Page 71 of Between Wrath and Mercy

“I have managed to stall my brother for a time. But he has plans in motion now that I am not capable of changing on my own.” I waited. “He plans to destroy the Cascade, and I am supposed to deliver Elora to him on the battlefield. For him to claim her as his bride upon victory.” Though he spoke bluntly, this boy was not as much of a master of his emotions as he thought he was.

“And you don’t want him to do that.”

He inclined his head. “Nor do you, Lady Emmeline.”

“What doesyourdear father want?” He laughed when I said it.

“My father is a barely functioning lunatic. He thinks your sister put a curse on him.”

“Maybe she did.” In fact, I hoped she had.

“Regardless, my father will die soon, likely by Declan’s hand, and he is set to inherit the throne. He wants to destroy Vesta, and he wants a powerful conduit at his side when he does it. And who better than the Beloved?”

“Is the sibling rivalry that strong that you intend to connive against him?” He barked a short laugh as he paced past me.

“Myhumanityis that strong that I connive against him. Declan is more evil than my father by far. He plans to renew the slave trade, and there is talk of worse things he’s done and will continue to do.”

“Then what do you propose?”

“I am supposed to deliver Elora to the Cascade during the new moon. I know you are with the Bloody Prince.” I wondered how he knew; had our movements been obvious? “Get him to fortify the Cascade and be ready for Declan. If you agree to my proposition, my most trusted guards will know the truth and assist to the best of their ability to get her to you.”

“I agree.”

“You haven’t heard the rest of it. I want you to take me as a prisoner.”

Chapter 24

Theminutetheillusionbroke, I woke up and jumped to my feet. The moon was high in the sky, and I wasn’t sure what time it was, just that it was late. When I went into the hallway, I saw my bedroom door was closed. I assumed everyone was long asleep, but it didn’t stop me from thundering down the stairs.

The door to the study was open, and I saw the flicker of a candle in the room. When I turned into it, I was surprised to see Rainier asleep with the book he’d picked the night before, spread open on his chest. He’d made quite a bit of progress on it since last night, and I couldn’t help but smile. The blanket had been pushed down around his hips, and I wondered how he was still asleep, the air cold and fire low. Even by the light of the half-melted candle, I could see an angry red line on his stomach, and I felt guilty for a moment before I remembered he was the one to blame for its continued presence. I flushed, feeling the phantom of his lips on my ear as he’d whispered why he wanted to keep it.

I pulled my robe tighter and rapped my knuckles lightly on the door. Rainier turned his head toward me and slowly opened his eyes, a sleepy smile lighting up his face. I felt a tightness in my chest as I watched him, and the hard pocket where I’d tried to hide my heart softened just a bit. He sat up on his forearms, and Elora’s book slid down his chest.

“Hey, Em.” His voice was deeper than normal, and a memory of me in his lap last night flashed before my eyes. I tried to dismiss it before it had more of an effect on me than I desired.

“I just met Prince Cyran.”

His head cocked at an angle, and he took the book off his chest, setting it down next to him. “What do you mean you met Prince Cyran?”

I walked to Faxon’s desk against the wall, pulling his chair out and spinning it to face Rainier before I sat down. “His divinity is the power of illusion. He visited me while I slept.”

“How do you know it wasn’t a dream?”

“I could tell.” He nodded slowly before I continued. “He came with a proposition.”

“Really.” Rainier sat up and put his back against the sofa next to the trundle bed. “I can’t imagine it’s in our favor.”

“Declan plans to attack the Cascade and claim Elora as his bride after he takes the fort. Cyran was sent to fetch her as some sort of prize.”

“Did Cyran know you were with me when he told you this? That’s quite a bit of information to give the enemy.”

“He knows I’m with you.”

“Then, it could be a trap. To lure our armies to the Cascade so they can attack elsewhere.”

I’d wondered that myself. “I think he cares for her.” Rainier gave me a quizzical look. “Elora. I think he’s afraid of his brother, and he wants to protect her.” I knew I might be wrong, but there was something tender in his eyes when he talked about her. Rainier pondered what I’d said before giving me a tentative smile.

“I told you this was good news. So, what is he proposing?”

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