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It was thenhe backed off her. Then he decided he couldn’t touch her even if every part of him wanted to, not until they both knew more.

There was a war inside him, between what he knew about how evil the Black Mage was and the fact that as High King he should do something about it, and the other side of him that wanted to call him Hel, call him cousin because of memories that danced at the dark edges of his mind.

He was certain Hel would show up sooner or later. Layala didn’t need to go looking for him. The thought of her out in the woods searching for him bothered him for more reasons than he’d ever admit. Her safety certainly, but Hel claimed to be her husband still—her eternally bound mate and she waslookingfor him. To find his location for an attack, but what if it was more than that? What if she was drawn to him for another reason?

What ifValeenwanted her husband back?

He finally stilled to read the notes he’d taken from Layala’s room in hand:You’re starting to look fat. You should stop eating.Withbrows tugging down he turned it over. The other side was blank. He opened another and read:My mother and sister are dead because of you. Do Palenor a favor and drive a dagger through your heart.

Thane’s stomach dropped and anger flushed his cheeks. Why hadn’t she told him she was receiving threats and torment like this? How long had it been going on? There was a pile of at least fifty of these in that room. When he spotted it, he assumed she’d been writing things down and tossing them aside. He looked at the first one again. It was without a doubt Talon’s handwriting, but he guessed the other to be a male’s scribble. This wasn’t just Talon being petty and mean. This was beyond that.

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the nearest guard by the sleeve and jerked him close, but he spoke to all four of them standing around. The guard stiffened and his eyes blew wide. He waved the threatening note in all four of their faces. “If I find out that any of you have anything to do with this, I’ll cut off your heads myself.” He shoved his finger toward her room up the steps. “I want a guard watching her door at all times, so I know who’s leaving these.”

He crumpled the notes in his palm and started off on a jog toward Talon’s usual spot.

The golden archway to the tearoom sparkled in the sunlight. The thick velvet tapestries were pulled across the entry. Giggling and snide remarks gave them away before he even stepped inside. He shoved aside the tapestries and found his sister Talon, with her golden-brown hair perfectly styled and painted pink lips to match her gown, and three of her friends with teacups in their hands. Well, her friends had teacups, Talon had a long-stemmed glass full of white wine. Of course.

Thane threw the note, and it nailed her right in the forehead before it fell onto her lap.

“Ugh, what was that for?” She set her glass on the table beside her and picked up the note. Then she glanced down at the paper and her skin paled. “I can explain.”

“I don’t think you can. You will be confined to your rooms and not allowed to see any of your friends for two weeks. And no wine.”

He glared at the others knowing they were in on it too. Vyra set her white teacup on the center table and brushed her hands over the folds of her yellow dress. “May I be excused, sire?”

“Not until I’m finished. You, Vyra, are not allowed on castle grounds any longer. I’ve put up with your shit long enough.”

Talon stood, dropping the note to the floor, then she kicked it aside, sending it rolling under the sofa as if that would make him forget about it. “You can’t do that!”

“Bet me on it.”

“Mother won’t allow it. You’re not my father.”

“Get out,” he snarled at the others. They scrambled out into the hall like their lives depended on it. He strutted into the room, shoving one of the high-backed chairs aside and towered over Talon. She stiffened but didn’t dare retreat. “I am the High King and what I say goes. You will be confined to your rooms for two weeks, and no friends for a month now. If I see you outside, you will be sent to clean in the kitchens rather than sit in your rooms.”

Talon frowned but stared up at him defiantly. “The notes don’t mean anything. We were just having a little fun.”

“Do you see me laughing?”

“Thane, she nearlykilledme, and you’re treating me worse than you ever have treated her. Did you even consider leaving her for what she did? You had tokillour father for her! She threw a metal star into my neck! Did you confine her to her room, threaten kitchen duty? Did you evenlectureher?”

He’d been lenient on her because what else could he do? She wasn’t someone he could control. She wasLayala. Even so her actions still left a bad taste in his mouth. Talon was a brat, but she didn’t deserve what happened that day. He almost lost his little sister because of Layala’s selfish move. “I’ve dealt with the issue. She won’t ever touch you again.”

“And Vyra is the one who wrote that no one wanted her here. It wasn’t even me.”

“Hence why she was banished.”

“Thane,” Talon whined. “She’s my best friend.”

He turned and headed out of the room. “Get new friends.” As if he didn’t have enough to deal with, he had to handle petty drama within his home.

* * *

Alone in theHall of Kings, leaning back on his throne, Thane closed his eyes and rubbed between his eyebrows. A pit grew heavier in his stomach, a feeling of impending darkness he couldn’t shake. It had plagued him for weeks now, starting with the mutilated bodies his scouts found. He saw them himself and couldn’t get the images out of his mind. There was more to it all, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

It was a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly through the tall windows, the smells of lavender and incense drifted through the open doors. Somewhere a flute played a soft melody that should soothe his nerves. Even this morning’s reports told of no attacks, and yet he felt sick to his stomach.

The alone time and silence gave him time to ponder, and with his fingers drumming on the armrest,something flashed in his mind.