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CHAPTER 13
Silence filled Rychel’slaboratory.
“You’re looking at me as if I just told you I killed your puppy,” Rychel said finally.
“No,” I said quickly. “I mean, I’m just... shocked. I had no idea Draven was married already. I mean, married before.”
Shocked? I was stunned. What was worse than stunned? I was thunderstruck. Why hadn’t he ever told me before?
Because he never told me anything. He kept more things from me than he ever shared. He’d rather lie to me and fake-kiss me than tell me the truth or take me into his confidence.
That was the kind of man Kairos Draven was.
At least he had an amazing little sister to make up for part of his awfulness.
“Yep. Married. It was an arranged marriage, of course. Royal ones always are.” Rychel’s face was still unusually somber. “Tabar took after our father. He was... ruthless.”
“Tell me,” I said simply. “Tell me the real story.” I met Rychel’s eyes. “You must know that I’m not really your brother’s paramour.”
Rychel nodded slowly. “I had an inkling. But I know he still cares for you, very much.”
I snorted. “We won’t get into that. I don’t want us to argue.”
I wasn’t sure how much longer I was going to be at the Court of Umbral Flames, but for however much longer I was there I had to admit I wanted Rychel and I to be something like friends.
I realized Rychel was grinning at something across the room.
“You’re lucky Beks fell asleep a while ago,” she said, nodding to where the little boy was curled up under a table. “Or he’d have been devastated. He thinks you and Draven are a true love match.”
I felt an odd guilty sensation in the pit of my stomach. “Oh, Beks. I was worried he might be the romantic type.”
“You never can tell who is.” She sighed as she looked at the boy. “I guess he’d rather sleep here on the floor than back in his rooms with Javer.”
“Can you really blame him?”
Rychel gave a quick laugh, then her face became serious. “I suppose not. Well, where were we? The story. This isn’t a nice story to tell so I’m just going to make it quick. Like pulling a tooth, you know? Not that the Siabra would have any idea what that was like. Anyhow, Draven’s wife. She was Lyrastra’s younger sister.”
I felt my eyebrows go up but I kept quiet, not wanting to interrupt Rychel’s flow.
“Her name was Nodori. From what I’ve heard, she was really sweet. Very kind. Completely different from Lyrastra.”
My heart sank. Sweet. Of course, she was. Probably unspeakably beautiful, too. So that was the kind of woman Draven liked? I had to admit, I was a little surprised.
“Draven and Tabar married on the same day. Our father arranged the marriages. The Siabra like things in pairs. You may have noticed. Sibling marriages are... well, traditional.”
“And weird,” I couldn’t help adding.
“A little weird, but many dynasties throughout history have had similar arrangements. Anyhow, Draven and Nodori...”
