Page 80 of Joined By Magic

Talia

Theprince’sbrothersatslumped against the wall of his cell, eyes closed, chin on his chest. He jerked awake when we entered, and his head flew back, almost slamming into the wall. Exhaustion was etched into the sharp plains of his face, the pallor of his skin. His wrists looked much worse, rubbed raw.

He looked us over with weary eyes. “How’s my father? And Liv?”

“Your father is doing well. He’ll make a full recovery. And Liv is asleep. The rest of your party are all unharmed.”

Leopold’s eyes narrowed, as if searching for the lie in the prince’s words. “Good.” He paused, considering the prince. “What do you want? Why am I still alive?”

Perceptive and straight to the point. The prince ignored the question. “I’m going to remove your bonds. We both know it’s pointless for you to attack me.”

Leopold watched with stony resolve as he approached. The prince shot a stream of power at his leg restraints, which must have activated a switch in the bonds. They fell to the floor with a clank. He repeated the process with the handcuffs.

The prince’s brother rose carefully, as if everything hurt but he was trying not to show it. He couldn’t quite subdue a wince of pain as he rolled his shoulders to loosen them. He took up a wary stance, feet planted and body tense. “Again. What do you want?”

“I have a proposition.” The prince projected a calm I knew he didn’t feel, as if the whole thing were a minor issue. “Hestia—you knew her as Helen, your secretary—cleared up a few things.”

Leopold’s face turned dark. “So she’s your spy, then?”

“Not mine. Our father’s. I’d been operating under some misapprehensions.”

“Such as?”

“I believed you wanted the throne of Atar for yourself. She tells me otherwise.”

“I told you that from the start!” Leopold’s voice cracked with fury. “Before you almost killed my wife.”

“I never planned for her to die.”

“Oh, really. Why the fuck should I believe that? And I’ll ask yet again. What do you want from me? Why does it matter if I wanted the throne?”

The prince took a deep breath. “Contacts in the main palace tell me our father will be mobilizing his army as we speak to begin his assault on your homeland. He needs to be stopped. Do you agree?”

Leopold’s face tightened. It must be almost impossible for him to agree with anything the prince said, so great was his hatred for his brother, but he forced out a response. “Yes.”

“Good. Here’s the deal. I’ll release you and all your party if you aid in killing our father. Once he’s dead, I’ll retain the throne of Atar, and you’ll be free to go.”

A storm of emotions, from fury to confusion, flitted over Leopold’s face. “You can’t believe I’d help you after everything you’ve done to me? To Liv?”

The prince shrugged. “Consider the alternative. You remain here in prison, either at my pleasure or that of our father if he defeats me. Your party as well. What do you imagine our father would do to Andrew, given free rein?”

Leopold flinched at his dad’s name. “What exactly do you expect me to do in this fight? You burned me out.” Bitter anger laced every word.

“That’s the second prize I’m prepared to offer.” The prince’s voice held an amused edge. He was enjoying this, I realized—having the upper hand over his brother. “If you agree to aid me and to never challenge for the crown, I can restore your lost power.”

All the air seemed to drain from the room. Leopold went still—not breathing, not moving—but he couldn’t control the expression that flashed across his face. Hope, and longing. How desperately he must want it to be true. “How do I know you won’t betray me again?”

The prince made a low noise of amusement in his throat. “I could ask you the same question, but we have a common goal and a common enemy.” His tone became softer, more conversational. “Hestia told me all you ever wanted was to rule Dexia in peace. All I want is my rightful place on the throne of Atar, which I trained and sacrificed for from my earliest childhood.”

Leopold examined the prince for a long time, eyes narrowed. “I want something else in return for aiding you.”

The prince’s eyes widened. “Something besides your freedom, your power, and the safety of all your party?”

Leopold didn’t react to the prince’s incredulous tone. “Yes. Access to your tech. Trade deals. I’m sure after facing this invasion, Dexia will be ready to step out of the dark ages. I want to ensure we’re never threatened again.”

Ballsy of him. I tensed, waiting for an explosion from the prince, but he maintained his air of studied nonchalance and shrugged. “Fine. Just don’t expect a family discount.”

I stifled a startled gasp.

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