But no one is celebrating. They stare at me as they might stare upon a stranger.
Except for Dayton. He won’t meet my gaze. He turns away and begins walking back through the passage.
Isavedthem. Iprotectedthem.
And I’ll do it again, whether they understand or not.
Part Four
Flames of Oath
65
Rosalina
They lied to me. Again.
Why do theyalwayslie to me?
I know my focus needs to be on Mount Rhuvenmark, suddenly awakening with lava, and the impending threat of an eruption, but my every thought is consumed with the image of Farron, wielding the Green Flame as easily as if it were the blessing of Autumn.
My golden briars fall away, dropping myself, my mates, and Kairyn to the floor of Castletree’s entrance hall.
Ezryn leans down next to his brother, pressing a hand to his chest, accessible through the broken chest plate. “He’s alive but unconscious.”
Kairyn’s usually tawny skin is sallow, but he’s otherwise unharmed. Though he looks like one ofthemnow. Large horns jut from his skull, thick and curled back, reminding me of a Cape buffalo. A fleshy tail lies limp beside him, tipped with a tuft of not hair but what could be moss.
I turn my attention to Farron. He’s still kneeling on the ground, his sweat-damp hair hanging as a curtain in front of his face. He looks up to me and smiles. But it’s not the kind smile ofa boy whose kisses tasted of cinnamon, who blushed when our hands touched in the library reaching for the same book. No, this smile is gleefully delirious.
“He’s dead,” he says, giving a bubbling laugh. “He’s dead. I’ve avenged you, Mother. I’ve avenged you.”
My legs feel shaky, and I stumble back, catching myself on the banister.
“What in the seven realms did you do to me?” It’s Dayton who breaks Farron’s unending muttering. His voice, usually so confident, is shattered.
Farron snaps his head up in an eerily precise movement. “I saved you.”
“You lied—” I snarl, stepping in front of Dayton. “You and Caspian lied to me.”
“It was Caspian’s idea,” Farron says, standing and dusting off his clothes. “Truthfully, I’m thankful I no longer have to hide this power. We would have been dead without it.”
Keldarion grumbles low in his throat, glaring at the Autumn Prince, but then looks to me. He’s letting me deal with this first, though I’m sure he has some choice words for Farron.
It’s Caspian I turn to next. The vicious words I had in store for him die when I see the steady streams of tears running down his face. When he notices our attention, he quickly wipes his eyes.
“Let your rage lie upon me as well, for I too knew of this deception.” Ezryn puts a hand on the Prince of Thorns’s shoulder. “It is time for the truth.”
“Ezryn,” I whisper. He kept this secret from me? How could he?
“I couldn’t stand everyone treating him like a monster.” Caspian shakes his head, flinging tears to the ground. “I’m used to it.”
A piece of my heart softens at that, but I chew my bottom lip. “You shouldn’t have lied. We’ve had too many secrets between all of us.”
“I know, Rosie,” he says, voice low with defeat. “Stars, even I’m sick of them.”
Dayton still looks in shock, taking deep breaths as if he’s barely holding on. I can feel his torment through our mate bond. It’s one thing for Caspian to have used such magic on him, but for Farron, the man he loves, to have lied about it…
And what’s worst of all is Farron appears unbothered. He’s studying all of us as ifwe’retaking up his valuable time.
