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“No.” He could do what he wanted to me. If I hadn’t already hated him, what he’d done to my mother guaranteed I’d take what he wanted to the grave.

He yanked back the staff and loomed above me.

“I’m supposed to be elsewhere. I had something quite important to attend to, but I instructed my men to postpone it. Do you know why, Fallow?” He leaned down over me like the shadow of death.

I waited, knowing he’d keep talking. He wanted to hurt me in every way possible. Let him show his hand if there was more he had against me.

At least my sister, Sharlyne, was safe. At least Nyah was still alive in some way.

“Because of you. And now that I know the truth of your identity, this has become my utmost priority. I will start tearing you apart millimeter by millimeter until you beg me to take that stone from you and let you die.”

“Do what you will. I won’t tell you.”

But the king finally realized the one piece of leverage he had, and I saw it in his face as it occurred to him. He turned slowly toward my mother, straightening.

No.

“It has been quite valuable having a seer of my own,” he said, stepping toward her. “She’s been fun to play with on occasion when I’m bored.”

The fire in my blood boiled, making my collar nearly choke me into oblivion.

“But I can find another. Especially when I have the third stone.”

“He will not break,” said my mother. Though she appeared calm, her voice was not that deep otherworldly tone that indicated the oracle as Balram called it. She was a strong seer. I knew that, and apparently, he’d had no idea he’d captured the one seer who also married into the Fallow clan. Until now.

But neither I nor Balram were fooled into believing the words she spoke now were prophetic. Because she was my weakness.

With a wave of his hand, her bonds unlatched, and she slid down the wall to a crouch. I wondered how long it had been since she’d been able to use her muscles to stand. Too long, I realized, when she struggled to claw her way upright only to stumble forward and catch the edge of the dais where the room’s center stone sat.

The first strike caught her in the small of the back, making her throw her chin up and give me a clear view of the hurt on her face.

“Stop,” I croaked. It was weak because I knew he wouldn’t. Maybe not even if I told him where to find what he wanted. But it was all I had that could possibly prevent this from happening.

“Let’s see,” he said, pressing her neck down on the stand so that she was bowed before him. “What can I do to your mother to encourage you to speak up?”

If I told him what he wanted, I’d be doing what I begged Nyah not to do. But could I think of the greater good? If he had Nyah naked and bent before him, what would I do?

No. The question wasn’t what would I do, it was what could I do? I’d never felt so powerless in my life.

“It’s okay.” My mother’s voice broke the spell I was under, and I met her eyes. She smiled then. She actually smiled. “I got to see you again, Riv. That’s a gift.”

Then the king bashed her head forward, knocking her unconscious and letting her slide to the ground in a heap.

“No!” I screamed so loud I was sure the walls would shake. The entire castle would hear me and come running.

But the king ignored me and rolled her onto her back with his foot. “I do want her conscious for the rest of this,” he said with a sigh. “I needed her to shut up, but now it seems we’ll have to wait a few minutes for her elven blood to heal her so I can start again. I want you both to experience every moment. And don’t worry, take your time, Fallow. I’m going to enjoy prying it out of you.”

Fifteen

Nyah

Iwished there’d been time to change from the cumbersome outfit I found myself in when I awoke. And though I didn’t know exactly what I was rushing into, I knew in my heart it was bad. If I didn’t hurry, I’d be too late.

Wearing my sister’s body was disconcerting, but cloaking myself in illusion was as easy as breathing. I took it as a good sign that wielding magic remained like second nature to me. I had no trouble passing the guards, who’d seemed to grow in number since I’d last been here. I couldn’t worry about that now, though. I had to focus on getting to Balram.

When I reached the double doors outside his chambers, I paused. Not because of the men stationed before them, but because I’d never been on the other side before. I’d never had a desire to, and I doubted Rune had either, at least since her mother died.

With a deep breath, I parted my hands, sending the men blocking my way flying into the walls on either side of the entryway where they both crumpled. I cast a quick illusion spell over them, so as not to arouse suspicion, then shoved open the doors with a burst of air.