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“I promise,” she said between clenched teeth.
“Liar.” He chuckled. Still, he led her to a door on the opposite side of the room. A set of stone stairs trailed downward while torches lit the way, the flames’ shadows dancing on the walls.
Below, a woman’s shouts echoed toward them as they descended the steps. “You fucked me to get information on my sister!” Hana screamed.
“Only at first.” Astor sighed. “But things changed, Hana. I don’t know how to make you understand.”
“I’m going to put an arrow in your heart, then rip off your wings.”
“Rip off his wings first,” Rush cooed as they reached a dimly-lit area. “If you put an arrow in his heart first, he won’t feel it.”
Astor stepped aside to scowl at Rush while Aura gasped. An iron manacle circled one of Hana’s raw ankles, trapping her only feet from the wall by a chain. Her blonde hair hung in tangles and dark circles ringed her eyes.
“Hana!” Aura rushed to her sister’s side and threw her arms around her.
“Aura!” Hana exhaled heavily.
“Why do you have her chained?” Aura hissed at Rush. “I’ve kept my identity quiet. You asked me to do nothing else to protect my sisters.”
“Your sister enteredmypalace grounds and threw a dagger at Astor. I think that’s reason enough,” Rush said.
“You took my sister prisoner!” Hana shouted, lunging forward, but the chain yanked her back before she could reach Rush. “I wouldn’t have known except I traveled to Moonstone in search of the dragon who stole my sister and saw you with that prick.” She looked out the corners of her eyes toward Astor. “I then followed him back to your palace, but I should’ve fucking told all of Starnight first.”
Ignoring Hana, Rush focused on Aura. “Ask Hana about your fiancé. Ask her what she saw him doing when he was supposed to be at the altar with you.”
The room turned silent—not even the sound of breaths echoed. Aura met Hana’s gaze and sympathy reflected back at her. That expression was what caused Aura to falter, for her words to stutter instead of coming out confident. “What did you see at the wedding? Is it true Pax was late because he was bedding another?”
“I’m sorry, Aura,” Hana murmured. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to hurt you. It’s true. He was, and I hate him. I’ve seen him on more than one occasion, yet I thought he would stop after the wedding. I never expected he would be so fucking brazen to do it before the ceremony. This marriage was what you’d always dreamt of. You relished your birthright the way Liana loves baking.”
Aura stood still, unable to move a muscle. She waited for her sister to give a secret signal that she’d been forced to say these awful things. But there were no indications that everything she’d spoken was a lie. When Hana’s eyes brimmed with tears, Auraknewshe spoke the truth.
“I see,” Aura finally said without a hint of emotion. She turned to Rush. “Congratulations, I now know I’ve been a fool all along. Let my sister go home.”
“I can’t allow that. She’ll tell everyone where you are,” Rush said.
“What about the forgetting potion?” Astor pointed out.
Rush studied the shifter for a long while, the vein along his jaw feathering. “For you, I suppose.” He drew a small glass vile with blue powder from his pocket and handed it to Astor.
“No!” Aura shouted while Rush ripped her away from Hana.
Her sister backed away as Astor uncorked the vial. He blew the contents toward Hana and whispered words she couldn’t hear.
Aura thrashed in Rush’s grip and he held her tighter. “She’ll be fine. She’ll only forget ever meeting Astor and me. The caster chooses what they want the person to forget.”
Aura stopped bucking—she didn’t like the idea of her sister forgetting, but if it wasn’t taking away all her memories… She would be safer at home not remembering who Astor was or how he’d tricked her. Aura hated thinking it, but this was for the best.
Hana fainted and Astor caught her in his arms. A line furrowed between his brows as he studied her. “I’ll take her home.” He removed a key from his pocket and unlocked the manacle around her ankle.
“Don’t take long,” Rush commanded and Astor nodded.
As Astor carried Hana up the steps, Rush drew Aura back, preventing her from following. “Now,” he growled in her ear. “When I give you a warning, listen. When I ask something of you, do it.”
“Yes,Master,” Aura mocked as she glared at him. “May I go to the gardens now?”
“Go to the kitchens and eat first.”
“Fine.” As she took a step forward, a strange feeling erupted within her and she glanced back at him. “Why did you already have that vial on you if you didn’t intend to use it on Hana?”
