Page 29

Chapter 28

Cyrus

"S carlett can never see this place,” Cyrus said the minute they opened the doors.

“What? Why not?” Cassius asked, his brow furrowed in

confusion.

Cyrus turned an incredulous gaze on him. “Do you know how many hours she spent in the library in Solembra? We will never get her out of here. She will get lost among the stacks, ?nd a secret passage to hide away in, and then we’re stuck here and Alaric wins.”

Cassius was giving him a look of pure disbelief. “You are as dramatic as Nuri some days. I swear.”

“I liked her,” Cyrus answered as they made their way deeper into the library of the castle. “Before the whole betrayal thing and all that.”

Cassius gave some gruff noise of acknowledgment.

“We never really talked about that,” Cyrus said casually. “Nuri. The Blood Bond. Seeing her at the Eternal Necropolis.”

“There is nothing to say about it,” Cassius replied. “How, exactly, do you plan to ?nd what you are looking for in here?”

“I’m looking for several things,” Cyrus said. “So I guess we see what ?nds us ?rst.”

If that wasn’t the truth. What wasn’t he looking for at this point? They needed information on Sargon because Cassius’s asshole of a father still had not bothered to show up and meet his son. Razik still had not acknowledged his relationship to Cassius either, despite Scarlett calling him out in the arena a few days ago. Of course he’d told Cassius about that. He wasn’t about to keep something like that from him, and of course, Cassius’s face had hardened, lips pressing into a thin line, and nothing had been spoken of it since. But they really needed to ?gure out his gifts if his own ?esh and blood weren’t going to help. They’d seemed genuinely concerned that he couldn’t control his power in that training arena, but apparently not concerned enough to teach him how to do anything about it.

Then there was Sorin’s waning power, coupled with the effect it was having on the twin ?ame bond. He and Scarlett hadn’t emerged from their suite for two days after Mikale had somehow trapped her in that dream. Cassius had all but forced his way in the day after to check on her. She’d been curled on the sofa in their sitting room, a blanket pulled tight around her shoulders. She’d looked... haunted. Other than that, Cyrus had not seen them. They had left their room after lunch today to go ?nd Beatrix which is where they were at now. He was all too anxious to learn how that conversation went and what else Beatrix might know.

And then there was the Source issue. It would affect them all— Scarlett not having access to a Source. Having to let her magic re?ll naturally, like the Avonleyans had apparently done for centuries. They would never win a war without her at full strength. But as pressing as that was, that was not the only Source issue that needed to be dealt with.

They had made their way to some shelves near a window overlooking the Nightmist Mountains that loomed at the back of the castle. Black mountains. Black waters. Everything seemed to be veiled in a layer of shadows. It made sense, he supposed, if Saylah truly was holed up in Elshira.

“Think you could Travel to that training arena without an escort?” Cyrus asked, pulling out a book from a shelf. It was in the Avonleyan language, and he suddenly realized this might be much harder than he anticipated if the books weren’t in the Old Language or common tongue.

“Yeah, why?” Cassius asked, pulling a large book from the shelf opposite him.

“You need to train and practice with your magic. Seems like as good a place as any.”

There was a long stretch of silence before, “Yeah, I suppose.”

“So we can head there after here?”

“Sure.”

Cyrus didn’t say anything else for a bit, working his way through books until he ?nally came to a section that was in the Old Language. Books on the Edria Sea. Not what he needed, but getting closer.

“There are books on family lineages here,” Cassius said, a way down the row from him. He’d pulled another book out, setting it on a nearby window ledge.

“Really? Anything on Sargon and his bloodline?”

“Not that I have seen yet.”

He’d been putting this off the entire time they’d been here, not wanting to face... Well, another rejection. That’s what it was, wasn’t it? When he’d offered to be his Source and Cassius had said no.

He cleared his throat. “So about this Source thing.”

Cassius’s hand paused mid-page turn. “What about it?”

“You need one.”

“We still do not know that for sure.”

Cyrus sent a droll look over his shoulder at him, but Cassius was back to ?ipping pages in the book. Cyrus turned, leaning against the bookshelf and crossing his arms. “I think we do know that for sure. We could at least be looking at options.”

The thought of Cassius choosing anyone else as his Source made Cyrus want to vomit, but he pushed the feeling down. Cassius needed this, and if he wouldn’t let him be this for him, he would help him ?nd another. Even if it felt like a dagger to the gut.

“No.”

“No to looking at options? Or all together? Because I know a few powerful Fae who might be a good ?t—”

“No,” Cassius said again, the word harsh and gritty. “No to other options. No to all of it.”

“Cass,” Cyrus sighed. “My offer still stands. I am willing to do this for you.”

His hands were braced on the window ledge, and he was leaning over the book, his head hanging down. “Are you, Cyrus? Because you still do not sleep at night.” He turned, leaning against the wall, an ankle crossing over the other as he folded his arms over his chest, mirroring Cyrus. “We cannot hear the sea here.”

“This isn’t about me,” Cyrus retorted.

Cassius arched a brow. “No? You are not offering up the lifelong sacri?ce of your power in a commitment to me? My mistake.”

“That isn’t what I meant.” Cassius nodded at him to go on.

“What do you want from me? I do not understand what it is I have to prove to you. Tell me, Cass. You’re the one who seems to think I’m not ready for this. So what will convince you otherwise?” Cyrus asked hotly, beginning to get agitated and not entirely sure why. If he didn’t want a Source, want him to be his Source, it shouldn’t be his issue.

Cassius was quiet for a long moment, studying him carefully. “I do not know,” he ?nally answered. “I just know that I will feel like an asshole if you wake up one morning and ?nd this isn’t what you wanted after all. That I let you do this when you were clearly still working through some things.”

Cyrus dropped his arms to his sides, turning to pull a book from the same shelf Cassius had been going through. “You and Scarlett are such self-sacri?cing martyrs. Despite what you two seem to believe, it is, in fact, not your responsibility to take care of everyone else.”

“Scarlett is a queen. That is exactly her responsibility,” Cassius argued.

“Fine. Her circumstances are a little different. But you? You can be sel?sh sometimes, Cass.”

Cassius scoffed. “Not when it involves another person. Not when it involves someone that I—” He paused, a hand running down his face before he met his gaze. “Not when so much has already been taken from you.”

“My offering is different from something being taken from me.”

“And when you resent me for it some day? When you want out and cannot leave?”

“Why would you ever think that?” Cyrus asked incredulously. Something shuttered across Cassius’s features, before he pushed out a long sigh and turned back to the book he’d been looking through. “Maybe I am not ready for this either.”

They hadn’t talked like this since the ship. Sure, they’d been spending the nights in the same room, drinking and playing cards, plotting and strategizing. Generally being a distraction for one another. Cassius distracting him from thoughts of Thia and Merrik; him distracting Cass from thoughts of his father and Razik. Both of them doing each other the courtesy of not bringing up the obvious issues they were both trying to repress.

He opened his mouth to push this issue further when Cassius said, “Does this drawing remind you of Tava?”

“Tava?” Cyrus repeated, moving to the window ledge, his -shoulder brushing against Cass’s. He peered down at the book. “That’s not Tava.”

He bent down more for a closer look because there was no possible way... “I did not say it was her. I said it looked like her.”

“It’s not Tava,” Cyrus said again, eyes scanning the words written. This book was entirely in the common tongue. He ?ipped it over, his hand holding the page, while he read the cover before going back to the sketch. “This is Tava’s mother.”

The drawing was almost identical to the one he’d seen in the cabin on the ship that Cassius had shared with Drake. Cassius picked the book up so he could study the picture closer.

“It is remarkably similar,” he ventured.

“Not similar,” Cyrus argued. “That is her. I knew she’d looked familiar. By Anala, I cannot believe I did not put this together sooner.”

“What are you talking about?”

Cyrus pulled the book down some so he could point to a section of writing. “This. This right here is what I am talking about.”

Cassius’s eye began following the words, eyes widening with each one he read. “No,” he breathed.

“Yes,” Cyrus replied.

“Impossible.”

“Clearly possible.”

“Stop that,” Cassius snapped, turning and sinking down to sit on the window ledge. “Octavia Middell, wife of King Dalton and Queen of Rydeon. Died twenty-one years ago.” He looked up. “She cannot be their mother. Tava is not even twenty-one years old. She is the same age as Scarlett, granted older by half a year. And the prince died too. As far as I know, Drake still lives.”

“I am telling you, this is their mother,” Cyrus insisted, ignoring his sarcasm. “Octavia. Tava. They look nearly identical.”

“I am not saying the similarities are not there,” Cassius said, returning his attention to the drawing. “Another relation maybe? Aunt? Cousin of some sort?”

“If that picture Drake has is truly their mother, then so is this woman,” Cyrus said, tapping the page with his ?nger.

“It does not ?t.”

“It does ?t,” Cyrus argued. “Scarlett is going to agree with me.”

“She is not,” Cassius scoffed.

“I bet she does,” Cyrus said. “I bet you ?fty gold marks she does.”

Cassius rolled his eyes. “We do not need to bet on everything.”

“But it makes it more interesting.”

“Then at least bet something equally interesting.”

“Like what?” Cyrus asked. “If I win, you let me become your Source?”

Cassius stilled. “That is far too important to leave up to a godsdamn bet.”

“You wanted to make it more interesting,” Cyrus said, shrugging innocently.

“Fine,” Cassius said, turning suddenly and crowding him against the wall, the book between them. “But if I win, I Travel us back to Aelyndee when it is safe to do so, and you show me where you and Merrik used to live.”

Cyrus jerked back from him, not going far given the stone wall behind him. “Why?” he balked.

It was ?eeting, but Cyrus caught the ?ash of victory that glimmered in Cass’s eye before he said, “I face my demons, you face yours.”

He thought this was going to make him back down. Not that Cyrus was worried. Scarlett was going to see the connection the same way he did. Cassius might know her better overall, but Cyrus knew how her mind worked, was beginning to ?gure out how she strategized and looked at things. He wouldn’t lose this bet. He was sure of it. Fairly sure of it, anyway.

“Deal,” he ?nally said, thrusting his hand out. He fought the smirk at Cassius’s obvious shock at his agreement. “Do we need to make this a Blood Vow, or will you hold up your end of the bargain when I win?”

“Are you questioning if I keep my word?” Cassius asked, lowering the book a fraction so he could lean in a little closer.

“Not anymore,” Cyrus said with a pointed look at his still waiting hand.

Cassius slapped his own into it, pure determination on his face, and Cyrus prayed to Anala he didn’t have to go back to Aelyndee.

“There is no way this is going to work,” Cassius said, twin swords drawn and hanging at his sides.

They’d been sparring for nearly an hour, both of them having lost their tunics shortly after arriving at the arena to train. They’d come to the training arena after the library. With Sorin and Scarlett off speaking with Beatrix, it wasn’t as if they could go directly to them and discuss the discovery of Octavia Middell. They were meeting up with Cethin for dinner, and Cyrus was hoping to speak with Sorin and Scarlett beforehand. Maybe it should be mentioned to Drake and Tava ?rst? It did directly involve them after all, but he would leave that decision up to the king and queen.

“Oh, sorry,” Cyrus said, straightening from the offensive position he’d been in. “I did not realize you had trained Fae to properly access and use their magic.”

“Fucking smart ass,” Cassius grumbled.

“The only time you have ever accessed your power is when protecting Scarlett, other than when it nearly overwhelmed you,” Cyrus said, only slightly irritated that they were having this discussion yet again. “Assuming you do not want it to get to that point again, and since Scarlett is otherwise currently engaged and I cannot properly threaten her life, I will have to threaten yours.” He ?ashed the male a dark grin. “Your magic will manifest to protect you.”

Without warning, he sent a spiral of ?ames at him, and Cassius barked a curse, lunging to the side to avoid being burned and landing in the dirt. “Cyrus!” he snarled.

“Up,” Cyrus said, circling him. “I am not going to let up, Cass. Not this time. Let’s go.”

“You realize I could just leave your ass here, right?” Cassius retorted, getting to his feet.

He bent to retrieve the swords. “Leave them,” Cyrus said. When Cassius glanced at him in suspicion, he added, “It will make your magic surface sooner. It will sense how defenseless you are.”

“You really know how to make a guy feel good,” Cass muttered.

“I most certainly do,” Cyrus said wryly, and he did not miss Cassius’s eye darken. He’d taken the eye patch off because, hopefully, if this worked, he’d be able to see perfectly out of both of them shortly. “But I also know how to make you feel threatened.”

Flames encircled Cassius, creeping closer, as Cyrus continued to prowl around him, searching for any sign of his magic. The moment it appeared, he would back off. He needed Cassius to memorize how it felt, where it came from.

Small embers leapt from the ?ames, singeing Cass’s clothing, and Cassius cursed again, noticeably getting agitated.

“Come on, Cass,” Cyrus said. “You have to work with me here. Don’t hold your magic back.”

“I’m not,” he growled.

“You are,” Cyrus insisted, ?re snaking closer. “You need to lose control in order to learn to control it.”

“I already told you this is not going to work,” he retorted. “I do not believe for one second you would actually harm me.”

Cyrus stopped mid-step. That was a fair point. He would never allow his ?ames to do any actual harm. His ?sts, however...

He leapt across the ?ames, tackling Cassius to the ground, a ?st slamming into his side. More curses ?ew from Cassius’s mouth.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he demanded, blocking the next blow with his forearm.

“Fight back, Cass,” Cyrus ordered. “Better yet, let your magic do it for you.” He struck again, a punch to his ribs, and Cassius grunted.

“I am not going to hit you,” he gritted out.

“You are,” Cyrus said, this time his ?st connected with his jaw, and Cassius’s head snapped to the side. “Pretend I am someone else if you need to. Pretend I am Alaric. Pretend I am Razik. Pretend I am your father who can’t be bothered to come and fucking meet you. He could bother to save you, send his pet dragon, but Daddy can’t ?nd time in his busy schedule to meet the son he didn’t even know he had.”

Cassius caught his ?st as it came for his face, a cold sneer on his lips. The next moment, Cyrus was rolled, his back hitting the dirt hard enough to drive the air from his lungs.

“Enough, Cyrus,” Cassius snapped, hands on Cyrus’s shoulders, holding him down.

But his eyes were glowing an amber-red, pupils shifted to vertical slits.

Cyrus’s hands clamped around Cass’s forearms, and he sent heat to his palms, burning him just enough to make him lurch back and release his shoulders. Cassius stared down at him in shock that he had actually burned him. And as Cyrus prepared to deliver a blow that he knew would push him over the edge, something twisted in his gut. Forcing the words past his lips was like trying to speak underwater.

“You were so worried he wouldn’t approve of what you have become, but it hurts more that he cannot be bothered to show up and ?nd out if he approves at all. You could handle his disapproval, but you can’t handle the obvious indifference to your existence,” Cyrus said, his voice softer than he’d intended, knowing how much these words were going to sting, were going to cut the deepest part of him.

But they did what they intended.

Wings ripped from Cassius’s back as his ?st came ?ying for Cyrus’s face, wreathed in black ?ames. Cyrus scrambled to get a shield in place, gasping when it took everything in him to hold it in place when Cassius’s ?st connected with it. Cass’s palm ?attened, black ?ames slowly breaking down the shield.

“Cassius, stop,” Cyrus grunted, pouring every ounce of power into holding that shield as it melted a little more with each passing second.

He’d seen that ?re disintegrate a seraph on the spot. He knew he would feel the burn of those ?ames if they connected with his ?esh.

Violence and rage danced in glowing red eyes, black wings arching over Cassius’s shoulders, wicked sharp talons at the top of each one. And yeah, Cyrus recognized he’d gone too far, pushed him too much to get to his magic. Now Cassius was lost to the call of his power, and Cyrus wasn’t entirely sure he was going to be able to reach him until it ?ared out.

“Cass,” he pleaded, beads of sweat running down his temples as his shield fractured more. He could feel the intense heat of those black ?ames. “Cass,” he rasped again, his eyes screwing shut as he braced to feel the pain of the burns that were sure to come.

His shield buckled completely, but it wasn’t the heat of ?ame on his skin he felt. It was the heat of lips on his, ?erce and insistent, and forcing his mouth open. Hands framed his face, holding him in place, and Cyrus gripped the back of Cassius’s neck, tugging him closer as their tongues met. He’d kissed others since Thia’s death, had taken a few Fae to bed a handful of times, but it had never meant anything. No kiss had made him feel since Thia.

But he felt this one. Felt the desperation in it, of a male who was trying to ground himself. Felt the glide of his tongue against his as they fought for dominance, Cassius ?ghting to gain back a shred of the control he’d lost. Felt the rumble of his chest when Cassius growled low, the sound vibrating through him where Cassius still straddled him in the dirt of the arena.

He felt it all. It was as intoxicating as it was terrifying. And as the ?ngers of his other hand dug into Cassius’s side where he gripped him, he suddenly realized Cassius had been right. He wasn’t sure he was ready for this. To feel something like this again. Because they were about to head into war, and neither of them were guaranteed to survive.

But he was just as equally sure it would kill him to never kiss him like this again.

Cassius’s hands slipped from his face, palms ?at in the dirt on either side of his head as he pulled back, but Cyrus kept his grip on his neck, not letting him move back very far. Amber-red eyes bore into his. The anger and violence still shone there, but something fractured and raw glimmered behind it too.

“Do not push that way again, Cyrus.” His voice was gravel and just as raw as the look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Cyrus said, squeezing the nape of his neck. “Cass, none of that is true. Him not coming to meet you? That is his loss. No one who knows you is indifferent to your existence. I am not indifferent to your existence.”

The sound of a throat clearing had both of their heads jerking toward the sound to find Scarlett and Sorin, along with Razik. Cassius swore under his breath, Cyrus dropping his hand from the back of his neck.

Cassius got to his feet, reaching down a hand and yanking Cyrus up. Scarlett was studying them both, and Cyrus wasn’t sure what she was thinking as she watched them approach. Sorin’s gaze, however, was burning into him, and he couldn’t bring himself to look at his best friend at the moment. By the gods, how long had they been here?

Scarlett opened her mouth, but before she could say a word, Cassius said shortly, “Don’t.”

Her lips pursed for a moment, then she said, “Did you ?y?”

“What?” Cassius asked, his brow furrowing.

Scarlett jerked her chin. “Your wings. Did you ?y?”

Cassius looked over his shoulder as though he’d forgotten about the dragon wings that had appeared. Although, to be fair, Cyrus had forgotten about them too, somewhere between the heat of his mouth and the taste of his tongue.

“No, I did not ?y,” Cassius replied. “I just don’t know how to... put them away or whatever.”

Scarlett barked a laugh, inching closer, her eyes darting warily to Cyrus. “Put them away?”

“Is there a reason you are here, Darling?” Cyrus drawled.

“Maybe I came to supervise your training sessions the way you used to supervise mine,” she mused, slinking to Cassius’s side and lifting a hand toward one of his dark wings. “May I?”

Cyrus bristled at her teasing jab, because, yeah, he was more than interested in how that would have played out if they hadn’t been interrupted. Gods, he had been a real prick to Sorin, hadn’t he? Getting in his way all the damn time.

“So you can isolate the shift from the ?ames?” Razik asked, his arms folded across his chest.

“No,” Cassius said from between gritted teeth, Scarlett’s ?nger lightly tracing the edge of a wing. “It seems like it’s all or nothing.”

“You came up here and accessed your full well of power? You are fools,” Razik said. “You could have killed him.”

“Burned me maybe, but my own magic is ?re,” Cyrus retorted.

Razik snorted in amusement. “Your ?re would do nothing in the face of dragon ?re. The only thing stronger is star?re.”

“Dragon ?re?” Cassius asked.

“The ?ames,” Razik said, lifting a palm and black ?ames ?ared. The heat was intense. Cyrus could feel it from where he stood a few feet away from him. “Surely you ?gured out that is what it is?”

“How did you know we were here again?” Cyrus asked, ignoring Razik, but he was the one to speak again.

“I thought you understood you were being watched?”

“She is still following us around?” Cyrus asked.

“I guess so,” Scarlett supplied. “You should try ?ying. I’ll go with you on my shadow dragon.”

“No,” Sorin said, stepping forward. “We did come here for a reason.”

“Oh yes, that,” Scarlett said with a dramatic sigh, followed by a sympathetic look at Cassius. “Commander Tybalt has returned.” Cyrus was fairly sure Cassius stopped breathing.

“My— your —father is hoping to meet you,” Razik said.

“When?” Cassius ground out.

“Now.”

“Now?” Cyrus repeated. “He shows up and assumes Cassius will drop whatever he is doing and go meet him?”

“Well, naturally, we assumed you two were training up here. Not that he was doing y—” Razik started.

“I’ll go,” Cassius said, Scarlett drawing her hand back at the sharp cut of his words. “Where does he want to meet?”

“He is at the castle. There will be more privacy there,” Razik said. Cassius looked down at Scarlett.

“You will come?”

“Of course I’ll go with,” she replied, a sad smile pulling on her lips.

“It does not need to be a godsdamn spectacle,” Razik muttered.

“It won’t be,” Cassius replied, reaching out and grabbing Scarlett’s hand. “Just me and Scarlett.”

Scarlett tried to keep the surprise from her face, but Cyrus saw it before she was able to get her features under control. He felt it too.

Cassius was asking her to go with him. Her, not him. It shouldn’t affect him like it did. Those two were close, had been there for each other their entire lives. Best friends. Soulmates. Ward and Guardian.

“Let’s go then,” Razik said at the same time that Sorin stepped forward.

“No,” Scarlett said, holding up a palm and stopping both males with that single action. “You don’t get to come because you’re a prick,” she said, pointing at Razik. Her ?nger moved to Sorin. “And you, I’ll be with my Guardian. You and Cyrus can pace the halls in unwarranted, overprotective worry together.”

With that, she was gone, Cassius with her.

Razik muttered a curse before turning to them. “You two staying up here, or are you ready to go?”

Not having another way back to the estate, Cyrus grabbed his tunic and Cassius’s, along with the twin swords, before Razik Traveled them all back. He immediately went down a hall, disappearing behind a door and leaving Cyrus and Sorin alone in the front foyer.

“How did it go with Beatrix?” Cyrus asked, his hands still full.

“It didn’t. We could not ?nd her. But I am currently more interested in how training was going,” Sorin said, reaching to take the swords from his hands.

“He summoned wings and ?re, so I would say it went well,” he answered, moving towards the stairs.

“Cyrus,” Sorin called after him. He fell into step beside him as Cyrus made his way up the staircase.

“It’s not your business, Sorin. And even if it were, it’s not something I wish to discuss right now,” Cyrus said. He saw Sorin pause out of the corner of his eye, but the Fire Prince didn’t say anything else. Just continued silently up to their rooms at the end of the hall.

When Cyrus reached for his door handle though, Sorin said, “He will be good for you, Cyrus. After everything you have had to endure, you deserve happiness. You deserve someone like Cassius.”

Cyrus’s hand was frozen on the handle, and he said nothing in response, just pushed through into his room, closing the door behind him. He tossed the tunics into the corner, crossing straight to the alcohol on the dresser and pouring a measure of liquor before knocking it all back in one shot.

He will be good for you .

He already was. He might not sleep at night, but the nights were at least bearable again with Cassius here, even if all they did was drink and play cards. There was no doubting that Cassius would be good for him.

But would he be good for Cassius?

He’d pushed him too far today, hurt him in an attempt to get his power to appear. Sure, it had worked, but it had been too much. It was no wonder he had asked Scarlett to go with him instead.

You deserve someone like Cassius.

The last time he’d decided he was deserving of someone, the Fates had snatched her away.

A sardonic, ?at smile pulled at his mouth as he poured another measure of alcohol, glancing down at his left hand where a Mark had once stood out starkly against his skin. Here he sat, alone in his room again. Feeling everything. Feeling too much. Feeling...

Just feeling.

And maybe he wasn’t ready for this, just like Cassius had said.

Because all he was feeling right now was pain and grief and sorrow that he worked so godsdamn hard to keep locked away, as if that’s what the Fates had found him so deserving of.

There was a knock on the door before it opened without invitation, and Sorin came in, shutting the door behind him. He’d changed into more casual clothing and had lost his boots, barefoot now. He moved to the dresser, pouring himself some liquor, before tossing some silver and gold marks onto the small table beneath the window where cards were still scattered from last night. Dropping into the chair, he began to gather cards.

“What are you doing?” Cyrus ?nally asked.

“Shuf?ing cards.”

Cyrus’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“I need a distraction from my wife meeting someone I have never met and know nothing about. I have a best friend who is lost inside his own head at the moment, likely believing things that are not true. And I have a purse full of coins that I intend to double after I hand you your ass in cards,” Sorin answered, beginning to deal.

Cyrus walked stif?y to the table, sinking into a chair, fully expecting him to try to talk about things more. Sorin was a ?xer. He problem solved, always looking for the way everyone could win and everyone would be happy. It was part of what made him an excellent prince.

But it made him annoying as fuck when a person just needed a minute to breathe and think and—

“I also have these,” Sorin said. There was a burst of ?ame on the tabletop. When the ?re receded, two rolls of mugweed sat there.

“No shit,” Cyrus said, a true grin spreading across his face as he reached for one. “Don’t we have important meetings or something later today?”

Sorin shrugged, snatching up the other one and lighting it with a ?ame from his ?ngertip. “I’ll be ?ne for dinner.”

Cyrus lit his own before picking up his cards and scanning the hand he’d been dealt.

Maybe that hand wasn’t as bad as he’d thought.