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With a chill, he suddenly realized that her hands were pressed flat against his chest and she was trying to push him away. When he broke off the kiss, she skidded back from him, landing hard on her backside. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth, her eyes wide and appalled. And something else. Disgusted.
His lips tingled from the feel of her, the taste of her, but the reality of what had happened crashed over him like a bucket of ice-cold water.
She hadn’t kissed him back.
“Why would you do such a thing?” Her voice was pitchy and muffled by her hand.
“I’m sorry.” His heart hammered in his chest. Then he shook his head. “No, wait. I’m not sorry. I’ve wanted to kiss you like that for so long, but I was afraid.”
Her hand trembled as she pulled it away from her mouth. “But you’re my brother.”
“You said that you loved me.”
“Yes. I love you desperately...as my brother. But this...” She shook her head. “No, it’s not right. You can’t do something like this ever again.”
“You’re not really my sister.” He wouldn’t let himself feel shame for what he’d done. He’d given in to his love for her in a real way, and he refused to let it be turned into something vile. It wasn’t vile; it was pure. The purest thing in his entire world. “Not by blood. You weren’t born into this family. You were born in Paelsia. Sabina stole you from your cradle. You were raised here as my sister, but we’re not related by blood. If we’re together, it’s not forbidden to us.”
Her face had paled so much that she now resembled a ghost. The fierceness had left her eyes, replaced by shock. “Why are you saying these horrible things to me?”
“Because they’re the truth. The truth that you should have been told by the king himself. He wants to use your power for his own gain. That’s why he had you brought here, why he’s raised you as his daughter.”
Lucia shook her head. “And you’ve known this all the time?”
“No, I learned of it only the other night from Sabina herself. But Mother confirmed that it’s true.”
“I don’t understand.” She staggered up from the floor to her feet. He followed suit, watching her warily. His disgrace in Paelsia was momentarily forgotten. He hadn’t meant to tell Lucia like this, not so bluntly.
“Ease your mind,” he soothed. “Please. The king still considers you his beloved daughter. I know he does. And we were raised together, side by side. This is all true. But to consider you only my sister now that I know the truth...I can’t. You’re so much more to me than that.”
Lucia met his gaze. “Please don’t say these things to me.”
“You’re the only one in the world who means anything to me.” His voice broke. “I love you, Lucia. I love you to the very depths of my soul.”
She just stared at him.
“You said that you loved me.” He tried to keep his voice firm. “More than anyone else.”
“As a brother. As my dear brother, I love you unconditionally.”
It was as if his heart had stopped and the world crashed down all around him. “Only as a brother.”
“You can’t do that ever again. You can’t touch me like that. It’s wrong, Magnus.”
He clenched his fists at his sides. “It’s not wrong.”
“I don’t feel the same way toward you.”
“But someday you might—”
“No.” Tears shone in her eyes. “I will never feel that way. Please, let us never talk of this again.” She ran a hand over her long dark hair, as if attempting to straighten it. She moved to the door, but he caught her wrist to stop her.
Magnus’s eyes burned. “Please don’t leave me.”
“I have to. I can’t be near you right now.”
She pulled out of his grasp and left his room.
He stood there facing the door, unmoving, unthinking. Stunned by what had just happened.
