Page 105 of The Chains You Defy

“Dion is powerful, isn’t he?”

“What an unnecessary question. You are well aware.” Antas chuckled. Was he suddenly interested in seeing me squirm?

“Gods, this was an icebreaker.” Crossing my arms, I huffed. “Anyway, is your brother more potent than him?”

“No. Galrach’s power is terrible and strong, but he is not even close to playing in the same league as his heir. Especially not now that you are in the picture. He would be no match for the two of you when it came to pure force.”

“Then why is Dion, whose motto is murder first, ask questions later, not doing anything against him?”

“Ah. Of course. Yes, that is complicated.”

“So there’s a reason?”

“Yes. The short answer is he cannot. He is unable to harm Galrach.”

Giving up on the rest of my new wardrobe, I strolled over to Antas and sat down on a couch across from his chaise. “Why?”

“I gathered a lot of information, but there are still too many holes left that only the two of them could fill. My brother would never do so, and Dion refuses to bring light to the situation. All I found out is that magic is the reason. After my niece and her husband had died, he disappeared for almost five winters before the young faeling on the cusp of pubescence returned prematurely aged—not his body, mind you, but his spirit. Somehow, Galrach made sure the weapon he planned to forge would never turn against him.”

There was so much to unravel. Dion’s mysterious disappearance, his changed behavior—

“How old was he when his parents perished?”

“He was forty-eight winters, which roughly translates to twelve human ones. When he resurfaced, he was close to what you call thirteen winters.”

“So young. At least to your standards. And you suspect magic?”

“Yes. And although the entire story is horrible, there is an unquestionable merit for you.”

“What?”

“Even though the two of you do your best to downplay your connection, Dion is by far not the same male he was before traveling to Ivreia. Galrach is a lot, but definitely not dense, and when his heir starts rebelling all of a sudden, he will exercise great caution to avoid allowing any potential threat to his own life to exist. There would have been one or more assassins sent after you the moment you stepped into Alaiann Palace, maybe even after Dion himself if Galrach deemed him beyond salvageable.”

My fingernails dug into the pads of my fingers as my breath caught in my too-tight throat. What Antashad explained was plausible, especially considering that Dion’s mother had been poisoned by one of Galrach’s henchmen and his father had been framed and executed for her murder. “He’s evil.”

“Corrupted by his obsession with power. But there is more.”

Fae were obsessive creatures, I’d been told time and time again. Somehow, that obsession could translate just as well to concepts like dominion had never dawned on me, even though this made a lot of sense. “More bad news?”

“Maybe. Since Dion will do everything he can to keep you out of harm’s way, for example by withholding information, I will spare us all the headache and brief you myself. Fig, Thain, Ireas, and I have spent our time since we arrived in Alaiann seeking hints and clues about what is weakening the fabric between the worlds. Finding definite proof is almost undoable, but we have a strong suspicion of my brother’s involvement. The why is even harder to uncover, and the how might be close to impossible to ascertain. But we will try. Dion as well.”

“Can I help you somehow?”

“Yes, but you will not like my answer.”

“Try me.”

“In staying as unassuming as you can. Keep to the background. Draw no attention to yourself. The best case would be if the High Court forgot about you.”

“So, remaining in the quarters all the time.”

“As much as possible, yes. There will be times when you will be forced to leave this suite, like I mentioned earlier.” Antas monitored my reaction with careful scrutiny. “Also, I promise you will not be alone in here the entire time. Dion assigned us to keep you companyand to ensure that your secrets stay hidden. Bad enough that my brother knows you are an Amplifier, the first one found in decades. If he uncovers your predisposition for all elements, our situation will be much worse.”

A bitter taste dominated my mouth as Antas casually stated that I was only a duty for him and the others.

The males had wormed their way under my skin—right into my heart—and I considered them friends. To learn this wasn’t mutual was a heavy blow to my soul. Still, I swallowed my pain and kept the conversation factual. “Why? My Potential is bound to Dion’s magic and can never benefit any other element or Wielder anymore.”

“No, but if Galrach is indeed involved in the threat against the worlds, he will be suspicious of everything out of the ordinary.”