Page 140 of To Touch A Silent Fury

Langnathin only breathed, watching me like I was a wolf in the woods. “My aunt tried to kill you once, in the market. She was there, at the arena, to try again. If I had not Broken your Fate that day, you would have died that night, I can promise you that. She wouldn’t have miscalculated a second time.”

No.No.

That Princess Derynallis had been the one to organise the market attempt didn’t shock me. But I thought he had been part of it. That his plan, to destroy me when I did not die like they wanted, had entirely succeeded.

His words from the ball floated in my head, the same words powering my anger for years, now twisted in my memory, foggier and unclear.

You shouldn’t be here,he had said.

I’m so sorry your plan failed,I had replied.

Leave now, then, before the next one succeeds.

What if he wasn’t threatening me?

What if he was warning me?

My world turned, my stomach coiling. None of it made any sense. He had killed people; he had tried to destroy my Fate.

I shook my head, not allowing myself to believe him. “You burned four men alive to save me.” The words sounded even more ridiculous spoken aloud. To speak of such horrors when we floated on a sunlit canal like lovers, it was overwhelming. “Why? Why would you do that?”

He glanced down at his feet, and took a wearied breath. “You were innocent. You still are. I couldn’t let something so perfect die.”

I shook my head, tears filling my eyes again. I felt more Broken then, than I ever had. “You are a monster.”

“Yes,” he said, without hesitation. Then he glanced back up, studying my face with such a wave of emotions that it was like staring into the sun. “I know you will never forgive me. But I cannot bring myself to regret my actions that day.”

The heat was suddenly too much, his words too much to process. I hated that I believed him. I hated that I could hear the sincerity in his tone. What I hated the most was my need to touch him. Part of me wanted to do it to verify he was not deceiving me, but it wasn’t the only reason.

He had known me and not said a word. I was a thing he had Broken and was determined to fix. His kindness over the last weeks had burnt away half my hatred of him, and try as I might, I could not claw back the rage. His decisions had been horrible and selfish, and yet, he acted from what he thought was right. To protect me.

Who was I?At that moment, I did not rightly feel I knew myself. I was a woman about to run from yet another home. This time, with no hopes of ever gaining her power back, nor much of even surviving at all.

Langnathin swallowed. “My father will not stop Banrillen’s mission. You will be married in three days.”

Defeat echoed in my head, clanging like distant bells. He knew who I was, he had already told me to run. I did not care to hide this from him now. “I will run. The night before.”

“Good,” he said. “Septillis aids you.”

I stiffened. He said it like a known factor, and I realised then that if he had known me, he must have remembered how Seth knew me. He knew we had a kinship on the island; he hadseen us together embraced on the boat as he flew away. He had guessed Seth knew me just as easily as he apparently had.

I hated to be thus seen through, and yet, I couldn’t help the small gratitude. He had not given either of us away.

I nodded. “Yes.”

He nodded back, and forced a smile. “I am glad of it.”

I couldn’t look at him.

A light breeze touched the back of my neck, and I untied the straps holding Hanindred to me, knowing my back was damp with sweat. We were in the middle of the water, with no one about, and nothing left to lose, only the Crook’s Spire in the distance to keep us company. I carefully pulled the fabric out from under his rump, and he squeaked, looking at Langnathin again.

Friend?He asked me.

A tear fell into my mouth.Little late for that, Hanin.Then I looked at the Dragon Prince, and his faint smile as he looked at my dragon. My heart panged for everything that might have been, everything that made no sense to want.He won’t hurt you.

Hanindred hummed, and turned in my lap. He crawled forwards, then lost his balance on my skirted knee and tumbled into the bottom of the rowboat.

I couldn’t help but laugh. It came out more like gulps for air. Langnathin reached out and righted him as Hanindred grumbled at his interference and nipped at his hand.