Page 264

“I chose that, remember? I severed the bond, Luna.” He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. “She saved my life. Our lives. And the final act of her intrusion was to gift us some hope.”

He couldn’t believe he was defending that mad creature, but here they were.

“She’s never led me astray,” Luna said, “but, as I already told Endellion, I’m going to kick her in the shins someday. She told me it won’t be the first thing I do when I meet her, but…someday. I swear it.”

“Why the shins?” Brand asked, tamping down a manic bubble of laughter.

She crossed her arms. “Because she’s too damned tall for me to reach anywhere else.”

He chuckled, his head spinning. “Who do you suppose the others are?”

“Knowing her, the answer to that question will present itself exactly when we need it. Either way, Lyriat should know.”

“Agreed, though I don’t look forward to that being my first conversation with him.”

“You haven’t seen him?”

“Not really.” Brand bit his lip, suddenly shy. “Not since I stormed into the Great Hall mid-grievances directly after waking, and I was rather preoccupied with finding you at the time.”

“I’m sorry I missed—” A reverberating knock sounded on the silver doors and Lunara cursed as she rose. “Wonderful. Time to find out how many people want to kill me today.”

Burning fucking Solyrian.

“Wait.” He snatched her hand. “Know this—I may have humbled myself before them and given you rein of my power, but that symbolism is only good for as long as they behave. There will never come a day when your life truly depends on a vote cast by the Council. I’ll make fucking sure of it.”

“I know.” Luna kissed his knuckles. “Let’s see if you made a difference or if we should start looking for somewhere nice to hide.” She sauntered towards the main doors, calling over her shoulder, “By the way, there was nothing humble about it. You’re quite the performer, Brand. Did you see them trembling?”

The entrance opened at her command, revealing his brother and Cordelia. Luna stepped aside and allowed them in, but no one spoke, a heavy tension on the air.

After a suffocating moment, Brand couldn’t take it anymore. “Well? Did it work?”

Cordelia broke first, smirking. “You’re far more clever than I gave you credit for, Your Highness. Yes, it worked, though quite a few were insistent your mating bond be made official so we have solid reason to rely on it.”

Official. As in a public ceremony, no doubt. Brand had no issue with that, but it was the least of their worries at present. “What was the count?”

“Fifty to one,” Cordelia answered.

Brand growled and sat up. “What’s his name?”

“Auren the Hivewarden,” Lunara answered, snorting. “Insufferable creature.”

“No.” All eyes snapped to Araxis. “You know I cannot say who it was, except that, surprisingly, the outlier was not him.”

Brand’s eyes narrowed, a strange thought dawning. Until he realized it was not his own burning curiosity, but Luna’s. Still, it was no hardship to ask, “If you’re not allowed to say who it was, and the Keepers are not allowed to be there when a vote is called, how did Malachyr know to target Luna’s family the night of the Calamity?”

Araxis and Cordelia shared a look before his brother cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, this is not the time for that conversation.”

Luna’s bitter scoff lit Brand’s veins on fire and he finally stood. “How many times has that been your answer when she’s asked to know?”

“Every time,” Araxis snapped. “As it will continue to be until it is appropriate to say otherwise.”

“Ah, yes.” Luna went to one of the colossal windows, looking out over Starkeep below. “Didn’t you know, Brand? I hold the highest seat in the Evesong, but am not allowed access to the dark secrets of my own past because it’s inappropriate.”

“Why?” Brand snarled at his brother. “Why keep it from her? What difference could it possibly make?”

“It makes every difference. There are things happening that none of you understand. That I cannot explain yet. I am begging you to trust me.”

“Sisters save me, Araxis. I bloody fucking want to.” Brand willed his pulse to slow, Stirling burrowing into the crook of his arm right on cue. He didn’t want to argue with his brother. Not when he was aiming to eventually heal things between them. “I want to, but you’re hurting my mate with your evasion. She needs more than that.”