“Esmyradeservesto die.” The room dimmed as Atlas’s shadows crept in.
He couldn’t even believe this was a conversation… This was the highest form of treason. Draevyn betrayed their king. He had betrayed their father for the woman who kidnapped him and held him hostage for a fucking month.
Draevyn’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t move. “No. Ourfatherdeserved to die.”
The words hit Atlas like a punch to the ribs, nearly knocking the air from his lungs.
Their father had been a tyrant. A cruel man, one unworthy of the throne, but he was still their king.He was still theirfather.
“You let her storm in here like a godsdamn force of nature,” Atlas spat, his voice booming off the walls of the room as he turned away from him. “You stood there while she drowned him in front of us, and then youhelpedher run!”
Draevyn exhaled sharply. “You think I wanted that?”
“Yes,” Atlas said through his teeth. “I think you want her more than you ever wanted to stand by your own family.”
His brother flinched, but his gaze never wavered. “You weren’t there, in the dungeons. You never saw what he did.”
“Drae, please fucking save it.” Atlas held up a hand, his face twisting in disgust. “I know what he did in the dungeons. I know he killed Blackwood.I’mthe one who toldyou.”
Shadows crept into Draevyn’s eyes, but they appeared more like smoke. It was something Atlas had never seen in someone other than himself. “I’m not talking about what he did to Blackwood,” Draevyn started. “I’m talking about what he did tome.”
The scowl on Atlas’s face dropped, his heartbeat kicking up. “What are you talking about? Yeah, he put you in the dungeons and I got you out.”
Draevyn took a step up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and it took everything in Atlas to not shove out of his hold. “That day when we were young and I lost control of my flame…”
Atlas’s stomach dropped, his throat tightening as he tried to swallow. “What did he do, Drae?”
Draevyn sighed and shook his head. “Blackwood isn’t the first person he’s used velsinyte on. I’m no stranger to it.”
Father had been using velsinyte on Draevyn?
“What?” Atlas took a step toward him. “He had it backthen?”
Draevyn averted his gaze to the floor. “The day after the healers announced that Mother had succumbed to her wounds… the king tried to take me back to Irah’s temple.”
Atlas’s eyes flared wide. “He what?!”
Draevyn scratched at his beard, refusing to meet his stare. “He planned to beg Irah to take the power back. I don’t think he cared if it would kill me or not. Father just wanted me gone.”
Bile climbed Atlas’s throat. “And what happened?”
Drae let out a low, lifeless laugh. “The god never answered. He told me to call on my flames. To demonstrate the destruction caused, but when I tried… I-I couldn’t.”
Atlas blinked. “What do you mean you couldn’t?”
“I mean something was blocking my power. It was there, lingering within me. I could feel it, like the flame was just barely flickering, but it refused to answer me when I reached for it. No matter how hard I tried.” Draevyn’s stare went distant.
“So where does velsinyte come to play in this?”
“At first, I think Father thought Irah took the power back. He struck me in the center of the temple to make sure I wasn’t lying. But once we were heading back to the capital, it came back. That was when he realized it was?—”
“The temple’s land.” Atlas cut him off, putting it together himself. “That’swhere Varis has been mining it? The velsinyte.”
Draevyn nodded. “He had cuffs made for me and would place me in them whenever he assumed my emotions were too erratic. And about ten years ago, when I was seventeen, I took them. But that wasbefore he had the cell built. I think the cage was originally for me, but he quickly saw opportunities to use it for others. It was only recently he had his ring and bullets made.”
“What do you mean you took them?”
“I took the cuffs and hid them, hoping he would never have access to velsinyte again. Of course, that wasn’t how it turned out. This was all before we knew where Varis was sent. It’s also why the priestesses now reside in the capital. The king removed them from their temple so his men could have full control and access to the velsinyte.”
