Page 103 of Crown of Briars
She sucked in a breath, as if she hadn’t expected me to let her speak. After a moment, she said in a rush, “My father wanted to produce an heir with fae gifts to defend against your kind. He trained me from birth to be the perfect wife, but it was all meant to deceive you.”
A rumbling growl poured from my lips, but she raised a hand.
“I don’tintendto deceive you,” she said in an even voice. “If I did, would I be telling you all of this? Would I be betraying my father’s trust and exposing his lies?”
I had no response to that. This was all under the assumption that she couldn’t lie. I nodded, indicating she should continue. But I hadn’t yet decided if I believed her.
She exhaled before going on. “My human bloodline protects us from violating the terms of our treaty. Technically, the Earthen Court still provided a human bride. But she was only half human.” When I snarled at her, she quickly added, “This was how my father saw it.”
“Oh yes, and you are completely blameless in all this,” I sneered.
Her gaze sharpened. “This is what I was born to do, Varius. For my entire life, my father and my kingdom preached to me about the evils of the unseelie fae. How the Wraith King stole human brides to feast on them like a creature of the night.”
I scoffed, but I knew there was truth to her words. Even in my own kingdom, villagers whispered about the horrible Wraith King. Those who did not know me thought I was a phantom who haunted the realm.
Was it really so outlandish that humans thought the same, if even my own people were saying such things?
“So, what then?” I asked, my voice carefully level. “You came here to kill me?”
She grimaced, her expression twisting with unease.
I barked out a laugh. “Who,you?” I gestured to her figure, which looked so small compared to mine. Especially with my wings out. “This slight, pathetic creature was meant to kill me?”
Her face flushed. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.”
“You’re right. I don’t. Because you’ve been deceiving me from the day we met.”
“So have you!” she cried, waving a hand toward me. “You’ve lied to everyone about the whole reason behind the human brides! We’vebothkept secrets, Varius. I am not the only one to blame.”
My nostrils flared. “Yourkingdom is the one plotting against me, Sybelle. That’s pretty damning.”
She shook her head. “Father would never invade. He’s too afraid of your shadows. And with me here, his plan is still in play. None of this makes sense.”
“It makesperfectsense. You are fae. So is Warwick. Clearly, your kind don’t mind mingling with the fae if it suits their own purposes.”
“No,” she said firmly. “There arenofae in my court. I swear it. Father only had one fae concubine, and he killed her shortlyafter my birth. He despises the fae.” Her eyes turned dark. “He despisesme.”
I refused to pity this lying creature before me, no matter how much her dejected expression tugged at something within my chest. “Then, what is your explanation for all this?”
She chewed on her lower lip. “I don’t know.” She paused, her gaze dropping to her hands as she wrung them together. “It—It ispossible… that my father would invade, if he believed I was unsuccessful in my mission.”
My eyes narrowed. She wouldn’t look me in the eye. “Is it, now?” My voice was low and dangerous.
She finally met my gaze with guilt and fear swirling in her eyes. “But he wouldneverally himself with fae.Thatis what doesn’t make sense. Even if my father is sending an army to invade, I know for a fact your forces can overpower him. And it still doesn’t explain how he is connected to Warwick. If there are fae involved, this changes things.”
I rubbed my chin, unsure if I believed her or not. I heaved a sigh, frustrated that I wasn’t getting the answers I needed. My gaze suddenly snapped to hers, and I frowned. “What is your fae power?”
Sybelle blushed again, her mouth tightening. I was certain she wouldn’t tell me.
But, to my shock, she said, “Gemstones.”
I blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small topaz stone. “This was how we were camouflaged earlier. It isn’t a magical stone. It produces magic only whenItouch it.”
I frowned at the small jewel tucked in her hand. “Do all stones perform the same function?”
“No.”
