“He’s your brother? Are you sure?”
I let out a strained laugh. “Yes. I’m positive. Are you…are you okay?”
Tibris sighed, stalked over to me, and wrapped me in a hug. “Of course I’m okay. I’d rather your brother was alive than dead, even if it means I’ll have to deal with Demos for the rest of my life.”
I squeezed him back. “Thank you. I know this has been…difficult.”
“Stop worrying about me.”
“That would be impossible.”
“I have to get back to work.” He stepped back. “I guess I need to talk to your other brother at some point. And that’s a sentence I’d never imagined I’d say.” He grinned, and if there was a hint of strain in it, I ignored it since he clearly wanted me to.
Tibris strolled out, and I sat on the edge of my bed for a long moment. Finally, I couldn’t put it off any longer, and I took the servants’ halls toward Lorian’s room, nodding to the maids—most of whom ignored me. Auria grinned at me, a load of laundry in her arms. “Tea tonight?”
I nodded. “After the dancing.” Just the thought of pretending everything was normal made me exhausted. All I wanted to do was curl up in bed with the blankets over my head.
She smiled and strolled away.
Just a few moments later, I realized I’d gotten myself lost in the servants’ hall.
Usually when I snuck into Lorian’s rooms, I wandered through the main hall, stopped time for a few moments, and let myself in.
Grinding my teeth, I leaned close to the door on the left. I was relatively sure the prince was in one of these rooms—some of the most ostentatious in the castle.
I glanced over my shoulder, but no one else was walking down the hall. Someone was talking. No, ranting. Pressing my eye to the tiny hole, I went still.
Patriarch Farrow was pacing, spittle flying from his face as he ranted.
I caught the words “corrupt” and “burn.” So, it was his usual topic of choice. But it was Madinia I paid the most attention to. She sat on a sofa facing me.
Her face was as white as death.
“Father…what if the corrupt could be…reintegrated into society? We could give them a chance to give back their magic and appease the gods.”
I sucked in a breath, almost choking on it. Now that hadn’t been something I’d expected to hear from her.
Someone was coming. I stalked across the hall and held my hand to the closest door, as if about to knock.
The maid ignored me and continued walking. I shifted on my feet until she was out of sight.
Launching myself back across the hall, I pressed myself to the door once more.
Farrow was losing control.
“How could you say such a thing? Did you forget those demons killed your mother?” He threw his cup of wine across the room, and Madinia flinched.
For the first time, I felt almost…sorry for her.
It didn’t excuse her awful behavior, but—
Her hand lit up. With fire.
A ringing sounded in my ears. She wasn’t yet twenty-five winters. Which meant…
Madinia was a hybrid.
Her father whirled, a choked sound escaping his throat.
Oh gods.
Madinia looked at her father.
And then she looked at her hand.
Something that might have been resignation flickered in her eyes.
She pressed her hand to her dress.
I’d frozen time before I realized I’d pulled the magic to me. Shoving wildly at the door, I slammed it behind me, launching myself across the room to a vase of flowers.
I began pouring, but I hadn’t grabbed enough of the thread of my magic. I’d acted purely on fear.
Time resumed.
Madinia let out a scream. Farrow roared.
I dumped the entire vase on Madinia’s dress, flowers included.
The fire went out. Our eyes met, and hers were bleak.
I’d just killed us both.
My throat tightened. Madinia had decided to burn on her own terms. And I’d saved her life just in time to end up caught in her father’s net myself. I’d sacrificed three hundred lives for this impulsive decision.
Turning, I watched Farrow. He was gasping for breath, his face red.
I had nothing left to lose. “Get a hold of yourself before you drop dead,” I snapped.
He gaped at me, clearly unused to anyone speaking to him with anything less than fawning respect.
“Corrupt,” he said.
“That’s right.”
I flicked a glance at Madinia. She was staring at me like she’d never seen me before. I paid close attention to her, just in case she got any interesting ideas about burning herself alive again.