Page 82 of Crown of Storm and Silence
"Hatun," he says softly, reaching for me before stopping himself. "I need you to understand something. If I don't return?—"
"You'll return," I interrupt, moving closer despite the way his poison makes my skin crawl with wrongness. "You promised me you would."
"And I meant it." He turns back to the weapons, his movements careful and deliberate. "But promises and reality don't always align, especially when dealing with creatures like Erlik."
The casual way he mentions his father's name makes me shiver. Through the fragments of memory I've recovered, I know enough about the demon who rules Kara Cehennem to understand that this journey is likely suicide. But I also know that watching the poison consume him slowly would be a different kind of death—one that would destroy not just his body, but his soul.
Before I can respond, the chamber doors burst open with enough force to crack the obsidian frame. Zohan strides in, his ethereal beauty somehow enhanced by travel dust and obvious exhaustion. His blue eyes immediately find mine, relief flooding his features with startling intensity.
"Nesilhan," he breathes, crossing the space between us in rapid strides. "Thank the gods you're alive. When word reached me about the attack?—"
"I'm fine," I assure him, accepting his embrace despite the way Kaan's shadows writhe with jealous malevolence. "Hurt, but healing."
"And the baby?" His hands hover over my belly with protective concern that makes my chest tight with emotion.
"Safe. Strong. The healers say there's no lasting damage."
Relief transforms his features, and for a moment, I see the boy I'm supposed to remember—the brother I sacrificed everything to protect.
"Lord Zohan," Kaan says with deliberate courtesy that drips venom. "How thoughtful of you to visit. Though I'm curious—where were you when my wife was being attacked?"
I hadn't expected such directness, such immediate suspicion of the man who claims to be my brother.
Zohan's jaw tightens, but his voice remains steady. "I didn't notice she was gone until it was too late. But I could ask you the same question," Zohan fires back.
Kaan's poison flickers, betraying a flash of his own guilt. "I was in the Shadow Court, trying to recover from the poison," he admits, his voice tight. "And I already know I failed her." His eyes narrow on Zohan. "But that doesn't answer my question about where you were."
Zohan's composure wavers at Kaan's raw honesty. "Elcin said you took her to the shadow court," he says, his voice gaining slight confidence. "So I traveled here to make sure my sister was okay."
"But that still doesn't answer the question," I say, studying his face for tells I don't remember learning to read. "Where were you when I was taken?"
Zohan's confidence wavers slightly. "I was talking to Mira when it happened. The next thing I knew, Elcin was looking for you. When she left, I stayed behind in case you returned."
Kaan snorts. "You stayed behind. How noble of you."
I step forward before anyone can respond, forcing a smile that feels strange on my face. "Thank you for coming to check on me, Zohan. It means a lot that you were worried."
"Of course."Zohan's voice gains strength, as if he's on safer ground. "You're my sister. When I heard you'd been hurt, I had to come."
Kaan's poison pulses darker. "How thoughtful."
"I should let you rest," Zohan says suddenly, backing toward the door. "The journey here was taxing, and you're clearly still recovering."
"You'll stay with us," Kaan interrupts, his poison writhing visibly beneath his skin. "Guards will ensure your... comfort... in our guest quarters."
"You can't hold me here," Zohan protests, but his voice lacks conviction.
I glance at Kaan to ask him what he is doing, but the coldness that has settled into his black eyes makes me go still.
"I can and I will," Kaan replies with absolute authority, his gaze zeroed in on my brother. "Until I understand how my wife's brother happened to be conveniently absent when she needed protection most."
After Zohan is escorted out, the chamber falls into heavy silence.
"Why are you doing this?" I say quietly.
Kaan is still staring at the door that Zohan departed through. I’m trying to understand why he would have Zohan under watch.
“You think he had something to do with this?”
