Page 208 of The Chains You Defy

He was praising my female too much, and his fondness earned him a warning growl.

His only reaction was a slow exhale.

“Fine, I won’t spill whatever you’re going to confess.”

“Good. After I’d arrived in Alaiann and had enlisted, I met with Antas. We were acquainted with each other through his visits to his late mother, and he convinced me to pledge my services to him. Many winters ago, he’d discovered that I’m very talented in forgery, and I assume he was also aware of some other talents of mine, those I hadn’t even noticed at the time, and since I yearned to do something productive, I agreed to your uncle’s proposition. So I became Antas’ spy.”

Blood rushed in my ears, and collecting my jaw from the floor took me longer than a few moments. I was rarely stunned speechless, butThain? A double-agent?“Antas’ spy.”

“Yes. He convinced me to lean into the stereotype of the outlandish, garish Courtling. But honestly, whateveryone perceives isn’t an outright role. No, I just—exaggerate some of my personality traits. I mean, my prince, it’s nothing but the truth when I admit you’re hot and I’d do you in a heartbeat—oh, you’re growling again. And ah, yes. Yes, I told you before, those teeth are nice—oh, come on, take your magic away. You’re not in a flirty mood. Message received. Well, anyway, that’s what I did. With my easygoing nature, I befriended every single courtier, servant, and soldier in Alaiann, enjoyed every social gathering, every orgy, made people drunk and careless, and extracted information in return. Deceiving the people was so easy.”

“And then you handed the intel to Antas.”

“Yes.”

“You fooled everyone.”

“Even you. Especially you.”

“Yes. You built your personality around everything I hate from the first second we met.”

“I might have poked you intentionally. Most likely, I won’t stop. It’s too much fun, even though the charade has served its purpose.”

Massaging my temples, I stared at Thain. I had no idea what to make out of his confession, and his wide grin and last sentence did their best to kick-start my temper into hot fury, mainly since the worry for Nayana crashed back into me like a tidal wave. I allowed my gaze to roam in her direction and only dragged my attention back to the redhead when I spotted Ireas appearing to be halfway relaxed. “Purpose?”

“Yes. See, a few months back, Antas requested my services for the mission to Ivreia before Fig officially asked me to join. He needed me to provoke you as much as possible.”

“What the fuck? Why?”

“Did you see yourself prior to the journey? An empty shell had more life than you. Your mental state had been the hot gossip in the barracks for ages. The only reason no one ever spilled anything to you was that everyone was too afraid of how you’d react.” Thain scratched his head. “Antas assumed I’d be the only person unafraid enough to oppose you, despite the possibility of gaining you as an enemy. Although your uncle promised me as much protection as needed. He mentioned that he’d attempted to get you out of the dark hole you’d been in for a long time, but to no avail. And where he failed, well, I didn’t. However, I have to admit, your undeniable infatuation with Nayana helped. Honestly, when the Triad had distributed jealousy and territorialism, you stood in line ten times, didn’t you?”

The implications of what Thain had so casually dropped on me wreaked havoc on my brain. “Your constant provocations—”

“Antas trusted that you inherited the family temper. According to your uncle, you showed plenty of passion as a faeling. So, I braved the risks to my own health and agreed to be your own special brand of mind healer.” Thain grinned, and his usual facade slipped back into place.

I wondered how much of his behavior was exaggeration and how much was real. In some ways, I was simply numb after the revelations, and every single interaction I’d had with the redhead changed in retrospect. Not that I liked the damned Courtling more, but maybe I didn’t want to murder him that much anymore. For now. “I guess even the best spy makes a mistake once or twice,” I said gruffly.

“I fear Cantarlann has always been my soft spot. Once, I heard a rumor that he was related to my mother in some way.”

“I killed him.”

“Can’t claim I’m surprised you did so after the stunt he pulled. And in all honesty, if he’d really turned into Galrach’s minion, he would have lost my loyalty anyway. I just hate that I ignored the warning signs.”

“Be glad you didn’t escort her to that coach. Otherwise, you would have joined your old friend in Udiona.”

“Believe me, in that case, I would have begged you for my demise.”

“And Thain?”

“Yes, my prince?”

“Stop annoying me.”

He didn’t answer, but the mischievous glitter in his eyes told me that hoping that he’d quit his harassment was in vain.

Everything hurt as I cracked my eyes open, although I wasn’t only lying on more than one bedroll but also in a nest of pillows and enveloped in the best kind of fae—the one smelling like evergreen, petrichor, and safety.

How much I’d missed Dion hit me like an angry horse. I’d longed for him so much that I still wanted to weep.