Page 165 of Crown of Briars
Warwick. He had been one of Gerard’s spies.
My mouth twisted in disgust. “You allied yourself with shitholes likeWarwick?”
Gerard blinked at me, stunned. “How do you know Warwick?”
“He attacked me!” I shouted. “He was utterly vile!”
Gerard gritted his teeth. “Hewasone of my spies, until he defected and tried to leverage his information for gold. His fae ability makes him impervious to nonfatal wounds. He thinks he’s invincible, and he got reckless and cocky. I never should have recruited him.”
My head roared, the chaos of my emotions and thoughts becoming a whirlwind I couldn’t control. “You saidspies…As in more than one?”
“Yes. I’ve been alive for a long time, Sybelle. Throughout the years, I’ve made allies who want to take down the Shadow Court as much as we do. They were willing to work alongside me. Some are fae; some are human. Some reside here, feeding me information. And others pose as nobles in the Earthen Court to sow seeds of discord between the two courts.”
My heart jolted painfully as I processed his words.Anyonecould have been working for Gerard. Members of the castle staff, soldiers in Varius’s personal guard…
Even people I had grown up with in the Earthen Court.
“Who was in my rooms?” I asked in a hushed voice.
“That was one of mine. A skilled thief who works for me. I sent her to come fetch you when Orla’s plans were in place. I didn’t want you here when the army arrived. But my thief couldn’t find you, so she took it upon herself to search for the shadowstone on her own.” Gerard shook his head, his expression almost endearing, as if he were discussing a wayward toddler who was acting out. “Foolish fae. But, I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s in their blood to behave in such a way.”
“Why are you working with them then?” I asked. “Don’t you despise the fae?”
His eyes widened. “Of course not! I’m here foryou, aren’t I? Despite your blood, despite the magic in you, I am here, Sybelle.”
I shook my head, resisting the urge to snarl at him. He preached as if he were some great magnanimous saint, deigning to grace me with his presence. Even though I was fae. Even though I wastainted.
Swallowing my revulsion, I said, “I just… don’t understand why you did all this. I’mhere, Gerard. Our entire plan was—was to take down the court from the inside! Did you not trust me? I wrote to you asking for more time!”
“I know.” He sighed. “Most of my plans were mere precautions, just to ensure I had eyes and ears nearby. But Orla wanted to do more. I tried to hold her off for as long as I could. But… she doesn’t trust you like I do. She didn’t think you could do it.”
Anger and indignation rose up inside me. Gerard lifted his hands, palms out, as if that gesture might calm me down.
Only then did I notice the gold ring gleaming on his finger.
I stiffened, then glanced up at him, reassessing. His hair was slicked back, and although he wore his usual armor, the sword at his hip wasn’t his standard issue sword. This one had a ceremonial hilt and gleaming jewels decorating it.
It wasFather’ssword. The sword of the king.
“You married her?” I breathed. “You married my sister?”
He nodded, grimacing. “Yes. I’m sorry. It was the only way to get her to trust me. The only way I could get here, toyou.” He reached for me again, but I stepped back, revulsion churning in my gut.
This man seduced my sister and tricked her into marrying him all so he could rescue me as if I were some damsel in need of saving.
He wanted to destroy the Shadow Court. He wanted to murder thousands of innocent fae, all for a centuries-old vendetta.
Gerard was looking at me expectantly, and my mind worked quickly to formulate a plan. He was the enemy. He wanted to kill my husband.
But I also needed him to trust me.
Shaking my head, I said in a faint voice, “I—I just need a moment to process all this. Please.”
Not a lie. It wasa lot to absorb.
And I still didn’t have a plan for getting rid of the army, escaping from Gerard, and somehow saving Varius.
“I know it’s overwhelming. But we don’t have time to hesitate. We need to leave before the army breaches the castle. I can’t guarantee your safety once they enter these walls.”
