“Good. I’m more skilled at fun than I am with grief.” She smiles, the breeze lifting her curls. “However, if you go to battle against Ivy, count me firmly on your side. I’ve never much cared for her. And, contrary to popular belief, it’snotbecause she was a lowly maid who caught the eye of our kingdom’s most dedicated warrior.”
“Four is the kingdom’s most dedicated warrior?” I ask, trying to untangle the web of relationships and politics within Pentacles. Once again, my thoughts drift to Kane—protector of the Kingdom of Pentacles and every body within its lands.
The possibility that she’s talking about him drops my stomach into my toes.
Marion snorts. “Before Four’s sudden rise, he was hardly worth discussing, much less calling out by name. A middle-tier advisor at best, and I do think that’s giving him too much credit. And then, seemingly overnight, he’s arm in arm with the king, whispering in his ear like some long-lost brother found at sea.
“And it’s not just simple advice he’s giving. Rumors swirl that Four pushes for war to boost the palace’s riches.Of course, if you take him at his word, he’ll say it’s all to do withstrategyandkingdom politics. Although, you will never convince me that sending young men off to die will help with strategy or politics.”
She sighs. “No matter what anyone says, I will never believe he earned the king’s ear through merit alone. I’ve always thought King Lockhart was desperate for friendship after losing Kane and simply chose the first person he came across.”
Kane.His name is a promise and a question all at once.
No matter how I feel, no matter how painful it might be, I need to know the truth.
“And who’s Kane?”
“Kane Blackthorne, the very warrior whose eye Ivy caught and used to elevate her status.”
My heart skips a beat as Marion continues, her words sinking in like lead weights.
“It’s said that Four and Ivy convinced King Lockhart that Kane was dabbling in magick, which ultimately led to his banishment. A cruel fate for such a beautiful man. It is, however, much improved over the standard beheading. Can you imagine plotting against your very own fiancé knowing it could end with his death?”
The pieces of the puzzle finally fall into place with cruel clarity.
A cold wave of nausea surges in my stomach, and I grip the reins, struggling to keep my balance.
Fiancé. Kane and Ivy were…engaged.
Marion’s voice fades into the background as my thoughts spiral. All I see are Kane and Ivy together inour room, the memory of her hands on him searing my mind like a brand.
I was right. Kane was protecting her—protecting the relationship they used to share.
He wanted to defeat Four, save his friend, and regain his position in the palace. He wanted his old life back. He wanted Ivy.
My chest tightens, and I struggle to draw in a full breath. How could I have been so naive? How could I have let myself fall for him, believe in him, when all along he told me not to trust him?
My eyes sting with unshed tears, and I swallow hard, trying to maintain my composure.
Every shared moment, every whispered confession, every heated touch—they could never mean as much to him as they did to me. Kane kept secrets and played games while what I felt—what I still feel—was real and deep and more than a passing fling or whirlwind crush.
It was more than falling for him.
It was love.
I’m in love with Kane.
I blink away my tears and force myself to meet Marion’s gaze. She continues on, and I nod as if learning the truth about the man I love hasn’t broken me apart.
“And after Kane was banished, Ivy was with Four immediately. Didn’t even wait for her bed to get cold. Although, with Ivy, I don’t think it ever is. Not that I’m one to judge. But I am certain Kane knew nothing of her duplicity.”
The landscape changes as we near the Tower, the clipped grass giving way to wildflowers, blackberrybrambles, and a copse of trees with branches like gnarled fingers reaching toward the sky.
The Tower stretches tall, a bleached stone sentinel against the setting sun. Vines snake up the cracked and worn facade, wrapping around the crumbling stonework like a living bandage. It’s a far cry from the polished image hanging in the palace’s gallery, but its rugged beauty tugs at something deep within me.
Charged air tingles against my skin, bringing with it a sense of calm I hadn’t expected. I can’t help but feel drawn to the Tower, as if an invisible thread pulls at my heart, reeling me in toward the answers to questions I haven’t yet asked.
Marion dismounts first, looping her horse’s reins over a low branch. “It’s not much to look at, but you so enjoyed the painting. I thought it might lift your spirits to visit it in person.”
