mistake. Tehvan wouldn’t have hidden this from her.
Thorn tilted his head. “That’s the part you’re caught up on.” He stepped closer, forcing her to look up. “He had a daughter—”
“I know.” The words snapped out, too fast, too defensive. Tehvan had told her about Florence. He didn’t talk about her often; it had been years since he uttered her name. But in the beginning, when shewas a terrified child trying to cling to any warmth and kindness offered, he shared stories about her.
Thorn’s gaze darkened. “You knew… You knew you were a replacement for her?”
“I’mnot,” she shot back.
“You look identical. Same eyes. Same freckles. Even the names—Elora, Flora—he didn’t eventryto hide it.”
“I’ve never heard her called Flora.” She said, shaking her head. Thorn shoved a picture frame into her hand. The image of a young girl stared back at her. Sure, she had brown hair, blue eyes, and a dusting of freckles.Familiar.But that wasn’t uncommon. The shape of the nose, the curve of the lips... common features. Coincidences. She knew she had never been a replacement. She had to believe that.
Thorn leaned closer. “You think Tehvan raised you out of kindness? Out of love?” He let out a harsh laugh, scraping against her composure. “He fostered you because you resembled her. Flora, the nieceIloved.” His voice grew quieter, more venomous. “The girl he took fromme.”
Her throat clenched. She tried to swallow but found no moisture. “He… he wouldn’t…” She struggled to find her voice. “He wouldn’t have used me…”
Thorn’s hatred wasn’t just for her, it was for Tehvan.Was I nothing more than a pawn in a twisted game between brothers?No, she wouldn’t let herself believe that.
Elora’s heart leaped, and she wondered what Tehvan was thinking when he sensed it through the ring. Did he know Thorn would reveal this to her today? Did he try to stop it, try to keep her in the dark?
