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Going up into the mountains with Corvan. Seeing things that no ordinary Rahavan would ever witness in their lifetime. Meeting the enigmatic Khaturians. The feeling ofmagicsnapping through my veins, yearning for release from the seal inside my body.
Somuch has happened.
And I had Corvan in my bed…
And it was glorious.
I’ll never be the same again.
I look around the room. The boys’ quarters aren’t as sumptuously furnished as mine, but the decor here would outstrip even the most luxurious room in Ruen Castle. We’re in a central antechamber framed by a large arched window, the stone floor covered in thick furs and finely woven rugs. Wide, comfortable sofas overlook a view of the central courtyard. On either side are the bedrooms, and in the middle of the room is a roaring fire.
It’s deliciously warm in here.
If not for the view, one wouldn’t even realize it was cold outside.
“Finley, I’m so relieved you’re back. You okay now?” Kastel is pacing up and down beside the window. He’s a bundle of nervous energy. So is Garan, who stands there fidgeting, moving from side to side, clenching and unclenching his fists. They don’t even realize where I’ve been. “That fucking archduke. Can’t believe we got deceived. For all his charm and fake hospitality, he’s gone and sent father away, and now they’re fighting off the fucking imperial army. We’ve got to get out of here, Finley. Back to Ruen. I don’t care if we have to fight our way out. He’s as mad as the rumors say. Iknewwe were right to come after you.”
I glance at Aderick. His face is pale, but he’s standing on his own, without the wheelchair. A loose white shirt covers his wound. He’s slightly hunched over, but he doesn’t look to be in significant discomfort. “What do you think, Rick?”
“Realistically,” he says slowly, cautiously, “it would be stupid for us to try and bust out of here. We stand no chance against the Tyronese, and if he got word you’d escaped, that inhuman bastard would come after us.”
“We gotta trysomething,” Garan protests. “Otherwise we’ll be stuck here forever.”
The faint screams of men reach us from outside, accompanied by the terrified whinnies of the horses. I’ve never heard stable horses so spooked before.
The sun sinks deeper, painting the sky red.
The atmosphere is strange. It’s as if the air is filled with a certain kind of madness, and it’s affecting me.
I want Corvan. I want to feel his touch; his warmth, his addictive presence, protective and yet undeniably dangerous to his enemies.
I’m addicted to him; to his power, his elegant-yet-brutal beauty.
It feels like anything could happen.
And yet my brothers and Garan don’t understand a thing. How could I ever explain to them that I’ve already tasted ecstasy with the Archduke of Tyron, and I’d do it again and again?
I’m changing.
I yearn for him to drink from me again.
For better or worse, I’m changing.
Oh, to hell with it all.
I take a deep breath.
“Has he treated us badly?” I ask softly, meeting each of their gazes in turn. “Since we’ve arrived, he’s shown us nothing but hospitality and courtesy. He saved Aderick’slife.”
“He locked our father in the dungeons,” Kastel says flatly. “For no reason at all.”
Anger flares inside me. “Yourfather hit me right in front of Corvan’s men. He hit me, just like he always does. He arranged for me to be married off without me having any say in the matter at all.”
All this when heknewthe rumors about Corvan. How ironic that his plans have backfired spectacularly.
And all along, he knew about my mother.
He hid the truth from me. I don’t know whether she’s dead or alive.
