Page 129 of The Black Witch

Yvan can’t know. No one can know this.

“I think so,” Trystan says stiffly. “Maybe that’s why he’s so careful not to undress around me.”

“Oh, Trystan,” I breathe, panic clamoring at the edges of my thoughts, “this is really bad.”

“I know,” he admits tightly.

“The Mage Council...they throw people in prison who...”

“I know, Ren.”

“You can’t be this way. You justcan’t. You have to change.”

Trystan continues to stare rigidly at the book. “I don’t think I can,” he says softly.

“Then you can’t tell anyone,” I insist, shaking my head for emphasis. “No one can know.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” His voice is still calm, but I can hear pain breaking through. And an edge of anger.

“Who else knows?” I ask, my thoughts spinning out in all directions.

“I think Rafe’s figured it out.”

“And what does he think?”

Trystan lets out a deep breath. “You know Rafe. He goes his own way on practically everything. And lets others do the same.”

“What about Uncle Edwin?”

“I don’t know.”

“And Gareth?”

“Gareth knows,” he says succinctly.

“You told him?”

Why did he tell Gareth and not me?I feel a sharp pang of hurt.

“He figured it out.”

“How?”

Trystan finally abandons the pretense of reading and closes his book. “He knows because I tried to kiss him.”

My face flies open in shock. “You tried to kiss...Gareth?” For a moment I just gape at him. “What...what did he do? When you tried to...”

“When I tried tokisshim?” he cuts in sharply. “He told me he was sorry, but he was only attracted to women.”

We stare at each other for a long moment, the ramifications of his being this way like a dark storm brewing.

I rub at my aching head. “Oh, Trystan,” I say, stunned. My religion has just been turned into a weapon. Aimed straight at my brother. “They’ll see you as one of the Evil Ones. If anyone finds out...”

“I know.”

I shake my head, feeling dazed. “I seem to be collecting them these days, you know.”

“Evil Ones?”

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