Page 13 of Married By Treachery

“If Adina lives, then where is she?” Raquel asked.

He leaned back an inch, but he was still too close. “I do not know. As I said: I’m not in the habit of getting attached.”

“Then how do you know she’s alive?”

“She was when last I saw her.”

“Which waswhen, exactly?” Raquel dared to look back at him, determined to find the lie in his truth.

He lifted his goblet to his lips and took a small, unconcerned sip. “Not long after my brother brought her into this cursed kingdom.”

“Then she would’ve come home by now.”

“So that my brother would realize I betrayed him?” he drawled, eyeing her over his goblet. “Come, I thought you were smarter than that.”

An important detail clicked in Raquel’s mind, which seemed to be working unusually slow at the moment. “Your brother is Prince Edom.”

“There. I knew your little claws weren’t theonlything sharp about you.” He tipped his head and drained the rest of his goblet. “But yes; we’re twins. According to the nursemaid, I came out holding fast to his heel, and I’m pleased to say I’ve been a proper thorn in it ever since.”

Prince Edom—therealPrince Edom—was this Forest kith’s twin brother.Twins.

Raquel was still trying to understand. “So you…glamoured yourself to look like your brother and came to Harran in his stead?” Jake gave her a very patronizing look, to which Raquel glowered. “Sorry, all you’ve explained to me is who you’renot, so you are…?”

“Getting very tired of holding this goblet.” He held the second goblet before her again. Seeing her unmoved, he sighed and raised his gaze to the ceiling. “My name is Jakobián Alistair Issacharvyzin Risorro Molto, second son of Issachar the third, and prince of the Court of Light.” He looked directly at her again, and a grin shadowed his lips. “Oryou may call me Jake.”

Jake.

Prince Edom’s twin (and slightly younger) brother. Raquel had never known Prince Edom even had a brother.

“You look nothing alike,” Raquel said at last.

Jake snorted. “Thank gods.”

And also… “Court ofLight…?” Raquel gazed around and beyond him. “Your land is a nightmare.”

“Manners, my bride,” Jake reminded her, a glint in his eyes. “In case you didn’t know, it’s considered rude to insult someone’s home.”

“It’s also considered rude to abduct someone.”

Jake sighed. “See? This would have all gone over so much better with wine.”

“My dagger is still pointed at my chest, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

Jake glanced down at the dagger almost as though he’d completely forgotten it was there, but then his gaze unfocused and slid from the dagger to her bosom, which heaved in a corset that suddenly felt very tight.

“Seeing as you’re so concerned withmanners, Jake, I thought you might like to know that where I come from, it’s also considered rude to stare,” Raquel said.

He blinked, the dagger dropped to the floor, and he met her gaze. “I was just wondering how in the Fates you managed to maneuver so deftly inthat.” He gestured at her corset.

Raquel leaned closer in an attempt to be fearsome. “Just imagine how deftly I can maneuver withoutit.”

He raised both brows at that.

Raquel suddenly realized what she’d said. “That’s not…” Her cheeks burned, and his lips curled like ribbon. “I didn’t mean—”

“Here.” He held the goblet before her once more and kicked the dagger across the room, far out of her reach.

This time, she relented, almost without thinking. As if her subconscious was trying to give her some other point of focus—some anchor to help her regain control of herself and the situation—but just as her fingertips grazed his, he pulled the goblet away.

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