Ander gave him a look.
Fear’s jaw set. “If I might borrow it. Please. I will return it to you within the week.”
“Always willing to work with you, Fear.” Ander sounded too agreeable. “Who wounded Cara?”
“Let her tell you. You two understand each other so well.” Fear sounded both condescending and coldly bemused. It was a tone I had not heard directed my way until now, and something painful opened up in the pit of my stomach.
Ander studied him, then turned to me. “Do I need to get you out of here, Cara?”
I was tempted to let Ander take me, to avoid facing Fear. But I needed Fear now that I had failed. And Fear needed me.
“No.” My mind was blurry. The healing potion. “Fear is angry this knife was intended for him. Lightbringer sent it into my leg instead.”
Ander took this confession in stride, then nodded. “The queen leveraged your family’s lives for Fear’s?”
“He betrayed me.” My words spilled out, hot with rage. The potion was doing its work, and my strength was growing along with my rage. “He told me that our mating bond could be undone. He would stop at nothing to bring Lightbringer into this world. He stole my freedom.”
Fear scoffed. “Your mortal freedom. To live a miserable little life and die.”
Ander looked up and met his gaze evenly. “Fucking asshole.”
Then he turned back to me. “I’ll carry you out of here if you need me to.”
“I know.” Gods, if I could choose, I’d choose Ander. But Fear had taken that from me. “Go. Lead your clan. I’ll be all right.”
Ander hesitated. He did not like leaving me.
“You heard my wife.” Fear’s voice was cold. “Go.”
“I’m here any time,” Ander promised me, refusing to listen to Fear’s orders. He listened to mine. He touched my shoulder, and I rested my hand over his, thanking him silently.
Then we were alone. Exhaustion dragged over me in endless waves, and I let my eyes shut.
“I don’t think so,wife.” Fear’s voice was dark. He stroked his hand over my forehead, his touch light, his palm cool. It would have been soothing another day.
“Tay?” I caught his wrist, and he stared down at me. His face was hard for me to read right now. The healing potion was scrambling my thoughts, making it impossible to hide anything I felt under a surface of control. “Lidi?”
His jaw was hard, his eyes cold, and I thought he was going to deny me the truth.
“Safe. They’re at a safe house.”
“I want to see them.”
“I’m sure you do. What happened today, Cara?”
“You’re so clever. Surely you know.”
“I’d like to hear your honest answer.” His voice was acid.
I let my head fall back, too tired to hold it up, and found myself resting against his chest despite everything. I didn’t move away. I was too weak to make the statement worth making.
“You betrayed me first.”
“You’ll have to be more specific. When I brought Tay to the capital to save him from the curse? When I saved Tay and Lidi and your mother? When I helped you become your people’s savior with all of Lightbringer’s power when you were nothing?”
“I was never nothing,” I spat back. “You give away how you truly see me. As do your actions. You cast me into nightmares to drive me into your Trials. You bound me to you without my consent, in a bond I cannot escape.”
His gaze was molten gold, hot and dangerous. “I wish we were not bound. It is for the sake of our kingdom.”
