Page 143 of Destiny of a King

Dravic studied him more carefully. This wasn’t simply about whatever connection Adira might have to the Morvane Clan. There was something personal in the way Tharne watched her, something Dravic had failed to notice at first because he’d been too concerned with keeping the man away from her.

“What do you know about Adira?”

Tharne responded with a question of his own. “Did she have the necklace when you found her?”

Dravic went still.

Adira gave no reaction beside him, but he felt the slight movement of her hand in his.

Dravic turned cautious, realizing more was going on here than he realized. “How do you know about the necklace?”

“Did she have it?”

Dravic took a step toward him, making sure Adira remained behind him. “You’re in my kingdom, imprisoned my warriors, and you’ve had me brought here against my will. You will stop asking questions and answer mine.”

The warriors lining the hall shifted, ready to step forward.

Dravic didn’t spare them a glance.

Tharne did. He raised one hand and the men stilled.

“Did Adira show you the necklace?” Tharne asked.

“Of course, she did,” Dravic said as if it was a foolish question to ask. “The necklace bears the symbols of the Morvane Clan. It belonged to Adira’s mother, which tells me there is some connection between them. Perhaps her mother fled the Morvane. Perhaps she had reason to hide her daughter from them. I don’t know.”

Tharne’s jaw tightened at the mention of Adira’s mother.

That reaction didn’t escape Dravic. “You knew her mother.”

It wasn’t a question.

Tharne’s gaze remained on him.

Dravic suddenly understood that he’d finally struck upon something the man hadn’t intended to reveal.

“You knew Adira’s mother?”

Tharne said nothing.

“What do you know of her?”

Still, Tharne said nothing.

Dravic’s temper snapped. “You threatened war against Scotara to get Adira. You crossed the Sea of Shadows before winter closed it. You brought armed men into my kingdom and somehow knew exactly where she would be. Now you stand there questioning me about a necklace that had belonged to her mother, while refusing to tell me why any of it matters.”

He took another step forward and this time Adira moved with him.

Dravic felt her beside him and stopped. He would not allow his anger to make him careless with her safety.

He moved close to her. “Who is Adira to you?”

Tharne looked at Adira, his hard expression softening. “Adira is my daughter.”

Dravic said nothing but felt Adira’s hand go slack in his. He turned immediately toward her. She was staring at Tharne.

Whatever Dravic had asked of her in that room—whatever advantage there might have been in concealing that she could hear—he knew there was no possible way she could pretend she hadn’t heard that.

Adira continued to stare at her… father.