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Chapter 9
As soon as the curtain closes behind us, I glare at my father. Now that he’s pulled this ridiculous stunt, it’s not difficult to think of him as a dad. “Why did you do that?”
“Tell you about the trials in front of everyone?”
“What else?”
He glances at the servants in the room and waves them out before turning to me. “I thought you’d be excited. You aren’t?”
I stare at him, trying to find the words. “You thought I’d be excited?”
“We were discussing the Queen Sirena link before I brought your mother back from land. It sounded like you were on board. Has that changed?”
My heart pounds like a jackhammer. “About going through a set of trials?”
“This is good news.”
“How?”
He puts a hand on my shoulder and looks into my eyes. “You can come into Sirena’s full powers.”
I take a deep breath. “How much do you know about how she got those?”
“Like I said, I’ve gathered every book I could find on the topic—and it wasn’t easy. Some of them were from opposing kingdoms in secret libraries and even in vaults.”
“You read the one in the academy?”
His eyes flicker. “I looked when I was a student there. Not even the fourth-year library has anything. Not that I’d expect there to be anything on her at the academy.”
That means he hasn’t read the ones I have. They have to be new acquisitions. Ones he wasn’t familiar with—that explains why he doesn’t know anything about the father curse.
Unless …
He raises a brow. “What are you thinking?”
What if he planted those books, hoping I’d find them? Wanting me to kill my dad so he wouldn’t have to? Could it all have been a set-up so he could have his family together without having to worry about his brother?
“Marra?” Concern fills his eyes.
I inch away from him. Is he capable of such a thing? Could he be more like my dad than anyone has ever given him credit for? Or is he truly that out of touch that he hasn’t looked in the secret libraries at the academy or the general public one?
Mom moves between us. “What’s going on?”
I turn to her. “This doesn’t upset you? He just told everyone I’m going through some mysterious ancient trials! They sound dangerous, don’t you think?”
Her expression softens. “Your father wouldn’t put you in harm’s way.”
I study him. “What do they involve?”
“I can’t tell you. You have to go in unprepared.”
“Even better! I can’t believe you wouldn’t ask my opinion on this first.”
He rubs his chin. “I’m honestly surprised you aren’t looking forward to it.”
I look to my mom for help.
She turns to him. “They aren’t dangerous, are they?”
