Page 2 of A Promise so Bold and Broken

Ardow’s eyes lowered when she bore her own into his, and she slammed a fist on the rotting wood again. “Look at me!”

Lessia nearly vibrated from withheld anger, the breaths she dragged into her lungs turning choppy.

They’d put the people she loved in danger.

Could have ruined everything she’d fought for the past five years.

And now they wouldn’t even meet her eyes.

A large hand landed on her shoulder, and she turned her glare to Merrick’s night-sky gaze.

She narrowed her eyes when something flashed in his dark ones, and when his mouth twitched, her magic burst to the surface, the golden glow of it reflecting in his silver flecks.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me,” she hissed, the shaking in her hands spreading through her body.

One of his brows quirked up, and the hand he kept on her shoulder tightened in warning.

Soft whispers responded to the magic buzzing around her, but there was no room for fear within her.

Not with the guilt and shame and worry that already festered like a disease on her every nerve and limb.

She should use her magic on every single one of them.

Force them to tell her everything.

Force them to face that guilt hunching their backs—do it as they looked right into her eyes.

But the longer she kept Merrick’s gaze, the longer his whispers traced her skin, the trembles racking her body softened, the overwhelming emotions were soothed, and her eyes widened when she realized what she’d almost done.

Forcing herself to blink hard, she pushed her magic down, lowering her gaze when another wave of hot guilt washed over her.

She’d promised herself never to do that.

And now…

Now that she acted on her own will and not the Fae king’s, she could actually honor that vow.

With her chin against her chest, Lessia drew a few deep breaths of musty air, and when she finally lifted her eyes, she found Venko and Ardow watching her with blanched faces.

Merrick’s gaze, though, didn’t waver when she met it again, the hand he’d kept on her shoulder squeezing it once more before releasing her.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered when silence stretched on. “I’m just tired of being kept in the dark.”

“I know,” Merrick said quietly, and when their eyes locked again, she realized she believed him.

Something in the intense silver-sprinkled darkness made her trust he understood her completely, and her stomach flipped when Merrick continued to keep her eyes hostage.

“We’ll tell you everything,” Ardow broke in, and she reluctantly shifted her gaze to his when he continued.

“We couldn’t before, Lia. It was too dangerous with your… your connection to the king.” Ardow’s eyes pleaded with her. “But we’ll tell you everything you want to know. You only need to ask.”

“How long have you all been working together?” Lessia, trying to keep out of her voice the sense of hurt that two males she’d trusted had kept this from her, made herself focus on the anger that swirled dangerously close to the surface of her skin.

Ardow’s brows flew up, and shocked laughter burst out of Venko.

Even Merrick let out a choked sound beside her.

“What?” she growled, her eyes flitting between the other three pairs.

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