Sebastian blew out a deep breath before pushing off of the window sill. He tilted his head in my direction. “Now that that's out of the way, I say we start fresh. We are going to be spending a lot of time together over the next few years, and it will be a hell of a lot more enjoyable if we can get along.”
The corner of my lip tugged up. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Good. Okay.” He forced a brief smile as he turned for the door, but I stopped him.
“Wait. Can I ask for a favor? You know, seeing as your friend used me as a mop today?” I chuckled, but he still didn't laugh.
“Sure.”
“Would you be able to get me some writing supplies? I know we aren't supposed to write to family, and I swear that I won't. I just want to…write.”
Sebastian’s forehead creased, but he nodded. “Sure.”
Chapter
Eleven
“Sebastian came to see me the other night,” I told Pia.
We sat on a quilt in the sand during our break before wielding class. We’d both been so busy with homework that I hadn't seen her since Sawyer used me as anexample.
A giant smirk crawled across her face. “Oh really?” she teased with a wink.
I stuck my tongue out and shook my head. “He actually came to apologize.” I filled her in on the details of the conversation.
“See, I told you to give him a chance,” Pia chimed.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” My eyes locked on a tiny crab, scurrying along the edge of the water, fighting to keep from being swept away into the depths of the ocean. “What do you think he meant when he said that he'snever had a say about anything in his life?” I pried, figuring she would know considering she’s his cousin.
Pia went rigid.
“What?” I asked. “Sore subject?”
She looked around the beach to make sure no one was within earshot of us. “My uncle has not been the mostoutstanding father to Seb,” she whispered. “I'm sure you know that my aunt Cicily—Seb’s mother—was killed during the war against Draemor.”
I nodded. Everyone knew about Queen Cicily's tragic end. Her funeral had been kingdom wide. According to my mother, the queen was as pure as they come, which really made me question why she married such a prick.
Pia lowered her voice to less than a whisper. “She was beheaded right in front of Sebastian. He was only about five-years-old at the time, but it was so traumatic that he remembers every detail of it.”
My lips parted in shock as my shoulders shuddered. The pain from witnessing an act so gruesome was unimaginable at any age, let alone five. Even worse when it was your own mother.
Pia continued, “In regard to Sawyer, I'm not sure if you know this, but he and Sebastian have been friends ever since they were children. Sawyer's father has been the Duke of Caelestis for years. He is a non-royal, of course, but my uncle and his friendship was strong enough to grant him the title.” She paused briefly to make sure I was following. “After Cicily passed, my uncle made Seb a part of things that a child should never be a part of. I’ll spare you the details on that though—I already overshared. But Sawyer knows about all of it… he's seen a lot of it.”
My eyes rolled at the mention of Sawyer's name. I had only seen him once in passing since our altercation. His eye had been swollen and purple, and though I doubted it, I wondered if Sebastian had something to do with the injury.
I glanced back at the crab who was losing its battle with the waves. “That's sickening,” was all I could say. I didn't have the right words.
“Sawyer is one of the few besides myself and Kohen that know details about Sebastian's past. Which is why they are so protective when itcomes to him,” Pia disclosed.
“That explains Sawyer’s attack on me.”
Pia nodded. “I would bet my magic on it.”
“Can I ask another question?” I waited for her approval before continuing. “King Hawthorne said something about how he killed the King and Queen of Draemor…why?”
“He executed them both the year after my aunt Cicily was killed. Beaumont was the Crown Prince at the time—only twenty-one-years-old and freshly gifted when he murdered my aunt. My uncle decided that the best revenge would be to kill his parents and make him watch.” She dropped her gaze to the sand. “Should have killed Beaumont in my opinion. To be honest, I don't know how Uncle Aldous lives with the fact that the person who murdered his wife is still breathing. I sometimes wonder if he even truly loved her.”
I wanted to ask more, butPia’s head jumped up, staring down the beach. I turned and followed her gaze to see Sebastian walking towards us.
