Chapter 9
Sybilla
Rynall Toth.
Before the Corridors existed, there had been two kingdoms split down the center of the realm, each with its own King.
Brennax, which had been ruled by the Darvanda dynasty. And Phynx, which had been ruled by the Toths. Without the fall of Phynx, the realm of Henosis would never have been—the Enchantresses would never have selected new rulers to replace the failing political system, and the realm would never have been divided into five Corridors.
None of the Toths had survived. Or so I’d thought.
“Does she always stand there with her mouth agape?” Rynall glanced at Darvanda before raising his silver brows in my direction. The room somehow got hotter.
“No,” Darvanda said.
I shook my head. “RynallToth? The Prince of Phynx? And you are here?Withhim?” I hadn’t meant to let the contempt slip into my tone.
It didn’t make sense.
“Oh,thatRynall Toth. People get us confused all the time.” Ryn’s sarcasm was paired with a charismatic smile.
There was more to the history of my land than I could have ever imagined.
“Have we broken her? She looks ill.”
“Not yet,” Darvanda ground out, which caused my head to snap in his direction. “Thatwas a joke.”
“It’s hard to tell with you,” I breathed out before turning back to Rynall.
I scanned the Prince’s face; it was much the same as I’d seen in history-book portraits and statues. Portraits and statues that I’d kept for…commemorative reasons. Taking a deep breath, I allowed my mind to slink into his momentarily, looking for anything threatening.
Was he a prisoner here?
A cool wave of amusement skated up my neck and caused me to gasp. His thoughts were mostly of my appearance, and a lick of his surprise slid down my body that made me physically shiver.“If you’re going to slip into my mind, I can make this far more amusing for us. I have averyvivid imagination.”
My back straightened at the realization that Rynall knew what I’d been doing. “How...?”
Darvanda cut in, “You’re not as subtle as you think. Most Source-wielders, if taught, can feel the attempt of unrefined Reverist magic—those of us strong enough can block it entirely.”
That was why Krait’s thoughts were off-limits to me. That prick was blocking me out.
Heat rose in my cheeks, and I placed a hand across my neck, attempting to hide the flush that had grown there.
“Reverist magic?”
Krait sighed. “It’s where your mind-intruding power comes from.”
Fenris had told me that Elsedora, while immortal, had never inherited any Source magic, so her thoughts and feelings came to me more easily. I made a mental note to try to suppress my power in this land. If I could help it. No one else needed to know about my abilities.
“I’m sorry for the intrusion. I won’t dream of it again.”
Rynall chuckled. “Oh, I will.”
My cheeks grew even hotter. I didn’t think I’d ever met a man this forward. Maybe Fen, but he had eyes only for Asterie.
“Enough,” Krait said, giving him a warning look. “Ryn will show you around and to where you can bathe—alone.” Darvanda pointed a finger at Rynall.
The silver-haired Prince lifted an eyebrow at that, and I couldn’t help but laugh in a girlish pitch, which I wanted to swallow immediately. “Are you assigning the last Prince of my ancestors’ homeland, a legend to my people...to be my caretaker?”
