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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

BRYN

Isat in the greenhouse, overlooking the labyrinth of lavender at the back of the castle.

Alister had given me herbs and a few shots of vodka, to help ease the pain in my ribs; luckily, only bruised, not broken.

My face was black and blue on my left side. My tongue split from where I’d bitten it when I had hit the ground.

Sigrid, our friend, had betrayed us and taken my brother from me, again—my brother a moving pawn in a game of power.

I rubbed at my chest, barely feeling Leo’s stain there.

He must be far away.

Leo was more of a monster than I’d originally given him credit for.

He had once told me he’d felt my distress on Six, when Aaron had tried to kill me in the pool. But he was a liar. He had only known I was in trouble because he’d organized the trouble himself.

Adrian’s footsteps were heavy as he entered the room.

He was alone, which meant he hadn’t been able to find Hunter.

I didn’t turn to look at him. Instead, I buried my head in my hands and started to weep.

His hand was strong as he stroked my back, letting me cry.

What felt like an hour later, Adrian walked me outside, guiding me through the purple blooms.

I stared at the lavender and smiled weakly. “You tried to tell me who I was to you from the start.”

I stopped to pluck a piece of lavender, bringing it to my nose.

“Partially,” he sighed, taking the piece of lavender from my hands and tucking it gently behind my ear. “I was hoping it would help jog your memories. But I was also trying to court you again. I’ll admit, I was a bit rusty at the beginning.”

“And rude,” I added.

He smiled. “I’m sorry for how I acted.”

I touched the flower at my ear, watching his smile drop slowly into a frown.

“It was torture,” he whispered. “To have you so close to me again, but knowing I had to stay away. It killed me to see you with him. With Leo.”

He shook his head, staring off into the purple blooms.

I ran my fingers through his hair, brushing it back. “You once told me that lavender was the queen’s favorite flower . . . your mother’s favorite flower . . .”

He smiled sadly. “She always knew what you meant to me. She loved you, as if you were her own daughter. I think she always knew that was what you’d end up being.”

I smiled at that. Marissa had always treated me with kindness.

“Do you know where they’ve taken my brother?”

“I followed Leo’s trail all the way to Ten. But I lost it, not long after I arrived there.”

Adrian pulled me into him, as a fresh wave of tears spilled down my face.

“We’ll find him, Bryn. They won’t hurt him. Keeping him alive is the only leverage they have to get you to join their cause.”