Page 134 of Burning Heir

Father clutched his chest, his face paled. I knew he couldn’t handle it anymore. Was it despair I saw in his wide, golden eyes?

Before Knox could suck the daylight back inside his palm, it was seized and consumed by shadows. Antonia waved her eyes over every lantern in the room. She gave a subtle wink to Archer, who nodded. Then, Jace opened his palm, and starlight struck each candlewick in a shimmer.

And I hadn’t realized how strong Night was. They were light, dark, and heat in their own ways. The king clapped three times. “Powerful quells, students.” He rubbed his hands together. “Picking only one will be difficult… now, I release the Serpents.”

Father was the first to rise but the last to take a step toward us. Damien gripped my elbow. “You survived, good job,” he whispered.

Lasar crept toward me with his white cloak dragging along the stone, snow crusting his fingers as he carried two goblets of wine.

“Severyn Blanche,” he began, flaring his crooked nose as hollowed cheeks swallowed a gulp of red wine. I flinched as his bony hand rested on my shoulder. “I was sure you’d be a Winter.”He passed me the wine glass, and I took a steady sip, rolling red legs dripping down the rim.

Father joined a few beats later, eyes wild, lashes frosted in snow. I couldn’t handle disappointing him.

I met Lasar once at half the age I was, but I hid behind Charles the entire time. Now, I had nowhere to hide.

I smiled at Lasar. “I was placed in Winter, but it seems my mother, Fallon’s Summer blood, called to me first.” I made sure Father heard every word.

Father reached for me with a shaking hand. “Severyn, you remind me so much of your mother. The dress, your quell…”

He didn’t look well. I shifted out of Lasar’s grip and held my father upright. “Father, are you okay?”

Anger struck through those golden eyes. He never admitted his shields were shattering, and not once had he willingly allowed me to see his weakness, but as my false winter cloak shed, so would my father’s and whatever he kept from me. “Yes, Severyn. It’s difficult keeping my wards up this far from home.”

I was—exposed enough to the outside world to hear the truth. “What are you shielding from?”

Father began to speak, but Lasar interrupted. “Tell me, Andri, did you ever recover from that barter with Victor from the bid all those years ago?” He shot a cold, cunning grin toward Father. “We all expected another barren land.”

“What barter?” I asked. And Lasar sipped from his goblet, awaiting my father’s response. And so, I asked it again. “What did you barter with Victor?”

“That is enough, Lasar,” my father mumbled. “The barter is done.”

“It appears Summer doesn’t take well to other Serpents not holding up to their end of the bargain.” Lasar’s eyes went toward my father’s shaking hands before he turned on his heel and walked away from us.

I gripped my father’s shoulder. “Father, tell me. Is—is it why you’re sick?”

Golden eyes bore into me, pleading and confused. My father seldom displayed emotions other than a curt grin. “You. I bartered you, Severyn,” he said in one defeated breath. “I could never fall through with it, not when it meant your life would never be your own.”

Any sense of shield crumbled at that moment, molten barriers collapsing in my humming mind. I shook my head, scorching the edges of my shield. “Howdid you barter me?” I gripped the goblet between my fist, the glass heated, crackling near the stem.

“Those years where the coldness nearly took everything from us. I had to barter with Victor. He didn’t want anything on my land, and I offered himeverything. Diamonds, jewels, oil, but he only had one demand.” Father flexed his hands, a whirl of ice falling on his boots. “He wanted revenge on Fallon. He told me he would warm our valley three months of the year. He placed the sun we know as a barter so our land would not starve. He wanted to marry you off to his heir. And yet… I still owe him something I cannot give him, Severyn.” My father nearly collapsed as his mouth parted, uttering low sobs from his lungs.

“Victor wanted me to marry a Lynch. He wanted me to marry Archer Lynch.” My entire body froze as if Father had stunned me with his frozen quell.

“I never told you because I would rather die knowing my realm was saved than have you marry someone you didn’t love. I assumed another heir would claim, and they’d be stronger to hold the wards up.” A tear clung to his wrinkled lower lid. “There is nothing Victor will take as a replacement. You were the impossible bargain. And… if his son does claim—he will force you to marry him.”

There was still a son in line to claim his heir. Damien, but I couldn’t dare wonder about that. Couldn’t dare wonder if heknew, and that was his real reason for wanting to become close with me.

I felt nauseous.

Love. This stemmed down to love. Father loved me enough and his realm to die for it. He couldn’t live knowing I’d be married off, and now, Archer and I’s lives were tied. I could not tell Father the truth. He’d made that barter, knowing he’d never fulfill it. But I wondered if Victor knew about Fallon’s blood—if he could not tie his bloodline to the Herrings, he would force it upon his children.

But I couldn’t stop the anger I felt.

“There must be something we can do.” My voice broke. I broke. I reached for my father’s chilled fingers.

“Severyn, there is nothing you can do. Please, I never wanted you to suffer. Our realm has only gotten colder. It’s only a matter of time before my shields break and Winter’s vengeance is unleashed.”

“How long?”

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