Page 22 of A Court So Dark
“Let me be.” I shoved Arabis away.
She stumbled backward, her arms thrashing for balance.
“Is King Kalyll Adanorin in Pharowyn?” I wiped a hand across my feverish forehead. I was sweating, and the small alcove seemed to be closing in on me.
“No.”
“Is King Kalyll Adanorin in Imbermore?”
“No,” the Envoy answered, her voice an elated whisper that made me think of a Scroogelike person counting their coins and hoarding them close to their chest, afraid someone might steal a single one.
“Is King Kalyll Ad—“
“I’m sorry about this, Dani.” Arabis stepped in front of me, pulled her fist back, and decked me harder than her petite body had the right to.
The last thing I registered was falling backward, the question dying on my lips as the back of my head hit the stone floor, and I lost consciousness.
CHAPTER 8
KALYLL
“YourSubRosafriendsare off to visit the Envoy, likely to find out where you are,” Cardian said, leaning close enough that I could have reached out and strangled him, if not for the magical barrier between us.
“How predictable?” He went on, so pleased with himself. “Of course, they’re wasting their time. They’ll never find you.”
His small eyes shone with what he left unsaid, that I would stay here, at his mercy, for as long as he wanted me to. Though the wordmercydidn’t really factor into the equation.
I looked at my hands, at the unnatural angle at which my fingers were healing. From outside this magical bubble, he could have his sorcerer do whatever he wanted to me. And he was enjoying himself so much that I’d begun questioning every single moment, every single interaction, I’d ever shared with him.
He hated me. Truly hated me.
I had to believe there was something I’d done or not done to deserve it.
My mind riffled through countless memories of our childhood and adolescence. I searched through each one of them, trying to see if I’d been cruel, if I’d hurt him in some way, but the more I went over our past, I realized that I’d been vastly absent. My duties as future King had kept me away.
While he played, I sat with tutors most hours of the day. I barely had time for anything other than studying and attending council meetings, during which I was only allowed to listen and learn.
While he partied and lived the pampered life everyone thought a prince should have, I learned battle strategies, drilled in the training grounds, and soaked my bruises at night, all so I could do it over again the next day.
So no, I hadn’t had time for my brother—myhalf-brother, I reminded myself. Had he wished I had? He never gave me any indication that he wanted me near him. On the contrary, he often complained that my presence felt stifling, that Ikilled the fun. If I was honest, there was no love lost between us.
From the start, he saw me as a suffocating authoritative figure, and I always saw him as a brat.
Would it have been different if we’d shared a father? If the blood bond had been stronger between us, if our connection hadn’t been diluted?
It was impossible to answer that question. We couldn’t change what it was. There was no point in wondering about it. Whatever had caused his hatred, it had brought us here.
A point of no return.
—Weak. You’re so weak,Wölfe whispered in my mind.None of that matters. He signed his death sentence the moment he hurt Dani.
An involuntary growl escaped me.
“The decorous prince is nothing but a beast and always has been.” Cardian laughed, delighted by the irony. “Growl all you want, Kalyll. Shift into that hideous monster and claw away at your prison like you did last night—I must admit, it was quite entertaining to watch—but it won’t serve you. Best to save your energy because you’re not going anywhere.” He batted a hand in the air. “But what am I saying? Keep on with your ridiculous behavior. You are quickly becoming my favorite sport. If you suffered with resignation, it wouldn’t be half as amusing.”
The energy field that surrounded me crackled as, from the shadows that lurked behind Cardian, that hooded figure reappeared. Woven with threads of silver and gold, the cloak and hood shimmered as though imbued with enchantments. Its length was long and flowing, and its hues seemed to shift with the light. This was the powerful sorcerer my brother had tasked with torturing me. I speculated he was a male. He was taller than Cardian, thicker too, a male’s build for sure.
He was responsible for the force shield that kept me and the beast contained. Yesterday, I had waited for nightfall, hoping the beast would be able to rip through the shield. I’d clawed at the barrier, rammed my shoulders against it, exhausted myself trying, but it had been useless. I ended up battered, my clothes in tatters, and my fury quickly morphing into frustration and hopelessness.
