A Court This Cruel & Lovely (Kingdom of Lies, #1)(45)

I stared at Lorian. Did I trust him? He’d lied to me over and over again. But at least those lies had been for a reason. I had no illusions about my ability to withstand torture. If I found out just what the mercenaries were planning when they murmured to each other out of my earshot, those plans would be at great risk.

And while he’d lied to me…even terrified me so I would use my power, his strategy had worked—regardless of how awful it had been.

He had no true reason to lie to me now. At least, none that I could see.

If he was telling the truth, I wasn’t corrupt at all. My power was different because I was different. Part fae. A hybrid.

I swallowed. “I know you know more. Things you’re not telling me.”

“An understatement. You want to learn more about the history of these lands? About the king? See if you can find a narminoi.”

“What’s a narminoi?”

“Their power is the power of knowledge. Unlike Marth, who can look back a few days, perhaps a few years if he is at full strength, narminoi can look back centuries if they choose. And they are unable to lie. Not about the past. The king has hunted them all these years, until only a few of them remain.”

The more I understood about my power, the history of this kingdom, and the royal family, the greater the chance I could free Asinia and find my brother.

“How will I find a narminoi?”

One dark eyebrow kicked up in that infuriating way that made me want to slap him. “I’m sure you’ll manage.”

Rythos yawned and sat up. “Some of us were trying to sleep.”

Galon was already getting to his feet. “We don’t have time to sleep.” He eyed me. “One last lesson before we leave. The others can ready the horses.”

Lorian pushed his blanket off himself and slowly stood. “Today, you need to wield your magic the way you were born to use it.”

My chest constricted at the thought of what was to come. If I’d been alone, I might’ve leaned over and hyperventilated.

Lorian just gave me that look he gave me when he’d set an impossible task and was expecting me to complete it. “It’s up to you to coax it out. To make it do what you need. Your problem isn’t a lack of power. It’s a lack of control. You’re terrified of your power, and a part of you doesn’t truly believe you have what I’m saying you have.”

I opened my mouth, but he was already walking away.

I wanted to sit with my thoughts for a few hours. To come to terms with the fact that King Sabium had been lying to us. All of us. Even worse, his father, his father’s father…all of them were liars, all of them stealing from their people in the worst way. The blood was pounding so loudly in my ears, I almost missed Galon’s next words.

He was standing in front of me, holding out his hand.

“You can think about what Lorian just told you later,” he said. “Time to stretch.”





Galon pinned me to the ground. I struggled, but it was no use.

He glowered down at me, clearly impatient. “You know what to do here.”

I did know. Wiggling one leg out from under us, I shoved my knee against his chest and and pushed.

“Take your hands off me.” A familiar voice cut through the clearing.

I froze. My eyes flooded, my throat tightened, and then I went wild, scratching and clawing for my freedom.

Galon cursed and rolled off me, but I was already sitting up. Across the clearing, Marth held Tibris in a headlock—my brother’s face already swollen and bruised.

“Found him spying on us,” Marth announced.

Was Tibris truly in front of me? Or was I imagining it? I glanced around at the mercenaries. All of them had gone quiet, and all of them were watching my brother closely.

“Let him go, Marth,” I demanded. Marth just looked at Lorian, who was already getting to his feet.

Lorian nodded and Tibris straightened.

My brother looked like he’d aged five years. He wore a rough beard, his clothes dirty and unkempt. He stalked toward me, dropped a small pack at my feet, and positioned his body in front of mine, a long knife held ready in his hand.

“Run, Prisca,” Tibris ordered.

“Friend of yours, wildcat?” Lorian crooned.

“Don’t talk to her,” Tibris snarled. “Pris, go.”

Lorian slowly stood. He moved like a predatory cat, his gaze now solely on my brother.

I unfroze and shot to my own feet, darting in front of Tibris. My brother cursed as Lorian’s gaze dropped to me.

“A lover come to rescue you from our…embrace?”

Was that why he was acting so strangely? “No, you idiot. This is my brother.”

Some of the malice left Lorian’s expression, and I threw my arms around Tibris. My eyes slid closed, and I just basked in the feel of him. Alive.

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. “They’re not hurting me, Tibris. If anything, they’ve protected me. That one—” I stepped back and pointed to Galon “—fished me out of the river after Mama threw me in.”

I didn’t mention Lorian had abandoned me directly after that. But I squinted my eyes at him so he’d know I hadn’t forgotten that part.

The corner of his mouth twitched.

Tibris gave a small bow of his head. “In that case, thank you for keeping my sister alive. But we’re leaving now.”