Page 75 of The Dragon and the Dove

Theo’s eyes flicked towards Cadel’s sword. ‘I’m weighing my chances.’

A wink of teeth. ‘There’s that Versini intelligence.’

Theo’s magic purred at the compliment. ‘It’s Branch,’ he said tersely. ‘My father’s name was Branch.’

‘But you have your mother’s eyes,’ the prince said leeringly. ‘Your mother’s blood.’

Versini blood.

Hugo’s blood.

Bad blood.

No! his magic hissed in defiance. You were born to be great!

Andreas’s smile slipped. ‘Your eyes betray you, saint.’

Ghosting a hand along the dagger in his belt, Theo drifted towards the prince. ‘Are you afraid of me, Andreas?’

‘On the contrary,’ he said, pushing off the sill, meeting him stride for stride. ‘I’ve never been more intrigued.’

Theo was a quick thinker, but he was no fighter. With hundreds of Rose-bearers on the other side of that door, Andreas had the upper hand. This was his den. His game. Theo had a dagger in his belt and a power storm in his soul. He had no idea what would happen if he let it out.

Touch him.

Take him.

Swallow him whole.

Again, he weighed the risk, imagining giving in to the ravenous bite of his own hunger.

Andreas released a mocking laugh. ‘I could have killed you the second you stepped through that door, Versini. I could kill you now with a click of my fingers.’ He paused, licking his teeth. ‘Do you know why I didn’t?’

‘Because it would be a shame to get blood on a suit this fine?’

‘I’d hate to waste a Versini,’ said Andreas. ‘Especially one with magic in his veins.’

‘I didn’t realize you were such an ardent admirer.’

‘There isn’t a soul in this kingdom who hasn’t heard of Hugo Versini. What he did to this country made him immortal.’

‘You mean notorious,’ Theo amended. ‘Reviled.’

‘Remembered,’ said Andreas. ‘Revered.’

Theo’s brows shot up. ‘By whom?’

‘Anyone with a shred of ambition in their bones.’ He swept a hand through his hair, unsettling the fine blonde strands. ‘If you ask me, he didn’t go far enough. With a mind like that, he could have been king. A ruler feared throughout Arthos.’

‘Hugo Versini is a stain on my family’s reputation,’ said Theo. ‘I am nothing like him.’

Yet, whispered the old voice.

‘Then why are you his double?’ said Andreas, looking him over. ‘Fate does not make mistakes.’

‘Your very existence implies otherwise.’

Andreas only shrugged. ‘I took what was owed to me.’