Page 69 of Essence of the Throne

“Careful, cousin,” I warn, my voice low. “You’re walking a dangerous line.”

He sneers, but some of the false bravado leaves his shoulders. “She was my betrothed,” he finally answers. “Before she left for the competition.”

That wasn’t what I expected. From the slight curl of Ariella’s fingers that still rest on me, she’s equally surprised.

“When?” she demands.

“Two years ago. We were to be married in the winter, but then…” he trails off, running a hand through his hair. He looks quite disheveled talking about Ally. “The king visited. Spoke with her privately. The next day she was gone, not even caring to say goodbye. I’d thought about joining her, but Thalion made it clear that I was to act as if I had never met her.” He laughs, the sound empty. “He was pissed when I arrived in Valoria, but how could he expect me to just let go of the woman I was to marry? Then I saw the way she and Isaiah were together.”

I clench my jaw as Bastian’s words ripple through the stale air. His admission about Ally explains quite a bit, though my mind grapples with possibilities I hadn’t considered before.

“So you pursued me out of spite?” Ariella asks, not even a spec of offense lacing her voice. “To get back at her?”

Bastian shifts in his chair, suddenly finding great interest in the papers scattered across his desk. What does he even work on—it’s not as if he manages anything other than his own pockets. “Not entirely.” His eyes flick to me before continuing. “The king suggested I…distract you.”

White-hot rage courses through my veins. Of course my father had orchestrated that, too. How many other pieces has he moved without my knowledge? Against Ariella, no less?

“What else didthe kingtell you?” I demand, stepping further around his desk. “And think carefully before lying to us. You’d rather not know what Ariella did to the guildmaster for it just yesterday.”

He swallows hard and looks between Ariella and me, conflict evident on his features. “I don’t know much. He mentioned something about balance and power, but it made little sense. Said Ally would be what he needed to remove his problem so that he mayrestore our realm.” He runs a hand through his disheveled hair. “This was at the ball, so I’d just thought the man was drunk and speaking in riddles.”

“The Accord,” Ariella states, voice flat. Not a question. “Did he mention it?” It seems we no longer require discretion or subtlety. I cross my arms and lean against the wall, watching my future queen interrogate my cousin.

And what a fucking sight it is.

Bastian’s brow furrows. “The what?”

“Don’t play stupid,” I snap, impulsiveness overshadowing my calm. “The ancient agreement between realms. The one that’s currently falling apart while my father conducts his twisted experiments.”

He blinks, his forehead creasing. “Experiments?”

“Yes, experiments,” Ariella cuts in, her patience eroding, if the tightness in her tone is any indication. “With essence. Ring any bells?”

Understanding dawns on his face. “That’s what he meant…” he mutters, more to himself than us. “He kept going on about finding new ways to harness power, about making the kingdom stronger instead of being limited. I thought he was speaking metaphorically.”

Gavriel shifts behind us, watching the entire interaction with wary eyes.

Bastian sits forward abruptly. “You know, now that I think about it, he’d visit every so often, asking strange questions about ancient texts on essence.” His gaze darts to the elaborate tapestrybehind his desk of the royal crest. “My family’s library contains some of the oldest records in the realm, and he was always very interested in them, but insisted that they remained here.”

I want to deny it. To say that my father hasn’t been doing this for long—but that would be a complete lie. Valyria sacrificed herself for the king’s decisions, and that was more than twenty years ago.

A sour heat fills my stomach—I should have noticed. Paid attention. Maybe I could have stopped it before we reached a point of no return.

“Show us,” Ariella demands, backing from the desk as she gestures for my cousin to leave.

Bastian hesitates before standing with a resigned sigh. He walks from the room, and we follow him through winding corridors, descending deeper into the estate until we reach a circular room lined with what I assume are the very old texts my father utilized. The air here feels heavy, stiff. It’s uncomfortable.

“Here,” Bastian says, tugging a weathered book from one of the shelves. “This is the one that interested him most. I once read it to see what caught his attention, though I never thought more about it. There are details of old theories about essence manipulation—ways to combine different strands, to amplify raw power.” He pauses. “And methods of extraction, if I'm remembering right.”

Ariella snatches the book from him, her eyes scanning the pages at a rapid pace. “Fuck’s sake,” she breathes. “This is it. This is whathe’s doing.” Her spoken thoughts confirm what I hoped wasn’t true. But there’s no denying it at this point.

I step just behind her, reading over her shoulder. Gavriel joins me, though remains a good distance away from Ariella. The text describes horrific experiments conducted centuries ago—attempts to forcibly remove essence from living beings and transfer it to others. Most subjects died in agony.

Fury builds in my chest. “I still don't understand what the children's role is in this. If these experiments are accurate, how would their small bodies be of any use compared to adults?” I can’t think about that right now.

Gavriel grunts behind us, pacing to another shelf and back. “The guards at the tunnel entrance. They must have been protecting wherever he’s conducting these tests. That much is obvious, though I do not believe they're aware of what's happening. Now that we know, it will not matter if we go through them to find Thalion.”

I nod, my body more tired than it's been in years. Shifting on both feet, my mind races. “How long do we have?”

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