Page 44 of When Day Breaks

"Who let you out?" I demand.

"Would you believe me if I said that I don’t recall?" He sizes up the guards once more, his eyes roaming from the back corner all the way to my Factotum.

Then gives each of us a slow glance before leaning forward on the table and pointing a stern glance at us, lowering his voice to allow for vulnerability for a moment. "I can’t seem to remember. It’s like it was wiped from my brain but I know it happened.” He stabs his pointer finger onto the top of the table. “I canfeelthemin my hands as I questioned them. Hell, I can still practically hear their voice but…"

He dips his head and closes his eyes. I can tell this is bothering him. I don't think he wanted to question it any more than he did, he was free. But as I make him try to dig out the truth, I can see that he might not like what he's remembering.

Nothing.

His eyes hold discomfort and unsureness in them.

"Is that what happened when the Faction came for you the first time? When you confessed?" Lucynda speaks up from beside me and when I look at her, she retreats slightly as if I made her uncomfortable by speaking up. But I'm glad she's brave enough to join in.

"I didn’t confess of my own will. All I remember was being grabbed with Troy, they chained us up and brought us back to the castle like we were some kind of animals," he says.

"But we went our separate ways." Troian speaks up, recalling another detail of that day. "They took me in a different direction than they took Trav though we both ended up at the castle together. There was a time we weren't together, and someone could have easily…" Her words fade, realization of the reality that likely took place.

"Wait," Lucynda chimes in. "If someone compelled Travois, that would have to mean that it’s a Royal, right? Only Royals can compel Royals."

I squeeze my wife’s hand to show my approval for her participation, no matter how awkward it may seem.

"Good girl," I praise her in a low whisper that only she can hear, looking at the way she blushes at my words. Given everything I put her through, she's still willing to sit by my side and assist with the tribulations we must face.

"It has to be Viktrum. He has to have some kind of agenda," Troian states. "What could he possibly need this much control over us for?"

Travois sits up from his chair finally. "Why don't you ask your little sidekick? I'm sure he has to know something since sneaking away to Valor." He took the information from the last unannounced meeting we had, where Troy exposed his hobby.

That's one more thing I know I need to get to the bottom of, but on the list of things to do it's easily the least of my concerns for now.

"He's not wrong, Zharus." Lucynda gives me a look as I speak, but I avoid it, needing to stay focused and not get lost in the colorless fire in her eyes.

"I don't understand how you can sit back and let him get away with secrets, Riv. No one else gets that privilege." Troy's argument is not wrong. I made it my mission to make sure I knew everything but only because I wanted to find Ameliana and I didn't want to be bested otherwise. Yet, I let Zharus' activities slide and what's worse, he's been going to Valor, where Ameliana was hiding.

But I could tell that he was just as shocked as I was when we found her, when she came to the castle.

You better not be fucking hiding anything from me, Zhar. Otherwise, I will find out and you will live to regret it,I tell him mentally and I can see the understanding crest his face but I also sense . . . fear.

I know that whatever he's hiding, it had nothing to do with the twins' mother so maybe he knows something else?

"So what are we going to do?" Lucynda asks as a slight chill shifts through the air.

I notice her shiver beside me. I look at my wife who only wears a thin button up blouse and a pair of jeans. I lean forward toremove my suit jacket and offer it to her. She hesitates for a beat but then caves in and lets me wrap it around her shoulders.

"I think it's time I pull the Society members into this and finally let them know what's really going on." I see the look over nervousness cross Cyn's face. She's scared of what this curse might do to her and how others might react. I am too. The last thing we need is some kind of riot against us or a punishment for something that she can't control.

But I feed her a look to ensure that she knows I won’t divulge any information about her condition just yet.

And if the Faction found out about her curse, they'd certainly treat her the same as they've treated Travois except worse. They won't give it another second before they rid her of that curse by ridding the world of her.

I see understanding flit through Troy's mind. She's the only one who knows about Cyn's condition right now. At least that I know of. Well, besides the witch. But coming forth with the truth to the Society means I need help figuring out how to say what I need to say without letting them in on our family business. But that means I need to be forthcoming with the whole truth to them . . . my siblings.

I look over at Zharus, nervous to spill my secrets in front of him. The only thing that is making it easier for me to be willing is the fact that he is not a Royal so I know he can't possibly be behind the compulsion in Travois, let alone a part of the potential of a plan with Viktrum. But as it is, I don't know if I can trust him with the knowledge of the curse my wife is riddled with and I still need to be wary of what we say in front of him as he does seem to hold whatever it is he's hiding close to his chest and every time I try to penetrate his thoughts, I'm presented with emptiness which annoys the fuck out of me. So I decide to give him something else to do while I continue to conclave with my siblings.

"Zharus, I need you to go get Kacian for me." I nod my head at him in hopes that it doesn't seem like I'm trying to push him away for secretive purposes. "And the rest of you, please get the message to everyone that there will be a formal Hollows Trace meeting tomorrow afternoon in the gallery." They nod their heads in approval of their release and start off.

Zharus hesitates a moment and I hate that something feels distant between us. I never really fancies us naturally close to begin with but I've always trusted him with things. For some reason, I don't feel that way now.

"Thank you, Zharus," I say to him respectfully in an attempt to get his actions to be prompt and he turns around to leave.

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