“I wish I could believe that. If you fall, we all fall with you, and if Vapula gets his hands on me…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the thought.
More hesitation, and another bitter secret. It dissipated faster than the first. “Zaleos always wins these little games he plays. He brought you here to serve him. I may have outworn my usefulness; time will tell. Yours has only just begun.”
That revelation only confused me more. I still didn’t know what to make of Zaleos. He had seemed so kind, so genuine, but I hadn’t forgotten Sitri’s dire warning.
“You trust him? After everything you told me?”
The Prince heaved a heavy sigh. “I may have stretched the truth some, darling, but don’t think for a moment that I trust him. He is a force of nature, and we are all at his mercy.”
“He helped you dispose of the Princess.” I watched his face closely,pulled on the strings of my magic, hoping to catch any deception Sitri wielded. He held no such desire. All I sensed was the burning wish to defend, nearly painful in its intensity.
“He did, but it was not for my benefit. Zaleos wanted her displaced, and I was but a convenient tool to make that happen. I am indebted to him, and it is only a matter of time until the Duke extracts his payment. He has pulled my strings before. Now he pulls yours. For that tenancy of his, I dislike him, though I would be a fool to decline any help he offers. If he calls, I will answer. That is all I can do now.”
