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“Mom can see the auras of the living,” she said, picking up the cloth I kept on the small table her mother had moved beside my bed. She dabbed the sweat from my face. “She knows within moments of meeting someone if they are inherently bad or good. She can see whether they are powerful or weak. But she can’t see their motives.”

I already knew that. She’d told me. Cornaith didn’t know Rinlora’s mother had special powers, though. If he did, he’d use her the same way he used Zeke.

Rinlora’s hands clenched in her lap. “She doesn’t understand that even if we do what he wants, it won’t stop him from going after Roandra again whenever he needs something else.”

“Ro… andra?” I hated how raspy I sounded, but I hadn’t spoken in two days.

“I didn’t want to bring you here, but I need to protect my family—even if they aren’t the nicest people.”

My arm started twitching in my lap, and I clamped my other hand over it to hide it from Rinlora. At least it wasn’t a seizure—this time. She glanced at me with a frown. It wasn’t as if she could do anything about it.

“I didn’t realize how bad Bondrot would be. It wasn’t this bad when you were in Cholian.”

I hadn’t been bonded to Ash then. And if Quinfina told the truth, our bond was unique. If that were the case, it made sense that we reacted differently from others who faced separation.

“I thought the magic Master’s vallants were preparing would make the transition easier.” She looked down. “You’ve not bonded with the others, so I thought moving on would be easier.”

I hadn’t been open about the way things had changed between Cyn and me, and she’d never seen Zeke around me. She wouldn’t know the bond didn’t matter. We were already connected.

“Then there’s Young Master Cyriac.” Ash. “I… Roandra is my family. I respect the young master, but my family comes first.”

“What…” I grimaced, my chest heaving.

“Don’t speak. It’ll only weaken you more.”

I made a disgruntled noise. I hated not being able to ask what she meant.

“Mom said that Master said he’d kill Roandra if we don’t help hand you over to the Sephra clan and trick the young masters.”

My breathing quickened along with my pulse. I wanted to make a scene, but I didn’t have the energy to even lift my hand.

“Ranthus is Master’s most trusted servant. I serve Mistress Amra. Roandra isn’t useful to him. All she does is cause problems. Lusting after Young Master Brakeal, arguing with other palace servants. She’s also mean to me and pretends Mom doesn’t exist because she believes Mom is beneath her, but she’s my sister.”

Why would she think her own mother was beneath her?

Either way, I understood, in some strange way, why Rinlora and her mother complied with Cornaith’s demands if Roandra’s life was at stake. Of course they’d put their own family above someone they served.

I didn’t doubt for a minute that Cornaith would use Roandra against Rinlora and her mother in the same way he kept the guys on a leash to protect each other.

I wondered if Rinlora’s mother knew he used Kalthea to sustain his life force. If she could read auras, could she see he couldn’t be stopped? Or maybe Rinlora told her. If so, that gave her another reason to fear him and assist Rinlora in following his demands.

“I didn’t know Young Master Cyriac would die regardless of the vallants’ magic. I thought he’d recover too. Mom didn’t tell me everything.”

I narrowed my eyes.

Would it have changed anything?

Would she have told the guys of Cornaith’s plan?

“Rinlora,” her mother said from the doorway. “Can you help Raelynn bathe? She had a seizure the last time, and if I hadn’t been here, she’d have drowned. I don’t think she should tend to herself alone anymore.”

Rinlora looked at me. “I’ll help you.”

As much as I wanted to lie in bed, wallow in my misery, or sleep, I didn’t want to face the nightmares, and I felt gross after two days without a bath.

Rinlora’s mother stood no taller than five feet, barely reaching my shoulders. If I fell while she tried to help me clean, I knew she’d end up hurt.

“I’ll make some soup while you clean up,” Rinlora’s mother whispered as Rinlora helped me hobble past.