“Her eyes,” Lord Samriel explained, head cocked. “The mark would be in her eyes.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, my mind flashing from the brief sight of them changing in the mirror. It hadn’t been my imagination, but didn’t I already know that? Deep down?
“She could’ve been glamoured,” Prince Rohan mused, and I didn’t have a single clue what he meant by that. “We will know once Lord Arion returns. In the meantime, get rid of that one— ”
“No. No. Please,” I pleaded, stretching over Grady. “Please do not hurt him. Please. I’ll do whatever it is that you ask.” I trembled, not above begging— bargaining. “Please.”
Prince Rohan turned slowly toward me. His eyes . . . they were like Thorne’s, a kaleidoscope of shifting colors, except the brown was closer to a shade of crimson. “Anything?”
My heart plummeted, but I nodded. “Anything.”
Lord Samriel glanced at Hymel.
“She speaks the truth.” Hymel crossed his arms. “Those two are thick as thieves. He’s leverage.”
Anger flooded my veins but I choked it back, focusing on the Prince. “Promise me you won’t hurt him, and I will do whatever you want. I swear it.”
A faint smile appeared, and as I stared up at him, I could see that his features were even more finely crafted than Thorne’s, but there was no . . . no life to them. He was a perfectly molded shell. “Okay.”
I didn’t let myself feel an ounce of relief. “Promise me you won’t hurt him.”
That smile grew, and still, it did nothing to soften his jaw or warm his stare. “You are a quick learner.”
I glanced at Hymel and then toward the stacks, where Allyson had . . . where she’d taken her last breath. “No, I’m not.” I swallowed. “Promise.”
“I, Prince Rohan of Augustine, promise that no harm will come to him,” he said, and I shuddered with relief despite the knowledge he hailed from the Lowlands— the capital. Hyhborn couldn’t lie. They also couldn’t break an oath. That I remembered. “As long as you give no reason for that to occur.”
Trepidation tiptoed through me, but I held on to Prince Rohan’s oath.
“Take her to her quarters,” Prince Rohan directed.
“I’m not leaving Grady,” I warned, latching on to his tunic. “He stays with me.”
Lord Samriel’s brows inched up as Prince Rohan refocused on me, his stare more unnerving than Thorne’s because it was so cold, so lifeless despite the churning. The Prince moved so fast I didn’t even have time to scream.
His hand came around my neck, and he lifted me, forcing me to stand on the tips of my toes. “I promised no harm would come to him,” he said as I grasped his arm. My mind opened wide to him, and I saw nothing . . . nothing but darkness. “Whether or not I honor that oath will be up to you. Making demands is one way to guarantee that oath is broken.” His fingers bit into my throat, sending a flare of pain along my neck. “Do you understand me.”
“Yes,” I forced out.
“Good.” He didn’t so much let go of me as shove me away. I stumbled back, caught by the arms by Lord Samriel. His grip was firm but not nearly as painful as I knew it could be. “Take her to her quarters and make sure she stays there while the horses are readied. We will leave as soon as Lord Arion confirms what is claimed.”
Lord Samriel began to move, and I wasn’t given much of a choice. My stare desperately clung to Grady’s unmoving form. What were they going to do to him? I didn’t dare ask out of fear of giving Prince Rohan reason to break his oath.
“Your Highness.” Hymel spoke up, unfolding his arms. “What about the Prince of Vytrus? He left to escort his knights to Archwood. They will be returning by tomorrow night, at the latest.”
My heart skipped. In the panic and terror, I’d forgotten the return of Thorne and his knights.
“They will run into some unexpected trouble en route, which should give us time,” Prince Rohan said with a smile, and that quick burst of hope deflated. He looked to me. “Don’t worry, my dear. We will keep you safe from the Prince of Vytrus.”
My mouth dropped open. Of all the things I might have expected the Prince to say, that was not it. “Keep me safe from him?”
“It may not seem that way now, but we are saving your life,” Prince Rohan said. “After all, it’s Prince Thorne you should fear. You are his to kill.”