Page 54 of Blood and Thorns

A flicker of despair crosses his face. “I never wanted you to feel trapped. If I could guarantee your safety outside these walls, I would let you go. But the reality is harsh. We face war, chaos. Half-bloods are rumored to be extremely rare. That alone puts you in danger.”

I laugh bitterly. “So you do see me as a precious resource. The one half-blood who can do all your infiltration, who can’t be fed upon because my blood burns. I bet that’sveryconvenient for you, Prince Vaelorian.”

His eyes darken. “Stop twisting my motives. This is about more than just House Draeven’s advantage. We’re on the brink of a conflict that might reshape all of Protheka. Your abilities could help save lives—Vrakken, humans, orcs. We could turn the tide against Xathien’s experiments.”

“Save lives?” I echo, voice hushed. “You speak as though we’re some benevolent force. But you’re also part of a brutal system that enslaves or manipulates humans. Don’t pretend you’re the hero.”

He flinches as though struck. “I know we’re not saints. But I want to stop Xathien’s brand of cruelty, which is far worse. If we do nothing, the dark elves will unleash horrors on every living race.”

His fervor shakes me, stirring something in my chest.He’s always had that unwavering sense of purpose.It’s one of the things that drew me to him—underneath his cold exterior, he truly believes in saving Protheka from the dark elves’ dominion. But I can’t let that overshadow my anger.

I fold my arms. “None of that excuses lying to me about my heritage.”

His shoulders slump. “I know. It was selfish, but I wanted to keep you close without scaring you off. And if I told you everything, you might have run. Into danger.”

A lump forms in my throat.He’s not entirely wrong.Part of me might have fled, thinking it impossible to remain among Vrakken if I, too, was half Vrakken. “So you lied for my own good,” I say, not hiding the sarcasm. “Typical.”

His hand drifts to my arm, but he halts just short of touching me. “I can’t erase what I did, but I can promise you full disclosure now. No more secrets, no more manipulations—beyond what we must do to secure Protheka from Xathien. Will you at least consider… staying?”

“Staying here? Under your mother’s watchful eye, with half the fortress whispering that I’m a freak of nature?” My voice cracks, tears threatening again. “Why would I put myself through that?”

He breathes in, slow. “Because I believe in your strength. You can face them head-on. No one in House Draeven can publicly challenge you now that you’re under my protection. We can finalize your status as a recognized member of my retinue—maybe more, if you’ll trust me enough.”

I ache at the mention of trust. “I don’t trust you.”

His face falls. “I can work to earn it back, if you let me.”

We stare at each other, the air thick with tension. My heart pounds in my ears, a storm of fury and longing swirling inside me. Even now, with betrayal fresh in my veins, I can’t denythe pull Vaelorian exerts on me. He’s the only one who’s ever seen my potential, who offered me a path beyond slavery or subjugation. I despise him for the lies, but part of me can’t ignore that he’s also the reason I stand here, stronger than I ever imagined.

“Valeria,” he whispers, voice frayed. “I know you’re furious. You have every right to be. But running from here puts you at the mercy of enemies who would do worse than lie to you. Please… let me fix this.”

My rage flares again. “You can’t fix everything with half-spoken apologies. I lost faith in you.”

He meets my gaze, eyes full of regret. “I’ll earn it back. Even if it takes a lifetime. Just… don’t leave. At least wait until we stop Xathien’s threat. Then, if you still want to go, I won’t stop you.”

A trembling breath escapes my lips. The rational part of my mind knows he’s right about the danger outside. That same rational part, however, screams that staying means dancing in a pit of vipers. I’m half Vrakken, but I don’t feel like one of them.I feel alone.

Tears well up.Damn it.My anger is so thick, I can barely see. I step back, letting my arms fall to my sides. “I’m not sure I can even look at you right now. But I don’t have many choices.”

He inclines his head, a flicker of hope crossing his features. “Stay. Rest. We’ll talk strategy in the morning. My mother already wants to plan the next steps for intercepting Xathien’s caravans. The dark elves are pushing forward with their essence-harvesting. We can’t be idle.”

I nod stiffly, refusing to let my tears spill over. “Fine. I’ll stay for the mission. And only the mission. Once we’ve dealt with Xathien, I’m reevaluating everything.”

His eyes close briefly. “Fair enough. Thank you.”

A charged silence follows. I loathe how my body reacts to his closeness—heat surges, memories of our night together flaringbehind my eyes.This man tricked me, but I still crave him.The contradiction tears at me. I want to shout or fling objects at him, but also wrap myself in his arms for comfort. Instead, I turn away.

“Leave me alone for now,” I say, voice choked. “I can’t handle your presence. I need… I need to think.”

He swallows. “All right. I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed tonight.”

Glaring over my shoulder, I murmur, “What if I want to be disturbed by someone else?”

A flicker of pain crosses his face. “I wouldn’t stop you.” The statement is laced with a quiet grief. Then he steps aside, letting me pass.

But I don’t move. My limbs tremble.Why does he have to look so wounded? He’s the one who caused this.I take one shaky step, then another, forcing myself not to glance back at him. When I reach the door, he speaks softly: “Valeria?”

I pause, fists clenched.

---