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Cora narrowed her eyes, her hand still lifted halfway between them. Then she took a deep breath and brushed past him into the room. The breeze she carried vibrated against the edges of Teryn’s ethera. She planted herself in the middle of the room, facing away from him. Crossing her arms, she said, “That’s what I’m here for. We need to talk.”
Morkai’s jaw tensed as he glared at her back. Then, with an aggrieved sigh, he closed the door with more force than necessary.
Cora jumped at the sound and whirled toward him. As soon as her eyes landed on his face, Morkai’s smile returned.
Teryn’s incorporeal form rippled with tension.
“Breathe, Teryn.” Emylia appeared at his side. It was the first time he’d seen her since she’d left him to practice. “He won’t hurt her. He needs her alive, remember? You need to stay calm.”
Teryn couldn’t bring himself to reply. Instead, he focused on keeping his breaths steady, his awareness of his vitale strong. Now that he understood the repercussions of overtaxing his vitale, it was more important than ever to take her reminders to heart.
Morkai closed some of the distance between himself and Cora but left ample space, hands clasped behind his back. “I’ve already agreed to everything the council has asked of me. You don’t need to worry. We’ll marry in the morning. The peace pact is safe, as is your kingdom.”
Cora’s brows lowered. “That’s not what I mean. There’s something else I need to tell you.”
“Whatever it is, it can wait,” he said, his tone so gentle it made a dismissive mockery of Cora’s clearly flustered state.
Her cheeks flushed with restrained anger. “No, it can’t. This is important.”
“What could be more important than the safety of your kingdom? Is this aboutus? Don’t you remember the promise I made? I won’t go back on my word. I’ll woo you as I said I would. Court you as you deserve. Our marriage contract need not matter when it comes to our hearts. We’ll take things slow—”
“I can’t have children.” The words burst from Cora’s lips in an angry shout.
The only movement Morkai made was a mild narrowing of his eyes.
Teryn, on the other hand, felt as if he were being ripped to shreds. Less from the words she’d said and more from the pain behind them.
“That’s all right,” Morkai said, voice soft. “Truly.”
“It’s not all right.” Tears welled in Cora’s eyes, and her voice carried a tremor. “Morkai placed a curse on me. He bound my fate to Queen Linette’s using our blood, ensuring I’d die childless like she did.”
Morkai’s face fell with false sympathy. He took a step forward, and Cora’s shoulders sagged. She lifted her hands from her sides as if she expected him to embrace her.
But he didn’t. He simply…stopped. His hands remained clasped behind his back.
Teryn’s eyes settled on Cora, giving her the attention his body couldn’t. Was this what she’d been struggling with the night he’d found her crying in the tower? This…this curse? Grief and rage tore through him. His breaths grew sharp and shallow, threatening him with a wave of panic, but he refused to lose his connection to his vitale.
Morkai tilted his head slightly to the side. “That’s what you found so pressing to say? Were you worried I’d reject you?”
“It involves you. It affects the future of my kingdom.”
He stepped closer again, slower this time. Still, he made no move to touch her.
Shehadto know this wasn’t him. That Teryn would never act so coldly. Would never withhold affection when she so clearly wanted it.Neededit.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Aveline. I’m here for you. We’ll work through this later. Naming an heir isn’t something we need to concern ourselves with tonight. Let us get some sleep. Tomorrow is an important day for us.” Morkai extended his hand toward the door.
Cora remained rooted in place. Her eyes locked on his face. “Why did you call me Aveline?”
Morkai’s expression went blank, but he quickly donned an easy smile. “You’re going to be queen. It’s time I get used to calling you by your true name.”
Fingers curled into fists, Cora strode up to him. Morkai’s breath hitched as he took a step back, but Cora closed that space too. Despite their height difference, Cora kept her eyes on his. “What’s really going on? This isn’t you.”
Teryn’s heart raced.No, Cora. It isn’t me. Please see that. Please see the truth.
A tic formed at the corners of Morkai’s jaw, but he said nothing.
“You’re acting strange,” Cora said. “What are you hiding? What is happening to you?”
