“She was escaping her forced betrothal to an abusive man. That’s why I left.” Rafe exhales, glancing between Ginna and me.
“The night I left, the King told me that Adrienne was leaving Iven. He didn’t tell me why at the time, but Adrienne had already sent me a couple letters before saying she was having a bad time at university, so I wasn’t all that surprised that she had made the decision to leave. But he kept saying things like ‘ships always sink’ and shit like that.
“Don’t you see?” His eyes land on mine. “It was a test. The King threatened to sink Adrienne’s ship, knowing I would leave to save her. And he told me that if I did that, I wasn’t welcome back to Ashven. That I would no longer be his son or prince.”
“And you still went.” Elia’s soft voice breaks the heated air. “Then the King told the Hunters about a so-called rogue ship to destroy, knowingAdrienne was on it. He was cleaning up his loose ends. He’s – he’sevil!”She spits out the last words.
I’ll be the first person to admit the King isn’t necessarily the nicest man. Sure, he has eccentric ways of training and is hard on those closest to him, but to order the essential death of his own daughter… Was that something he’s capable of?
If that was true, my entire existence of everything I’ve known and believed in would be shattered.
“I’m sorry, Adrienne. I swear I had no knowledge that there were civilians on board. We never would have attacked –”
“Bullshit!” Rafe yells. “That can’t be your excuse for everything. You can’t blame ignorance for your own shortcomings.” Rafe is getting worked up now, ready to release the steam that has been boiling inside him.
“You hide behind the King in everything you do! The King told me to do this, he said that. Do you ever think for yourself, Cal? I left because you were turning into someone I didn’t know. Someone of the King’s own creation. A blind and loyal follower. You can’t tell me that you didn’t know that the King was going to name you as heir - it was obvious to most of us.”
I take that time to glance at Ginna, who also didn’t know that I was being named heir. She throws me a crooked expression.
“I’m not surprised, Cal. You were always the King’s favorite.”
Cracks are forming in the foundation that I’m standing on. I’m not strong enough to look to see how Elia reacted to that tidbit.
Rafe continues his tangent, releasing all his emotions that must have been bottled up for five years. “And fine - maybe you didn’t know that my sister and others were on that ship. But you can’t tell me that you did any extra work to verify that. You could have sailed closer to the ship and seen no one was from the navy. You could have examined the ship's logs and seen the passenger list. Instead, you blindly follow the King’s orders. No questions asked. A Hunter turned into the King’s personal assistant. His personal assassin.”
Rafe shakes his head. “You know, I should have seen this coming, you becoming heir. Ever since your idea of the Golden Hunt - the utter disregard you had for other people’s lives. I thought that might have been a one time thing, an accident, but you’ve only turned more into the King since then.”
The last part of his statement was lost on me. I was too focused on the horrified gasp that had escaped Elia’s mouth.
I never told her that it was my fault that her parents never came home. That it was my fault that she ended up in the labor camp for ten years.
Because this time, Rafe’s accusation was correct. I had suggested thattreasure hunt all those years ago. And Elia’s parents would forever be two additional names I would never be guilt-free from.
Chapter 32
Elia
Even though I’m outside, I can’t get enough air. My lungs seem to have stopped working, and a heavy pressure has settled on my chest, Rafe’s words ringing in my ears.
Ever since your idea of the Golden Hunt.
I’d almost laugh when Rafe had spat that sentence out. Ten years ago meant that Callum must have been no older than eighteen or nineteen. Could an eighteen-year-old devise something like that?
But then I remember how poorly planned and executed it all was. How the whole event wasn’t thought out, and seemed silly in hindsight. And I could, now, easily see how it could have been a teenager’s idea.
A teenager desperate for the King’s approval - isn’t that what Rafe had been reaming Callum out for?
The fact that Callum didn’t argue or protest that statement, when he fought back on others thrown his way, told me all I needed to know.
I step back off the porch. Everyone is too close to me now, the air becoming thinner as my breaths shallow.
“Elia, wait – I can explain.” Callum reaches a hand out in my direction but I ignore it, already steps away.
I whip my head around. “Go ahead, by all means. Please, explain why you haven’t mentioned the fact that you’re the reason I losttenyears of my life. The reason why my parents never returned for me!” I seethe.
Callum is ghostly white, seemingly paralyzed where he stands. I doubt Rafe knew that he was dropping a bomb of information on me, but I bet he is amused at my unraveling, probably enjoying the fact that our relationship is blowing up in front of him, based on the truths that he told.
Callum opens his mouth and closes it again.
