Page 45 of Secrets of Ruin

But had she really been under the control of a spell or potion? It had been over three hundred years since Fabian died; could she have been held captive by some outside force that whole time?

The possibility made her skin crawl and the hair on her nape rise. That would mean that for three centuries, she wasn’t herself. She’d been under the control of someone else, and everything she’d done since then had revolved around something that didn’t exist.

The possibility was terrifying.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Another couple of hours passed where no one spoke, and the crackle of the fire beneath Sahira’s antidote was the only sound filling the room. Brokk stirred and murmured her name a few times before settling into sleep again.

Kaylia sprinkled a powder on his back to help him heal faster but decided to wait on the poultice. His back looked a little less red, and his skin had completely closed over his muscles and veins.

After another hour, Sahira tapped her wooden spoon against the side of the cauldron hanging over the fire. “It’s done.”

“What is it?” Orin asked.

Kaylia, Sahira, and Lexi didn’t respond. Their silence drew curious glances from the brothers.

“What is it?” Orin asked again.

“It’s something for me,” Kaylia replied stiffly.

Lexi rose and smoothed down the front of her green tunic before looking at Cole. “It’s best if the three of you leave.”

Varo and Cole were slightly perplexed by her words, but Orin’s face darkened. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yes, you are,” Sahira said. “This should be done in private. I promise you, Brokk will be safe with us, and we’re not giving him anything.”

“If it has to be done privately, then you should all take it there.”

“Orin—”

“He’s my brother. You wouldn’t leave Lexi.”

“I would leave Lexi in Cole’s hands if he asked me to. Obviously, Brokk wants her here; he keeps muttering her name, and Kaylia loves him. You have to respect that.”

When Orin’s eyes narrowed on her, Sahira glared back at him. The rest of them watched with amusement and curiosity as to who would win this battle of wills. Kaylia was anxious for them to go, but this wasn’t her battle.

When Brokk murmured Kaylia’s name again, Orin’s arms fell. “Fine.” He planted his hand on the side of Brokk’s bed while rising. “You’d better take good care of him.”

“I will,” Kaylia vowed.

As long as she lived, she would protect Brokk with everything she had. Cole and Varo also stood. Cole kissed Lexi while Varo rested his hand on her shoulder and squeezed before leaving the room.

The hush following their exit felt too heavy yet somehow loud. She couldn’t hear the crackle of the fire until Sahira set a mug of steaming liquid in front of her.

The combination of smells from it caused Kaylia’s nose to wrinkle as sounds rushed back in. The birds sang outside, a dragon roared in the distance, and the fire crackled.

Kaylia stared at the mug like it was a scorpion about to sting her, but she didn’t move to pick it up. Her stomach churned as her entire being protested drinking it.

Putting that stuff in her body was a betrayal to Fabian. It was a decision she could never take back and one that would forever haunt her love for him.

But is that love real?

The question caused a clammy sweat to break out on her body. She wiped away the beads forming on her upper lip.

Lexi came to stand beside her as another dragon soared by the window. “We’ll leave, too.”

Kaylia watched the rising steam in her mug until it dissipated in the air. “No. Stay.”