Page 124 of Fate of the Sun King

Cloris narrows her gaze, her eyes flicking between us, and I hope I imagine the knowing spark that flashes in her eyes.

“When you refused to reveal yourself, I convinced him to let you live,” she continues as though nothing has happened. “So he threw you into that prison for safekeeping, but he was done with me.”

Drawing a deep breath, I attempt to settle my temper as I gather my thoughts. I don’t need to hear Nadir to know he’s doing everything he can to stop himself from tearing apart this entire room.

“And then what?” I ask after a moment. “Why Atlas next?”

“Because I still needed someone to get you out of there. Someone with proper motivation. When I showed up, he was about to bond to someone else.”

“You’re the reason he canceled the first Trials,” I say, and she nods.

“Indeed. When I told him about you, he immediately called them off and started working on a plan to get you out of Nostraza.”

“He wanted to bond with Lor?” Nadir asks. “Can he actually do that? Wouldn’t he have the same issues that Wolf and Serce did?”

“Technically,” Cloris says after a brief pause, but there’s something false in it. “But I didn’t tell him any of that.”

I drop onto the sofa, cradling my face in my hands, stunned at everything I’ve just heard. I’ve wondered for so long what series of events brought me to that throne room in Aphelion, but I never imagined any of this.

“Did you know it was me the other day?” I ask. “Did you recognize me?”

“I did,” she says.

“So why didn’t you go to Atlas then?” Nadir asks.

“Why are you so sure I didn’t?”

Nadir levels her with a look, and she rolls her eyes.

“Because he failed, didn’t he? The Mirror rejected her as I suspected it would, and now I have no use for him. I just needed her out of Nostraza. He’s fulfilled his purpose, and now what I need is Lor.”

She looks at me, and I snort in derision before she leans forward.

“Did the Mirror reveal anything to you?”

I arch an eyebrow. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Cloris pinches her mouth together and sits back.

“Have you recovered your magic?” she asks carefully, as if she knows she’s crossing a line.

“Yes,” I say with a pointed glare. “And it’s incredibly strong.”

She doesn’t need to know how much I’m still struggling with it, but let her think I’m dangerous.

“And before you ask, I have no idea where the ark is.”

But her question about the Mirror knocks something loose, a fragment rattling as it hits the floor.

A gift for you.

What if it’s not my magic at all, but something else that was lost?

“Hmm,” Cloris replies. “I figured you’d say that, and I am inclined to believe you.”

“So what do you want then?” Nadir asks, gritting. His teeth “You’re doing an awful lot of sharing right now.”

Cloris smiles. “There is nothing I’ve told you that can harm me in any way. Your father was a fool not to believe me, but now he knows the truth, and I don’t give a whit about what happens to Atlas.”