Gideon held something small and pink between his thumb and forefinger. Was that a... tongue?
The prince’s eyes grew huge. His mouth opened and closed like a fish, making strange gurgling noises.
“I will ask again,” Gideon said, as if they were carrying on a polite conversation. He released the strange object between his finger and thumb, and it disappeared.
Lowering his hand, he dusted off the top of his cane before tilting it on its side, gripping the top of the cane and pulling. A sharp sound of metal on metal pierced the room as a wicked sword appeared out of the sheath, revealing the cane to be hollow inside. Gideon set the base of the cane on the bed and ran his finger along the thin, gleaming blade absently. “How do you plead?”
The prince twitched slightly, rolling his tongue over his teeth and lips before speaking more cautiously. “What I did is nothing compared to King Amir of Sagh.”
I crossed my arms to keep from punching him. Even his efforts to be respectful came across arrogant and offensive.
“Oh, haven’t you heard?” He sneered, even as he tested his restraints, which held fast. “He’s sent out a message to all the kingdoms to attend his wedding to the princess of Hodafez over Summer’s Eve, but if you know the right people, you’d know there’s rumors that say the girl is in hiding and he’s holding her father prisoner. He’ll kill the king if she doesn’t return and no one will stop him.”
Arie gasped.
At first, I tried to ignore her. As a sheltered princess, this conversation probably opened her eyes to a whole new world. But something about that name, Hodafez, triggered a memory. When it came to me, I lifted my eyes to Arie, finally letting myself look at her, and it confirmed my suspicions.
Pale, she stared at the prince, trembling.
“According to the rumors, people obey every word King Amir speaks. He could tell King Mahdi to kill himself on the rocks and then declare himself the new ruler, and not one person would question it. At least, not while close to him.” Prince Dev settled back, shrugging as much as he could while bound to a chair, and continued. “Compared to that, my dalliances are trivial. Like a sneeze, or a misstep.” He raised his brows and smiled.
My fists clenched, despite my slow, careful breaths. I wanted to knock that smirk off his self-righteous face. I might have if Arie hadn’t stepped forward.
CHAPTER 35
Arie
MY PULSE POUNDED LIKEI’d been running. Prince Dev had said it so casually.
“What else did you hear?” I demanded. I barely held back from asking if my father was still alive.
When the men frowned at me, I added, “Gideon needs to hear the whole story. Prince Dev is right, he’s not the only one using his Gifts to an unfair advantage! King Amir is misusing the Gift of Persuasion. That seems far more dangerous than languages—maybe Gideon should bear witness to his crimes!”
I risked a glance at Gideon to see if it had swayed him at all. Instead, my eyes were pulled to Kadin’s like a magnet. His thoughts were somehow inaudible to me—had been ever since he’d discovered my Gift—but I could see him putting the pieces together as his eyes narrowed. Even so, I had to know. I whirled on the prince. “Speak!”
Dev barely glanced at me, before he wrinkled his nose. “Don’t you dare address me that way, woman.”
