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“Just tell me what you want,” Toren snapped.

No smirk this time. Instead, Ber inclined his head. “I’m here to tell you the truth.”

Chapter58

Claims

Did Ber actually think Toren would believe that he was here for honesty’s sake? Toren stared at his brother’s earnest expression. Theoretically convincing, but such a demeanor was easy to feign. Especially for Ber.

“Truth,” Toren scoffed. “A fascinating concept to discuss with someone so poorly acquainted with it.”

Ber’s dark eyes pinned him. “And you’re not as acquainted with it as you think.”

What was this? First, his brother had hinted that Toren didn’t know the extent of his lies, and now Ber claimed that Toren wasn’t aware of the truth, either. It was just the kind of enigmatic conundrum that his brother loved to present—or cause.

“Which do I not know, then?” Toren asked, scowling.

After casting another annoyed glance at Macoe, Ber headed toward a grouping of chairs on the farthest end of the room. He dropped into one and then stared at Toren expectantly. Wretched traitor. Ber ruled this conversation, and he knew it. But Toren wouldn’t show his annoyance. He strode over to claim the seat across from his brother with an ease he didn’t feel.

“The answer to that question is…both,” Ber said in a low, solemn voice.

Gods, he hated his brother’s games. “What are you trying to claim?”

“It’s no simpleclaim.” Ber leaned forward, his hands gripping the armrests. “Some of the things you believe to be true are not. Similarly, you’ve taken things I’ve said in the past to be lies when they weren’t. An example? You think I’m your enemy, but that honor goes to your supposed ally, King Ryenil.”

Toren stared at his twin. Was he trying to sow discord between the two kingdoms? The relationship was already strained after recent events, but Ber had manufactured no small part of those. “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

“No, but you need to. If you want to save both our families, it’s vital,” Ber insisted. “I am not your enemy. I never have been.”

Of all the things his brother could have said, this made the least sense. Not his enemy? Hundreds of years of history stood in direct counter. “You jest. You’ve hated me from the moment you first understood the differences in our magic. Mother sent you away because of your jealousy.”

“No.” Ber’s nostrils flared. “She sent me to the Centoi after the second time Ryenil tried to have you killed.”

Whatwas Ber talking about? Toren had dodged a couple of attempts on his life over the centuries, but that was typical for any leader. Even the most beloved person in the world would be hated by someone, and as the kingdom’s primary ruler, it was inevitable that he’d be a target at times. But as a child? He had no memory of such a thing.

“See? Truths you do not know.” A hint of Ber’s smile returned. “Listen, Toren. Iwasjealous of you when we were children. How could I not be? You have immense power, and I have practically none. But then I grew obsessed with figuring out why. Do you recall how much time I spent in the library?”

Toren could see it clearly—Ber tucked behind a stack of books in the archives, his gaze intense on yet another tome. Toren had thought their inclination to study had been one of the few things they had in common, but he’d never stopped to consider his brother’s motivation. Except, of course, to wonder if Ber hoped to somehow become High King.

“I do remember,” Toren conceded.

“What I discovered was this.” Ber’s eyes narrowed. “Any time the deep laws ruling our kingdom have been changed, it has been by a monarch with unusual amounts of energy, which meant your rule could be pivotal. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one to figure out how important you might become. The head cook caught the first assassin slipping poison in your food. I caught the second trying to sneak into your chamber and alerted the guard.”

“Impossible,” Toren said out of reflex. “I would have heard the commotion from the second attempt, if nothing else.”

But it was possible. There was a reason the royal family had bodyguards, after all.

Ber shrugged. “They never made it to your bedroom door. When I checked on you, you were sound asleep.”

Shock blanked his thoughts for several moments, but the numb emptiness was all too short. Years of disappointment and hurt surged within, the pain so strong his fingernails dug into his palms.How dare Ber pretend he’d watched out for me!Everyone knew how much Ber hated him. It had long been one of the kingdom’s juiciest bits of gossip.

Toren’s heart pounded like the energy drumming against his shields. He had to calm himself, or that power would flare out of control. He sucked in a breath, then released it in an even stream. These lies were no more than he’d expected. Too bad acceptance hadn’t made the reality easier.

“I can think of no motivation for Ryenil to do such a thing,” Toren finally said.

“King Ryenil requested a betrothal between you and his daughter, but Mother denied all such requests until you were old enough to consent,” Ber said, no sign of his usual mockery in his tone. “She believed he’d decided to eliminate you because of your power if he couldn’t link the families through marriage. So she asked if I would foster there as a distraction even though we hadn’t quite reached adolescence, and I agreed. All this time, I have been a spy.”

Despite all his anger and doubt, each word picked at Toren’s mind, chipping away at the walls he’d built against his brother.No. He lies.“You’ve forever loved to gloat at my misfortune, and you’ve mocked me more times than I can count. You sent your wife here to be murdered so you could claim the Centoi throne. I—”