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I’m not quite sure what he’s referring to, though. Is it that our magic will be pulled from us whether we agree to it or not? Or is he discussing their plan to impregnate myself and my sister like breeding dogs? Probably both.

“I am afraid I have not revealed our plans in their entirety, Your Majesty. You had mentioned wanting to tell Lady Bria and Commander Lansing tonight.” Braddock steeples his fingers to a point in front of him, the blood draining from the tips as Father Mallory talks.

He was not expecting that answer. And he is not pleased.

Braddock grinds his teeth together, a small back and forth motion of his jaw, and his tone shifts. “Thank you for reminding me. Get on with it, then.” Here is the man who commands power. Who seeks to kill anyone who steps in his way.

Father Mallory sits up in his chair, straightening his spine and flattening his palms over his robes.

“As you are all aware, these two women are said to be our undoing, the ending of our world as we know it, the ending of our kingdom and our god. They are what we have feared for centuries, thinking a curse had been fixed upon us by the Keeper and his daughters.”

The King’s hazel eyes slide to me as Father Mallory goes on and I notice something shift behind them.

Hatred.

His lip curls into a sneer as he narrows them on me.

Nimai was their plan, but I fell into their lap overnight.

He wants Nimai, I can see it in the way he stares at her.

But me? I am not who he wants, not in the least. I am tainted fruit, and she is the purest of them all. But he needs me, nonetheless.

“Vaohr spoke to me, told me of the light that shines in Nimai, that she can usher forth a new era in our kingdom instead of with the rebels, that her stolen gift can be brought back to its rightful owner. Little did we know that her sister would also be forthcoming and willing to take on a role beside Nimai.”

The king grunts, waving a ring-swathed hand in circles at Mallory, urging him to speed it up.

“Tomorrow, Bria, you shall meet with the high priestess and give over your power. Give back to the one who owns you.” My skin prickles at the thought. No one fucking owns me and my nostrils flare when I fight the urge to say as much.

“She has other business to attend to in the morning but assures me she will be available at the temple later on,” he continues, completely unaware of my plotting how to kill him in my mind. My stomach clenches as I nod toward the priest.

We need to get the fuck out of here. Being stuck with the priestess will not end well for any of us. I blow a tight breath from my lungs, one I had not realized I was holding in, as Ev’s fingers move again.

“Your wedding shall be planned within the week,” Braddock states firmly as dinner is being served. Servants seemingly pour out of the walls with trays of food, a mix of sweet and savory aromas filling the room. I hadn’t even noticed them enter.

Ev’s fingers still and his grip tightens on my leg.

“A week? I apologize, Your Majesty, but may I ask why it needs to be quite so soon? Should Bria not have more time to plan as she settles into this new role?” He could just go along with it.

We aren’t staying here anyway, so there is really no reason to balk at the proposal, but I assume he is just trying to get more information out of them.

The king’s eyes narrow on me as if I’m the problem as he answers Evander.

“The quicker you are married, the quicker Lady Bria can bear a child to be raised in the temple. We’ll have no bastards here Lansing.

” The sneer appears again, and my heart sinks.

There had been no time to get into their plans before dinner, so this revelation is going to catch Ev off guard.

His fingers dig into the flesh of my thighs, a bruising grip, and my body tightens in response.

I reach my hand down to sit on top of his, his mother’s ring glistening in the light.

“Has your betrothed not told you of her future here?” The man is evil incarnate, just trying to push his power on us.

“She and her sister are to serve the temple, to give back their stolen power so that the priests may wield it in the name of Vaohr. And they are to bear a new line of children, those who will be brought up in the temple and hold the power of the one true god. Power that has been blessed unto them, not torn from the hands of our god.”

Oh, he hates me alright.

Ev clears his throat, his eyes set on the king.

I glance between them, trying to read Ev’s emotions, but it’s nearly impossible.

He has cleared his face, dropping that mask of the capital back in place, playing the villain once again.

His fingers release their tight grip and intertwine with mine, resting on my leg.

“We have not been given much time to speak today, but I assure you, I understand. May Vaohr bless us.” To hear him speak, you would have thought him a true believer. Someone willing to give up his own children, his own flesh and blood, to serve this blasted deity.

When I chance a look across to Nimai, her face has gone a bit slack, her eyes glassier than they were just a few minutes before.

Shit. She was fighting the sedation, but it appears to have won her over at last. The slate gray eyes next to hers are on me, widened to deep pools, shock rippling across Luthais’s features.

He is stunned. Apparently neither he nor Aamon were deemed important enough to be privy to this information prior to this moment.

“And what of Lady Nimai?” Aamon says finally, breaking the silence that is weighing the room down.

Nimai doesn’t even raise her head when they mention her. She looks...broken. And my heart breaks with her and for her.

Braddock is completely focused on her, soaking in her beauty and not caring that she is limp and sedated. Not bothering to hide the clear desire he has for her.

“We need to find her an appropriate suitor. She will come of age in another day and can be married soon after her sister.” He flicks his tongue out, gliding it along his bottom lip as he watches her.

And I’m not entirely certain he won’t try to make her his, in one manner or another.

She’s noble born and must still be a virgin for them to have dressed her this way and for him to be so keen on her. The perfect fit for a queen.

I stare at her, willing her to look at me, to see in my eyes that this will not happen. That I will get her out. I close my eyes and reach out to her, trying to feel around for her. Trying to let my mind seek her out like it did when I slept. Suddenly, her eyes shoot up and lock on mine.

I will get you out .

I keep repeating the thought over and over in my head. I need her to understand, to see that I will never let them do any of this to her. Her lips turn up a bit at the corners but don’t remain that way for long. Even the effort of that small smile is too much for her. How much had they given her?

Silence settles back over the table as the king begins eating.

I glance down at my plate and find it filled.

When had that happened? Roasted potatoes doused in butter, a slab of braised meat, and crispy vegetables look back at me, but bile is rising in the back of my throat from this conversation and the company surrounding me.

Evander squeezes my hand before releasing it and picking up his fork.

“You need to eat,” he orders in a hushed tone.

He’s right. If I want my mind to be straight, I require food to soak up some of this damn alcohol. The edges of my vision are still blurred from the glasses of wine, but not as much as I expected. It’s as if the energy surging through my body is just burning it off.

Luthais nudges Nimai and she startles, coming somewhat out of the trance she was in.

Enough that she is able to lift a few bites to her mouth.

I hope they are not keeping her like this all the time.

Not only will her already thin body waste away to nothing, but how in the name of the gods will we get her out?