Sei sits back down, steam rising from his cup. “Did you know Radovan used a control collar on me?”
Kazia winces. “I’m not surprised.”
He hadn’t known the details. He hadn’t even been sure Radovan would try abducting Sei. Ideally, Marek would stop things before they got too far—but Kazia had been aware of other outcomes.
He had put the idea in Radovan’s head despite those possibilities.
“That was the most terrifying part,” Sei says, without shame in admitting his fear. “The loss of control. The moment I realized Radovan didn’t care what I wanted. With Marek, I trust him to stop using my magic if I say so.”
Kazia knows that fear. He lives it every time Aliza summons him. He inflicted it on Lucien for weeks. “I’m sorry.”
Sei blows the steam from his cup. “The apology is welcome, but you didn’t make Radovan kidnap me. He had every opportunity not to do that.”
“I gave him the idea,” Kazia says, unwilling to relinquish the responsibility.
“You had a reason, I recall,” Sei says. “Radovan’s mysterious, successful experiment. Was that related to you?”
Kazia shakes his head. “He knew what I was, but Imrik didn’t let him and Aliza experiment on me.”
Sei pauses as if collecting himself before sipping his tea. “That’s good. I think.”
It’s not good. Radovan’s experiment was worse than that. But that’s irrelevant now. Kazia disposed of Radovan and burned his notes. Nobody has to worry about that anymore.
Kazia unfolds enough to grab his teacup, then sets it down again. Turns it on the saucer. “Do you think they’re murdering each other?”
“I’m sure Marek and Lucien are having a civil conversation.” Sei sets his own tea down and straightens his shoulders, as if bracing himself. “Lucien Vaire is a mage, you know.”
Kazia tenses. “I’m well aware.”
“Are you safe with him?” Sei asks.
A question Kazia has asked himself over and over since the day he put that collar around Lucien’s throat. But for the first time, he’s certain of the answer. “Yes.”
He has to be.
“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you to be careful,” Sei says. “He’s Silaisan, and that matters, however much he likes you.”
Kazia can’t help leaning forward. “Do you think he likes me? How can you tell?”
Sei’s mouth opens, then closes. “I have eyes?”
A knock at the door interrupts Kazia’s important follow-up questions. He braces himself for more interviews and confrontations and complicated expressions. But he only has to survive one more minute of awkward stares and agreements to meet in the morning. Then Marek and Sei are gone.
Kazia is alone with Lucien. All his nervous energy crashes away, leaving him cold and empty.
Until Lucien’s arms close around him.
“You were so brave in there,” Lucien murmurs above his head.
Eyes stinging, Kazia clutches him back. His shoulders shake, and when Lucien’s shirt grows damp beneath his cheek, Lucien doesn’t say anything. He just strokes Kazia’s hair and holds him close.
Later, when Kazia’s eyes are dry, he writes a letter to Vana.
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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Lucien
