Page 89 of Taken By the Fae King

“No,” I state firmly. “Kyven would not lie to me. I know it. He promised,” I repeat to myself.

Drawing in a deep breath, I rise from the bed and walk over to the desk. My heart hammers as I check each drawer, searching for a sample of his handwriting to compare it. Surely there has been some mistake. Kyven could not have written this.

Maybe he had an assistant do it. Or Aren. Frantically, I try to think of any reason why the handwriting cannot be his.

When I pull out the bottom drawer, a sharp click slices the air and I glance down to discover a hidden compartment in the base, the top lifting along the edge. Tracing my fingers up under the panel, I carefully push it open.

My jaw drops. Inside is the embroidered handkerchief I once gave Joren. My entire body trembles as I pick it up. Something solid and heavy is wrapped in the material. When I pull back the corner, a small black polished stone falls onto the desk.

A purple glow lights the center, swirling across the strange rock. Carefully, I pick up the stone and a pulse of energy moves through me. Gasping, I lift my gaze to the mirror and my heart stutters and stops.

Instead of my own appearance, a Fae woman with silver-white hair stares back at me. My lips part as I draw in a shaking breath, and she does the same. I jerk back, the stone falling from my hand and clattering onto the desk.

With shaking hands, I feel inside the back of the drawer, catching on a stack of parchment. I pull them out and my eyes widen as I stare down at the stack. Written across the top is my own handwriting and Joren’s name.

Scrambling to unfold the first one, my eyes fly over the page as I read the words aloud. I wrote this. It was the last letter I sent him. There is no mistaking that these are my letters.

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, my world falling down around me as my mind processes the terrible truth.

The man I cared for, the man I believed had rejected me, and the man I now call my husband are one and the same. A broken sob escapes my throat as my heart shatters beneath the weight of Kyven’s betrayal.

Panic and fear build in my chest, and it takes me a moment to realize these emotions are not mine. They are his.

He can sense my distress. He is worried, and he is nearly here.

The bedroom door crashes open, and Kyven rushes inside. “Grayce!” he calls out, frantic. “What is wrong?”

I lift a tear-filled gaze to him as the letters tumble from my hands to the floor.

CHAPTER48

KYVEN

Grayce's pain is so intense, it takes my breath away. Her tear-filled eyes meet mine, pain and devastation easily read in her features as the letters I had hidden from her fall from her trembling hands to the floor. My gaze follows the trail of evidence to the shade stone and handkerchief on the desk.

Panic twists deep within as the realization crashes over me: she has discovered the truth. She knows I lied to her.

"Grayce, please, let me explain," I beg, my voice strained with desperation.

I reach for her, but she recoils as if struck.

"No," she chokes out, her voice cracking with emotion. "Do not touch me.” Her words are a devastating blow. “I need you to go."

My chest tightens with anguish, the fear that she will leave me now gnawing at my very soul. "Please, Grayce, forgive me," I plead, the weight of my own guilt threatening to crush my heart. “Grayce, I—”

Her gaze holds mine, full of hurt and anger. “Leave.” Her voice trembles. “Now.”

Everything inside me wants to drop to my knees and beg her forgiveness. To gather her in my arms and not let her go until she understands why I lied. But as her devastating hurt and anger pulse across our bond, I cannot speak. The knowledge that I have hurt her is more than I can bear.

Agony twists in my chest as I take a step toward her, but she quickly steps back.

“Do not.” Her voice is low and angry. “I want you to leave, Kyven.” Tears stream down her cheeks. “Please. Just go.”

With a broken heart, I step out onto the balcony and spread my wings. With a heavy heart, I lift into the sky, soaring above the castle.

As I ascend toward the clouds, my emotions threaten to tear me apart. An anguished cry rips from my throat as I curse the gods for forcing me to keep this secret. For hurting my mate, my A’lyra, my queen, my heart, my very soul.

As I fly through the endless sky, a maelstrom of emotions swirls deep within. I have lost her. She will never forgive me. Our love and trust have been shattered by my lies.

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