Page 166 of Fearless

The dress ripples around my pumping legs.

I cling to fistfuls of fabric, trying to free my restricted steps. The hall passes in a blur, sunlight streaming from the many windows I race past. None of the Imperials lining the wall so much as twist their heads at my mad dash and disheveled appearance.

I’m panting by the time I skid to a stop before the front doors. They are sealed shut, framed on either side by a dozen Imperials. Several eyes dip behind those white masks, scrutinizing their queen. I bite back the vicious retort on my tongue at the sudden realization of my bare legs. Dropping the hem of my skirt, I let it flutter to my feet before declaring, “Open the doors.”

The Imperials obey my command, and I try not to look overly shocked by this. I bound down the stone steps that descend into the courtyard, sparing only a glance at the decorated coaches awaiting me. Kitt stands beside a particularly gilded one, where he converses quietly with Easel while surrounded by a swarm of Imperials. He, too, haschanged into something less extravagant, though a ceremonial sword swings at his side.

“Kitt!”

His head whips in my direction to find the queen rushing toward him. My leg slips in and out of the tear that climbs up my dress, only amplifying my disheveled appearance. Kitt even allows concern to crinkle his brow at the sight of me. “What happened?”

“I figured it out,” I pant. “Calum was your father’s Mind Reader, and I know his Fatals were hidden from you, so when the Resistance leader showed up after that third Purging Trial, you didn’t know who he was—”

“Slow down, Paedyn,” Kitt urges, his body tense. “What are you trying to say?”

I blow out a breath. “Calum worked for your father. The whole Resistance was a sham and…” My mouth grows worryingly dry. “And he is my father.”

Uttering the words aloud sounds like a death sentence. I watch them land on Kitt, watch every emotion ripple over his face. Confusion, disbelief, worry. We stand there, staring blankly at each other until Kitt finally sputters, “What?”

My eyes drift closed so I don’t have to watch his world shatter beneath my words. “Your mother, Iris, she… she had an affair with Calum but passed the child off as your father’s. When I was born an Ordinary, the king wanted me killed, but his Mind Reader placed me on Adam Gray’s doorstep instead. The whole thing was covered up and—”

“My mother died over twenty years ago,” Kitt counters.

“The records were forged.” The words tumble out in a rush. “The kingdom hadn’t seen Queen Iris since your birth—the king kept herhidden away, paranoid of her safety. So when she became pregnant with me, Ilya never knew.”

Kitt’s gaze grows vacant. “And then she died.”

“Yes,” I murmur. “And the king was able to cover up my existence by telling the kingdom that Iris died giving birth to you—not an Ordinary.Thatis what you and Ilya have believed for decades.”

“And the staff…”

“You said so yourself.” I shake my head. “They have been keeping secrets for decades.”

A stifling silence smothers us.

“I know it sounds crazy, but Calum admitted it—”

“We are half siblings,” Kitt finally blurts.

I blink at my husband, then down at the ring on my finger. The thought had somehow never crossed my mind until this very moment, and now I feel as though I may be sick.

“Holy shit,” I breathe, because there is little more to say. We were just bound in holy matrimony less than a single hour ago, only to find out that our lives have been knit together long before then.

Kitt’s hands are suddenly gripping my arms tightly. That glimpse of paranoia is back in his gaze. “Did he say anything about me?”

“Wha—” I shake my head. “Kitt, he has been controlling you. Calum is a Dual, just like you are. Everything he asks, you do.”

Kitt only stares at me, processing this information before my eyes. “Think about it,” I urge. “You never wanted to marry me, and yet, you did. Calum wanted you to, and I’m afraid to find out why. Don’t you see? He is using you—”

The doors swing open with a thud.

My dagger is clenched in Calum’s fist as he slowly descends those stone steps. I stiffen, feeling fear course through me at the sight of aman meant to be my father. My head is still spinning, my chest still hollow, after what I learned. Only a handful of minutes separates me from the life that was and the one I’ve now been thrown into. Everything I thought I knew is a lie, and everything I didn’t know is even more hurtful.

Kitt drops his hands from my arms before taking a step forward. Imperials dash to their king’s side at the scene unfolding, but Kitt waves them off. I watch Calum slowly descend the stairs with a calming smile spreading across his face. “Kitt, let’s not do anything rash. Paedyn is clearly confused.”

My skin flushes with anger.

Kitt meets my father at the bottom of the steps, and for a long moment, they do nothing but hold each other’s gaze. There is a single, terrifying moment in which I fear they may smile, perhaps take a bow. It dawns on me then that I could have misjudged everything—that is, until Calum’s body goes rigid. It’s eerie, watching one’s face drain of all color.

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