“Yeah,” I said, staring down at my hands. “She would’ve had to do it herself.”
He nodded grimly. “We’ll look into it. Inderia is cold, yes… but to physically kill?” He hesitated. “I’m not sure.”
I sighed and straightened, brushing my hands down my jacket. “Let’s go see what Theron wants.”
Zander smirked, his expression darkly amused. “No. We wouldn’t want him to think his guards were ignoring his orders.”
We returned to the room and stepped through the open door.
Theron stood near the hearth, his posture practiced—relaxed in that way only predators managed before striking. At his side, Inderia looked like she’d already won a game we hadn’t even been told we were playing. Her smile was subtle, razor-edged, and her pale hand rested lightly on Theron’s arm as if she belonged there.
I already hated whatever this was.
“Please,” Theron said, gesturing to two velvet-lined chairs positioned across from them, “be seated.”
“We’re fine,” Zander replied flatly, his voice already edged in ice. “What do you want?”
Theron’s smile curled—all serpent, no soul.
“No need to be discourteous,” he said smoothly. “This is a momentous occasion, after all.”
He paused, eyes gleaming.
“Lady Inderia has agreed to be my bride.”
The words hit like a slap, though I wasn’t surprised. Still, Inderia’s smug expression made it taste worse, like swallowing ash.
“I take my responsibilities to the crown seriously,” Theron continued. “And I expect my family will do the same.”
Zander grunted, jaw tight. “I’m happy for you. Both of you. Will that be all?”
Theron’s smile thinned as his gaze slid from his brother to me, and everything sharpened.
“No,” he said, voice chilling.
“You will end your relations with Rider Rebec.”
I blinked, pulse stuttering.
“She is a commoner,” Theron went on, as if I weren’t standing right there. “And you… despite your true heritage, carry a very special bloodline. One we can no longer afford to waste.”
Zander’s fists clenched.
Theron smiled wider.
“I have chosen a new bride for you.”
The silence that followed burned.
And something inside me, ancient and wild, began to stir.
Zander’s body went taut beside me, fury lashing off him like heat from a forge.
“I will not take a bride of your choosing,” he said, voice as sharp as steel. “If it comes to it, I will denounce my royal title before I ever stand beside someone I do not choose.”
Theron’s smile faltered, then twisted into something sharper. “You will marry her.”
“I won’t,” Zander snapped. “Only thekinghas the right to broker a marriage treaty for a royal. And you—” his voice darkened, “—arenotthe king.”
