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Then again, this is all part of me learning to share Dawn, and the fact that I haven’t stolen her from him yet is testament to my progress.

I’d watched the way he threw himself in danger to protect her in the maze, and then he shoved the king’s guard for touching her. That, I fucking respect. Besides, Dawn obviously adores him, by the way she melts into him and how they both stare into each other’s eyes, completely gone. He’d walk into a furnace without blinking if she asked him to.

Truth is, so would I. I’m utterly ruined by my family’s enemy, and I’m willing to share her with two others. I almost laugh out loud at the insanity, but fuck, I love her fiercely, almost terrifyingly so. I easily picture myself spending the rest of my life alongside her, giving her a reason every single day to not want to be anywhere else.

I also refuse to rule like my father.

In Grimvale, the hatred between the different reigning parties stems from history. The Ash Clan actually predates the other families, who relocated to the world from various realms. They brought wealth and rose to power. To this day, the Ash Clan claim the realm is theirs, while the other courts insist that they improved Grimvale with their riches and expertise. From what I’ve read, the friction between the three royal courts came down to greed. Each wanted more control over Grimvale, and it escalated as time went on. Tension between my family and Corvin’s exploded further when news spread that we shared the same mother.

I think back to all the hatred my father spewed about Corvin’s family, and as a child, I was influenced by it too.

Tearing my attention away from Dawn, I glance up at Corvin, who paces along the metal bars, staring out into the empty hallway. I never grew up with siblings, and I recall once, my father caught Corvin and me playing in the sand by the beach when we were young. I never understood then why I couldn’t play with him, seeing as he was my half brother. My father beat me with a belt that evening until I bled for daring to spend my time with the enemy. So I kept my distance out of fear.

“Do you think the king will order our deaths?” Dawn asks, her shaky voice distracting me from my thoughts.

“He wouldn’t dare,” Corvin answers, turning to face us. “He’ll more likely torture us for his nobles to see, but he won’t kill us. Not when two of us are heirs to powerful courts, and he knows he’ll have to go through us to get to you. Besides”—he resumes pacing—“when other monster realms discover that he killed monsters for the benefit of humans, they’ll rally and come for his head.”

She heaves a long breath. “I just hate that I’ve dragged us all into this mess and⁠—”

“This isn’t on you,” I insist. “Your dragonfly saved us today, and the question is why those beasts hunted us.”

“Either King Slate set us up, or someone else went behind his back to get to us,” Kazak states, his arms sliding around Dawn’s stomach, holding her tightly against him.

“Thinking the same,” Corvin murmurs. “For all we know, it’s someone else in the city who holds a grudge against us, seeing as they sent an assassin after us.”

“My guess is the Viscount or the Gamemaster,” Dawn says. “Mostly because both seem to hate me.”

She shrugs, and Kazak nuzzles his face in her neck, whispering, “It’s impossible to ever hate you.”

I eye them, then drape my arms over my drawn-up knees and settle down. Who knows how long we’re going to be waiting?

The tap of hurried steps on the stone floor sounds, and I lift my gaze. Corvin’s gripping the bars, staring at whoever approaches.

Insy, our food server, slips in front of our prison cell, her white eyes wide, carrying two fabric bags.

“Insy!” Dawn says excitedly and scrambles off Kazak to run over to her.

“Dawn, I heard you were here, and I can’t believe the rumors spreading through the city. They say you tried to kill the nobles and even the king?” She’s breathless, her face red.

“Complete lies,” I call out, shaking my head.

“I’m so worried for you,” Insy says, leaning in close in her black-and-white server uniform. “I told the guards I came to bring you blankets so I could visit.” She starts shoving a cloth satchel bursting at the seams through the bars, and Dawn pulls until it finally pops through. She tosses it over to Corvin, who glances inside as Dawn tugs in the second one.

“Everyone out there is furious and calling for justice,” Insy whispers. “The Elite families are demanding your heads.”

Dread thickens in my throat at how quickly this escalated when, officially, no one died that I’m aware of.

“But we didn’t mean to hurt anyone,” Dawn murmurs, then gives Insy a quick rundown of what happened.

Insy grabs Dawn’s hand through the bar. “Tell me what to do to help you, please.”

Dawn leans in closer to her. “I wish there was something, but I don’t want to drag you into trouble as well. What you’ve done so far is a lifesaver.”

A loud bang sounds from the end of the hall, and Insy flinches, glancing over her shoulder. “I need to go. My time is up. I’ll try to come back tomorrow, and I’ll find out what I can. Please stay safe, all of you.” She stares at us for a few seconds as if she might break into tears, then spins on her heel and flees out of sight.

Corvin tosses me both bags, and I catch them as he collects Dawn into his arms, where she softens against his chest. He whispers something to her that seems to soothe her as she grins.

If only she knew the lengths I would go to to keep that smile on her face.