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The sound of footsteps in the corridor outside stiffened my spine and had me ready to snap at whoever dared to disturb me, but it was only Arun who appeared in the doorway.

‘My lord,’ he said, nodding his respect.‘I’ve come to confirm some—’

‘Yes, there is a human girl locked in the tower,’ I interrupted, rubbing at my eyes.

There was a pause.‘Is there a...reason for that?’he asked.

‘It’s the girl your scouts tracked.I’m going to need all of your information on her, everything the oracle told you.In fact, tell me who the oracle is and I’ll pay them a visit myself.’

‘That might not be wise,’ he replied, his expression carefully bland.‘My sources tend not to be eager to work with me again after a visit from you.If it’s the same girl, shouldn’t she be—’

‘Dead?’I finished for him.‘She should be.She isn’t.But it’s not for lack of trying.’

‘Right.’He joined me by the fireplace and stared down at me expectantly.I found myself irritated by how impeccably put together he always was.Not a hair out of place or a wrinkle in his uniform, even at this time of the night.It was usually something I appreciated about him, but in that moment, I just felt like doing something to inflict my mood on his appearance.

‘I think you’re going to need to fill me in a little,’ he said after a long moment.

I adjusted my seat, leaning back and thrusting my legs out before me.‘Something happened when I attacked her.She did something to me.’

Arun’s eyebrows lifted just slightly.‘Did what?’

‘I don’t know.When I touched her, there was some sort of magic reaction.I can’t hurt her.When I tried, it made me sick.’Threading my fingers together, I stared into the fireplace at the twirling flames, and felt enraged all over again.I didn’t like being made to feel a fool.I definitely didn’t like having my will undermined.‘It must be some sort of protection magic bonding us.I need to find out who’s behind it, and how to undo it.’

‘Touching her set it off, and you couldn’t hurt her when you attacked her,’ Arun repeated slowly.‘Has that compulsion eased in the time since?’I shook my head and he sunk into the chair opposite me, blowing out a slow breath.It reminded me of the way he steadied himself before he entered a fight.Like he was bracing himself.‘Do you feel...drawn to her?’

‘What are you implying?’I demanded, my eyes snapping to his face.

‘Tarian, that sounds like a mate bond to me.’

The suggestion was laughable, so that’s what I did.A bark of bitter laughter that seemed to make Arun’s face grow even more sombre.‘You can’t be serious,’ I said when I realised he wasn’t going to laugh with me.

‘There isn’t a lot of magic that could grip someone like you so strongly, and for such a long period of time.’

‘But a mate bond?’I asked, shaking my head.‘There have to be a hundred other more likely explanations.’

‘Name one.’

‘Solas.’

‘Tarian...’

‘It makes perfect sense,’ I said.The smarmy Seelie King was always looking for a way to undermine me.‘If he found her before we did, then he’d be smart to protect her and ensure the prophesy plays out the way it was foretold.’

‘If he had access to the sort of magic that would compel you to act in a certain way, he would have used it long before now.’Arun smiled slightly, his tone softening.‘You’d be lucky to have found your mate so young.’

Abruptly, I shot to my feet.‘She’snotmy mate,’ I snarled, before storming to a nearby shelf and beginning to yank a number of books down.

‘It would explain why this specific girl is star-marked against you.You must admit that it’s a strange path for fate to lay out otherwise.’

‘Fate is cruel and twisted.’I dumped the stack of books on the armchair’s side table and reclaimed my seat to flick through the first one.‘It’s not strange at all.’

‘Alright, say I’m wrong and you find something in one of those books to explain this all away.What do you plan to do with her?’

I didn’t look away from the book.‘Keep her locked up here until I can find a way to reverse whatever was done.’

‘Keeping her locked up might be more of a challenge than you think.’

My narrowed gaze flicked to his face.‘Why?’