AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Lysias,” Alexandra admonished gently, reaching out to rest her hand over his arm. “Let’s try to move forward with some civility.”
“It’s all right... Zandra,” Diamandis said, as if testing out the name.
Because it washername. And Diamandis washerbrother, and Lysias knew what this would mean to the man he’d once called a friend. So much warred within him, he had to drown it in more of that anger.
Anger that Diamandis would call her that, as if he could sweep away twenty years of pain and suffering. Anger that it was all true, and he did not know how to grapple with it, no matter how many hours he’d tried.
“Her name is Alexandra,” he snapped, wishing it were true. “That is the name she goes by. Because, by some miracle, she was spared your inaction, your failures. She might be biologically your sister, but she isnotPrincess Zandra back from the dead simply because you want her to be.”
The room plunged into silence, except for the sound of his own ragged breathing. Why couldn’t he get control of this? It had to be her fault. She’d done something to him. Unleashed something in him.
He needed to find the tools to put it back. And get the hell out of Kalyva.
“Obviously this is...emotional,” Alexandra said softly, her hand still on his arm. “Perhaps we could take some time to individually calm down before we discuss it,” Alexandra said. And hehatedthe way she smiled sadly at Diamandis. Who would see it as someone happy but overwhelmed.
But Lysias saw the guilt lurking there. The questions. He could practically see all those wheels turning in her head as she gazed at her brother, not that she knew it. And still...
Still, she wanted to ruin his revenge. He couldseeit.
Diamandis bowed to Alexandra. “I will see you both at the ball, and after tomorrow’s council meeting, we will have much time to work through this... Everything. Together.”
Alexandra nodded. Lysias did not move. Diamandis exited the room and they both stood as if rooted to the spot.
“We should talk,” she said eventually, breaking the spell.
But he could not be alone with her. The truth wanted to escape. And all these damnfeelings.
“I do not wish to talk,” he replied, striding for the door so that her hand fell off his arm. “I wish to make our necessary appearance at the ball. Have you announced princess. I wish to enact the plan in which I am paying you to accomplish. There will be no talking.” He opened the door, pointed outside. “Come.”
She crossed to him, but she did not walk out the door. She smiled at the guard, then wrenched the door out of Lysias’s hands and closed it. “No, Lysias. I’m not going.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ALEXANDRASTRUGGLEDTObreathe evenly. She felt too much. Hurt too much. She could not go on.
She could not...be part of Diamandis’s downfall. Not when he’d seemed truly...humbled. Eager to have some kind of relationship with her. He’d looked at her and called her Zandra, not as if she were a princess.
But as if she were hissister.
Her.Who’d never had a family she could remember. Maybe she had memories tied to this place, but...
But you are not the princess.
Maybe, that was the true source of all this pain.
She wanted to be.
She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the door. She fought against the tears that wanted to fall because she needed to get through to Lysias, and emotional outbursts would not do it.
“You must go to the ball,” he said from behind her, his voice like a razor, so sharp, so cutting. “It is what I’m paying you for.”
She turned to face him, back against the door, large skirt and cape twisted around her. She curled her fingers into the decadent fabric as if it might grant her some strength.
She couldn’t go to the ball now. Now when Diamandis thought...
She’d never expected this to be so hard. What a fool she’d been to think revenge could be simple. Someone always got hurt in the game of payback. She had been okay with that when they had been the distant wealthy figureheads dealing in terrible atrocities.
It was harder to feel righteous when the person was clearly dealing with their own trauma, their own betrayals, their own guilt.
