Page 142 of The Throne's Undoing

"You have no right," Graeson roared, his vision blurring with rage as Dani stood at the epicenter.

"Noright?" Dani retorted as Sylvia shifted beside her. "That's hilarious, Graeson. I wonder what will be more painful: losing a soul bond or being denied by one. I, of course, can only speak forthe former, but I have heard the latter is just as painful, if not worse."

As if sensing his anger toppling over, Ellie wrapped her arms around him, holding him back.

"Graeson," Terin beckoned. Graeson didn't know when the prince had gotten up, but now Terin was standing beside him, gripping his shoulder. "Kallie needs you right now."

Graeson felt Terin prod at his mind as if an ice-cold bucket of water had been doused over his head. He took a strained step back, and with a final glare in Dani's direction, he left the room, chasing after Kalisandre.

Graeson,however, did not get far.

The moment he stepped out of the dining room and turned, Kalisandre was there, her back pressed against the wall. Her cheeks were stained with tears, and her wide eyes were streaked with red.

And as Graeson made to approach her, she held up a shaking hand and croaked, "What did Dani mean?"

"What?" Graeson asked, his brows furrowing together and gut twisting. His breaths were still unsteady, his previous rage slowly dwindling as he stared at Kalisandre, speechless.

She pushed herself off the wall and took a step backward. "She asked you, 'Does she know yet?' Who was she referring to?"

Graeson squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his fingers along the bridge of his nose.

He hadn't known she was still there. He didn't know Kalisandre had heard them. In his rage, he had assumed she was long gone, racing down the hall.

Graeson took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Tears continued to fall down the contours of her face. This was not how she was supposed to find out.

A small movement near Kalisandre's hands caught his attention. She twisted the ring around her finger, an anxious habit she still had not done away with.

Graeson swallowed and whispered, "I think you already know the answer."

"I want to hear you say it," Kalisandre said, her voice clipped.

Graeson took a step forward, and this time, to his surprise, Kalisandre did not take another step back. She stared up at him, her expression unreadable.

"You," he said firmly but gently. "She was referring to you."

"No," she rasped, shaking her head.

Fear laced Kalisandre's eyes, and it was as if she had stabbed him with a knife and twisted it.

For a moment, Graeson had believed that the monster residing in him didn't matter to her, that it, in fact, only brought them closer. It seemed he was wrong.

Despite what she had told him, she was afraid of him.

He could see the fear written all over her face.

"That's not--that's not possible. I don't--I can't be your soul bond."

"Why not?"

"Because!" Kallie shouted, the sound echoing in the hall, causing Graeson to flinch.

He glanced at the door and knew that the others in the room could all hear them. "Can we talk about this somewhere else?"

"What is there to talk about? I am not yours, Graeson. I refuse to be another man's tool."

"It doesn't--" Graeson shook his head, struggling to find the right words. "It doesn't work like that."

A shadow fell over her features. "Oh, really? Then please explain how a bond that ties our souls together would not tether me to you."

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