Everyone’s attention snapped to where he stood on the side, rubbing the back of his head and wincing where they’d hit him.
I blew out a breath.He’s okay.
A thought from Kadin reached me, louder than the rest, as if he was speaking to me intentionally.You wanna marry this guy? Or do you want us to bust you out of here? Just say the word.
I swung my gaze to meet his warm golden eyes, and he winked.
“You’ll be quiet and sit down right now, young man.” Amir’s Gift made Kadin sit in the front row like a puppet.
His golden eyes grew blank and unfocused; he couldn’t fight it anymore than the rest of them.
“I’ll deal with you after,” Amir said, then he turned to face me, stretching out his hands, palms up, expecting me to take them.
This was the moment of truth.
Kadin had accepted my Gift. He didn’t think I deserved to die.
Gideon didn’t either.
I felt a profound freedom even with a complete lack of control.
I stared at Amir’s hands.
My own were suspended mid-air.
I pulled them back and lifted my eyes to his as a slow smile formed. “No.”
“Take my handsnow, you little brat,” Amir hissed at me under his breath.
Once again, I felt the full weight of his Gift flow over me, but I stood taller, letting my own Gift carry me above the waves of Persuasion.
I lifted my chin to stare at him as I repeated myself even louder. “I willnot.”
“How are you doing that?” Amir hissed, eyes narrowing.
Everything in me wanted to give in. My lungs couldn’t get enough air, but I stood stiff and held his gaze.
How is she resisting?
I tried to ignore his thoughts as I faced the guests, addressing them instead: “King Amir’s purpose with this wedding was to steal my father’s throne. He planned to kill both of us before the night ended.”
I felt their shock and horror as if it were my own. Glancing at Kadin, I expected him to verify my words with his own testimony—after all we’d all heard Prince Dev’s words—but Amir’s Gift still gripped him and his face was blank.
“How would you know that?” Amir’s anger shifted into a calculating fury that gave me goosebumps.No one else knows that plan. How would she know unless...
I saw him follow the train of possibilities to the logical conclusion as if he’d spoken it aloud.
She has some kind of Gift.
A wicked smile curved his mouth and made my heart beat faster as he said, “I’ve always thought there was something off about you.”
I’d wanted to tell them myself, but before I found the right words, Amir began, “Your precious Princess Arie has been keeping a terrible secret from all of us. She is aGifted woman.”
The way he said those last words sounded more like he was telling them I had the plague.
The reaction was deafening, even without my Gift.
“Shereads your mind,” Amir continued.
