Page 168 of Fearless

My stomach churns at the sudden reminder of what we have learned. “No, we can’t possibly—”

“Holy shit.”

I glance over at Kai to find his features arranged in equal parts shock and repulsion. “Took you long enough,” I sigh.

“You’re fucking related,” Kai spews. There is something like awe inhis voice. Because this is hope. This is a way out of a marriage neither of us wants. “You can’t possibly go through with this ceremony.”

“Majesties, if I may,” Easel cuts in, “this wedding must go on.”

Kai almost laughs. “Like hell it will.”

“Easel,” I begin sensibly, “we are half siblings and—”

“And you are already married.” Firmly, he stands his ground. “If the kingdom so much as catches a whiff of annulment rumors, they will dash every bit of progress that has been made toward this united Ilya. Your marriage is a symbol, and if you rip that away, the people will never accept these new rules—even if they are meant to save them.” He takes a deep breath. “This kingdom, and your relationship with every surrounding one, rides on this marriage. An Ilya who welcomes Ordinaries is who Dor, Tando, and Izram will trade with. And for now, Paedyn is our greatest asset. We need more time.”

Kai doesn’t even take a moment to consider this. “No. We will find another way.”

“He’s right.” Kitt’s murmur has the Enforcer shaking his head at the sky. “The kingdom needs to see a united front for them to follow.” His gaze meets mine. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know what to think,” I blurt. “I just found out my mother was a queen, and then watched another father bleed out in front of me.” I let out a quivering breath. “I need time to think about this. On my own.”

Kitt nods. “That is only fair.”

“All this time,” Kai mutters. “You had a claim to the throne.”

Easel tilts his head, that shock of mint hair slipping over a shoulder. “It is weak as a bastard, but yes, I suppose Paedyn does have a claim.”

Kitt shifts on his feet. “We will need to find the true records. Discover what really happened.”

“Calum said they had been sealed away somewhere,” I say dully.

I feel nothing. All my life, I havebeennothing.

I barely survived to discover my true heritage. It’s steeped in secrets and buried further in disloyalty, but it was always there, pumping in my veins. The blood of a queen flows through me, an Ordinary from the slums. The juxtaposition is jarring enough to almost make me laugh.

So much of my life was ascertained in a collection of short-lived moments. I didn’t even have the time to process one before another revelation rolled in. So, in this slow moment, I allow myself a single breath.

One crisis at a time.

“Let’s get to Loot, then figure the rest of our lives out.”

CHAPTER 62Kai

Their knees are touching again.

Except, this time, there are wedding vows wedged between them.

The gold band on Kitt’s finger catches the light with every jostle of the coach. Just like our last parade onto Loot, we ride over the uneven cobblestones with the sun weighing heavy on our shoulders. No roof resides above our heads, allowing us full view of the awaiting crowd gathered on the long market street.

Collectively, all of four words have passed between us, consisting of “are we there yet.” An impatient Jax sits beside me, clearly tired of our bumpy crawl through the slums and likely regretting not riding with Andy. Pathetically, I am thankful he is here, if only to ensure my anger cools before my mouth opens.

I can do little else but seethe in the absurdity of this all. Within the last conversation shared between us, I discovered that Paedyn is the daughter of the late Queen Iris and my father’s Mind Reader—whose blood is currently being scrubbed from the castle’s front steps. She is anOrdinary born from the rawest of power. And Kitt is her half brother.

For the first time since I was a boy, I fight to keep my mask of indifference from slipping off. As nauseating as this news is, it may just be Paedyn’s way out. My hope is selfish, tainted by the desire to be hers alone. But Kitt is not the only one committed to protecting this kingdom. Ilya is our home, and if the only way to save it means Paedyn plays wife in name alone, then…

Then let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

The coach rumbles to a stop in the center of this crowded street. Emerald banners hang between crumbling buildings, secured there by Crawlers offered a shilling for their labor. They display both Ilya’s swirling crest and the Azers’ shield high above hundreds of starving Mundanes beneath.

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