“What didn’t he know?”
“That I—I did it for him.” Her voice rasped and cracked, her nose too stuffy to make a sound when she tried to blow it on the blanket.
“Of course he did, Lyana. Why else would… would that happen?” I treaded carefully, not wanting to accuse her.
No one ever taught me how to handle someone with trauma like this. I feared triggering her into another fit of sobs.
“He—gods, El! He thought I wanted it!”
I frowned, staring at the wall, confused. If Anderz discovered Adastrus’ lies to trap Lyana, and if she met with him the night before, Grimm would have known. A Valahant wouldn’t have left my brother’s side. He would have known she did it for his sake.
“Adast—your… the prince re–”
“Call him what he is, Lyana. Sir Pig.”
She adjusted her head on the pillows, pulling the damp blankets from her face with a sad laugh. “He… he sent a missive first. Said he had a way out for Grimm if I talked with him.”
I should have told her. Over and over, the notion hammered in my mind. If she learned it from me, she wouldn’t have fed into his lies.
“I waited, El. Three days, I resisted his summons.” Her words trembled, exhausted from tears. “Each day, I watched Grimm deteriorate. He refused tolookat me. If only you saw him on the way here—if you’d seen his smile–” Her voice pitched higher until it shattered. “He is broken. That… thatpigfractured something in his mind. He’s not the same.”
I believed her. I witnessed my brother’s cruelty firsthand. He had a knack for breaking people, twisting their minds.
“I left to meet him. Urien tried to come… but it was like heknew.Soldiers were waiting, ready to escort me to his chambers…” She trailed off, lost in memory before continuing, “Niena, have mercy. Have you seen his rooms, El?”
“I haven’t.” Thankfully.
She shivered at the memory. “When I got there, Grimm had the faintest flicker of hope in his eyes.” She laughed, a bitter, sad sound. “I really thought I could do something. I believed sacrificing my body might free him.”
“Oh, Lyana–”
“Then he sent him away.”
“What?”
“He told Grimm to piss outside like the good dog he was. So he left.”
Oh, no.
No, that meant…
“He is sick… revolting. But he promised to release him if I gave him justonenight.” She swallowed hard and pulled the blankets close. “I feared he would rape me then, without warning.”
“He couldn’t,” I whispered. “He would lose the high court’s favor.”
“Yeah, well, your girl from the slums here didn’t know that,” she scoffed. “I figured if I could make it through one night… I’ve faked it before. It’s not hard.”
I grimaced, imagining the act of pretending to enjoy lying with anyone.
“I almost didn’t go,” she said. “That guy, Urien… he’s a decent man. He would have stolen me away if I let him.”
I nodded my agreement, recalling the moment we met. He joked about not being one of the good guys, yet here he was, trying to save my friend from herself.
“But I went. I… I assumed it would just be the two of us.”
I bit my cheek to stop from interrupting her. Adastrus needed witnesses to avoid my accusations.
“There were people—alot, El.”
