Page 199 of Captive of Secrets and Storms

A heavy breath blows past my lips. “By the Gods…”

It is one thing to learn that my twin and I are part Fae…

Add that I possess allegedly extinct light magic while my sister has the ability to create weapons to negate a Fae’s power, and I see nothing but trouble on the horizon for us both.

“Do not worry,” Rian murmurs.

I look up, and my heart squeezes at the gentleness etched into his handsome face.

“How can I not?”

His thumb brushes the back of my hand. “Ferria’s secret is safe. Anton believes she has her power under control. He never even sensed her imbuing her Fire into metal while she forged.”

As if that makes it better.

“Why was Anton in Verdanthia in the first place?”

It’s a question I should have asked a long time ago. There are a lot of things I should’ve asked about.

I blame my silence on the shock of what happened in Verdanthia.

The torture.

The betrayal.

Being torn from my sister and the only home I’d ever known.

Resisting the feelings that try to bind me to the formidable male in front of me.

It’s all kept me distracted.

That ends now.

“Anton was helping me.” Rian’s fingers trail down my arms.

“For how long?”

His eyes track over the goose bumps peppering my skin. “From the beginning.”

The confirmation stings.

Part of me hoped Anton was manipulated into helping the Shadow Prince after he moved to Verdanthia.

That everything about him and his relationship with me and my sister wasn’t a calculated deception.

I swallow down the hurt. “Is Anton a member of your cadre?”

“Not quite.”

I wait for him to say more.

Rian’s strong arms keep me close as we move through the dance’s methodical steps. Shadows caress my wrists.

He remains silent.

“How could Anton help you in Verdanthia?” I press. “What was he doing for you so far south?”

Softness flees from his expression. The stoic mask, the one I’ve come to realize the Shadow Prince wears more often than his real face, falls into place.