Page 95 of Captive of Secrets and Storms

The mayor’s stare remains, along with the rest of the guests’.

I resist the urge to sink down in my chair. The corset wouldn’t let me even if I tried.

Shoving down the bile crawling up my throat, I lift my chin, aiming for confidence, but the words come out meek. “Yes, sir. I do.”

Gasps ripple down the table. Whispers follow.

Anders leans closer. “Now, that is a surprise.”

I peer at him from the corner of my eye, not turning away from the mayor and his probing stare.

Anders taps his chest. “I understand now why I was drawn to you. Like recognizes like.”

I’m not given time to dissect that odd morsel before Augustus demands my attention once more.

“Am I mistaken,” the mayor begins, “or does that mean you are the famed healer from the continent?”

My heart stops.

My eyes, once again, search out Rian. His expression gives nothing away. My frustration with the Shadow Prince grows.

I choke out, “Y-you’ve heard of me?”

A foolish question.

Of course he has.

Just like Rian and the others had.

How did I not realize how far my reputation had traveled?

Because the Elders kept you and the rest of town subdued within Verdanthia’s borders…

“Of course.” Augustus’s lips pull wide. “Just because we are an island nation doesn’t mean we don’t know what goes on in the rest of the world.”

And yet you allow humans with magic to be murdered without bothering to help.

I shake away the negative thought.

At least, I try to.

But it reveals itself in my hard tone. “So you receive regular communication from Astloria?”

Several people around me inhale sharply, but my focus remains on the mayor and his wife beside him. Her pretty eyes narrow.

“Indeed.” Augustus’s grin tightens. “How else would we ensure our borders remain safe?”

A faint memory of my parents’ flashes through my mind.

Then Ferria.

Then every human born with magic who is hunted down for something they never chose to possess.

“What a luxury.” My voice strains. “To be safe behind your wall while those of us trapped on the continent suffer.”

Silence slams over the dining hall.

Eyes widen. Frantic looks are exchanged.