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He put a finger to her lips. “No, buts, Kal. You’ve been around too many people who have questioned you and your word. It is time you surround yourself with people you can trust.”

Kallie quirked a brow. “And I suppose you’re one of those people?”

“I could be.” With a gentle touch, Graeson swiped a loose strand of hair that the wind had blown free from Kallie’s intricate braid. The corner of his lip twitched. “If you let me.”

Her brows knitted together as she stared at him. “And what if I don’t know if I can?”

“Meaning you still do not know if you can trust me?”

“Or if I can let myself trust you,” Kallie whispered, her gaze falling.

“And why would you not be able to?”

Kallie shrugged, turning away. “Everything is so . . .”

“Complicated?”

She exhaled a heavy sigh. “Graeson, I can barely tell what is up from down right now. Sabina’s words keep circling in my head. What does she want me to find? What am I supposed to destroy? I don’t understand it. I don’t understand any of it.”

Kallie had tried to decipher the goddess’s words countless times over the past couple of weeks, but she couldn’t make sense of them. Whenever she thought she was getting somewhere, she would lose the thread. These days, her thoughts were a knotted ball. Whenever she believed she had unraveled the correct thread, it turned out to be another tangled knot.

When Graeson didn’t respond, Kallie faced him.

He stood staring at the sea, his face contorted with something Kallie couldn’t quite parse.

“About that . . .” he began, but the words fell off and onto the breeze as he glanced down at her.

Kallie snatched his arm. “Did you figure it out?”

“I—” Graeson hesitated, eyes flitting across her face.

“Are you guys coming or what?” Fynn shouted.

Kallie broke their locked gaze. Down the hill, Fynn stood beside Dani with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Both wore giant, satisfied smiles on their faces.

Kallie looked back at Graeson.

Graeson pursed his lips as he looked at her, an apology written in his gaze.

“Graeson?” she asked.

Fynn yelled up at them again, “If we don’t hurry, we’re going to be late for dinner!”

Graeson squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll talk about it later.”

Kallie nodded, yet a strange feeling filled the air between them as if a bubble had formed and they couldn’t pop it. However, neither acknowledged it as they made their way down the hill where they joined Dani and Fynn in the field of lavender.

Dani and Fynn’s clothes were ruffled, and grass stains marked Dani’s knees. Kallie plucked a leaf stuck in Dani’s hair, and she couldn’t help but smile as Dani winked at her.

At the same time, a tinge of regret filled Kallie’s stomach. Her brother and his wife were always so happy when they were in each other’s presence. Even though Kallie knew they had their disagreements, it was clear that the two were in love with each other. They lit up from within whenever they were together as if their very souls were singing to one another.

Kallie had never desired that kind of relationship before. Once upon a time, she had vowed never to love. She was made to believe that love only ever destroyed. She had never thought it could grant someone so much happiness. She had only seen love break the people around her. But seeing the two of them made Kallie question everything she knew.

Everything she learned about the Pontians was making her question something—whether it was the story of the gods, the origin of their gifts, or Kallie’s own identity. She had thought everything was black and white. That they were the enemies. To them, Domitius was the clear enemy. But Kallie had seen how the king could be caring. He had never treated her poorly. Only like an overbearing father. And Esmeray wasn’t all good either.

Now, Kallie wasn’t sure who the enemy was.

Kallie rubbed her head as a sharp ache rose.