Page 32 of A Kingdom of Monsters

“No,” I said acidly. “I’m being selfish, actually. Even if she doesn’t recognize it now, eventually she’ll realize she’s your mate. When that happens, she’ll think we hid it from her because we can’t get along. She’ll think she has to choose.”

“Afraid she won’t choose you?” he asked–it wasn’t a malicious question, just an honest one.

“No. I don’t think she’ll be able to choose at all and I don’t want to find out what would happen if we ask her to.”

He nodded and said nothing as I took a step in the direction of the door. I needed to go for a walk and clear my head. Maybe I’d go down to the village and pick a fight with some noblemen, just to work off some of my energy.

“There’s one thing I still don’t understand,” I stopped abruptly in the doorway. “You told me to marry her.”

He looked confused. “And? What about it?”

“Why would you do that if you already knew she was your mate? You practically forced us together.”

He shrugged again. “Why did you spend so long denying your own mate bond?”

“Because Bael had claimed her first,” I replied automatically. “He’s like my brother.”

Ambrose looked down, refusing to meet my gaze any longer. If I didn’t know better I’d think he looked slightly disappointed. “Well, there you go,” he said hollowly. “You actually are my brother, even if you don’t want to be.”

I drew back, startled. I didn’t know what to say to that, and retreated quickly from the room. I would definitely be heading down to the village. I really needed to hit something.

11

LONNIE

THE OBSIDIAN PALACE, EVERLAST CITY

Isat at the head of the long breakfast table in the royal dining room shoveling food into my mouth with almost indecent haste.

For the first time in recent memory, nearly all the seats at the dining table were filled.

Scion sat across from me at the other head of the table, holding a large leather-bound book in one hand, and his fork limply in the other. His posture matched that of Ambrose, who sat to my left, also reading. To my right, Bael was cutting up his sausages, seeming more awake and alert than he usually was as of late, and beside Bael, Idris was watching me with evident curiosity.

I glanced up over my breakfast and met Idris’s gaze. “Was there something you wanted?”

He smiled, seeming slightly amused. “I was simply wondering if you have somewhere to be this morning. You’re eating rather quickly.”

“Not exactly,” I mumbled through a mouthful of toast. “I just want to begin training on time.”

“On time for whom?” Bael asked, his yellow eyes flashing with amusement. “You’re training yourself. No one cares when you begin.”

“I care,” I replied mulishly, washing down my toast with a sip of strong herbal tea. “I think I’m finally close to mastering that trick with the fireballs. Yesterday I nearly managed to hit the target.”

“That’s amazing, little monster.”

“Thank you.” I smiled. “Next I’m going to try and make ropes.”

It had been several days since I’d resumed training and things had returned to something resembling normal. Or at least, normal for us.

Scion and Ambrose were getting along better, and I could only assume it was due to the time they’d been putting into research. They’d found several more mentions of the crown as well as drawings like the one Ambrose had shown me the other day. At this point, even I had to admit that he was right–Celia clearly had been on to something, though what that thing was I couldn’t say.

Despite my initial desire to speak to Idris again, so far I hadn’t been able to find a good moment. I was watching him more carefully, but as far as I could tell he wasn’t up to anything nefarious. He’d taken to strolling the corridors and the grounds of the castle, or sitting in the garden for hours on end. He didn’t go anywhere or meet with anyone. If anything, he seemed bored.

I startled as Ambrose put his book down on the table with a smack. I looked over at him, finding him already watching me with interest.

“You’re planning to make ropes next?” he asked. “You mean like Sci?”

I raised my eyebrows at the casual use of Scion’s family nickname, but no one else seemed to notice it. I nodded, and heaped some scrambled eggs onto my last piece of toast.

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