Page 55 of Threaded

CHAPTER25

Those eyes.

They both consumed and filled her with a burning, irrational anger.

Mariah met Andrian’s gaze without hesitation, her ire rolling through her and into her own stare as she lifted her chin at him defiantly.

“How much of that did you hear?”

Andrian’s smile turned impossibly crueler. “All of it. And I must say, those are quite some secrets you’re hiding,My Queen.” He sneered her title, the words an insult on his lips.

She felt her own mouth pull back from her teeth into a feral snarl, her magic licking its way to her skin and flickering menacingly in her eyes. “I’m not sure who, exactly, you think you are, eavesdropping onyour queen,” she said, returning the same snideness he’d used toward her. “But I can assure you, I’m far from pleased with it.”

“Oh, I’m so very afraid. What shall you do,murderme like you did that old, pathetic lord? Although, after watching that display, I might one day be able to find you at least halfway tolerable. You keep that up and you’ll have the entire ruling class calling for your head in no time.”

Mariah saw only red.

At least it blocked out the blue of his eyes.

Distantly, she felt a tug on her mind, a gentle pull down the bridge of smooth, gray stone. Sebastian’s voice sounded in the clearing.

“Enough, Andrian. What in Enfara’s depths is your problem?

Beside him, she heard Quentin laugh. “By the Goddess, Andrian, I hope she kicks your ass for that.”

Andrian spoke again, and his voice grated against every fiber of her being. “I’m surprised you both are so quick to defend her after what she did with the lords, and especially now that she has revealed thistantalizingnew secret. I mean, if you were like me, I would understand”—there was a bitterness in his tone that pulled back the haze of her fury, just slightly, curiosity lapping at the back of her consciousness—“but given that the two of you are … well,you, I must admit I’m shocked.”

“We are quick to defend her, brother, because we’ve seen her and who she truly is. And because of that, we trust her.” Sebastian paused, shifting his gaze to Mariah, something akin to nervousness in his expression. “Just like how I’m about to tell her right now to trust you.”

“What?” Her incredulous tone was one of pure venom.

“You heard me, Mariah.” Sebastian was as calm and steady as ever. “You can trust him. Youneedto trust him. He now knows, and while eavesdropping was probably not the best decision he’s ever made”—Andrian shot a dark glare at Sebastian—“he’s now a part of this, whether you wanted him to be or not. He is also, I might add, a member of your Armature, a fact that youbothseem to be forgetting.”

Mariah leveled her heated green stare on Sebastian, challenging him with it for a few heartbeats before shifting to Andrian. She tried to burn away his cold, shadowed exterior, tried to strip him down in order to see whatever it was he was hiding underneath. This man, this devil, had secrets of his own, and she wanted to know them. He held strong, though, and returned her glare with a fierceness that equaled hers.

Suddenly, just as it had that first day in the palace courtyard, and again at the Selection, a bolt ofsomethingwhipped through them, raw and powerful. It forced their stares apart as they both staggered back, chests heaving, looking anywhere but at each other as they fought to regain their balance.

Sebastian and Quentin both looked on, startled, but wisely kept their mouths shut.

Mariah quickly regained her composure, rising back to her full height. She looked at Sebastian, contemplating for a moment. He was right, she supposed. Andrian already knew. And it was likely best now to keep him close, where she could keep a watchful eye on him, than to cut him loose to spread her secrets all over Verith.

“Fine,” she said to Sebastian. “I hope you’re right and he can make himself useful.”

Of course, the one she didn’t want to hear from spoke.

“Oh, I certainly think I can do that. In fact, I think I know just where to start to try to figure out the origins of that fascinating little party trick of yours.” His voice was cool, and as much as Mariah didn’t want to hear it, she couldn’t deny her interest in what he was about to say. “You say you have two magics in you—one gold, one silver. Now, you all seem to have at least moderate levels of intelligence. Tell me, what else in our world are there two of, with one being gold and one being silver?”

Mariah jolted with the realization, and a part of her wanted to kick herself for being so obtuse.

“The moons,” she said.

How could I be so blind?

Andrian gave her another cold smile. “I knew you were more than just a pretty face,nio.”

She blinked at the name, confusion sparking. “What did you just ca—”

“And what is said about the ties and origins of those two moons?” he interrupted, not letting her finish her question.

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