Page 7 of Court of Secrets and Flames

Done with my little pep talk, I meet his gaze. “Well? Spit it out. You obviously want to say something.”

Silence.

For the first time since we’ve landed, he actually seems taken aback by my words. His bottom lip twitches before he presses his lips together in a hard line.

I know I shouldn’t snap at Tirene’s prince, especially after witnessing his brother’s willingness to execute anyone who dares cross the royal family. But I’m hurt and angry and afraid, and I’ve had little time to process the losses, chaos, and revelations gifted to me by the ill-fated Flighthaven trial. My friend getting roasted by a rogue dragon. Ster…Knox kidnapping me. Losing the new life I’d only just built for myself. Being held prisoner in a foreign kingdom where stringing up those who oppose the king is commonplace.

It’s too damn much.

Knox says nothing. Just continues to stand there, gazing at me with an expression I can’t decipher. Pity, maybe?

My temper flares. “If you’re just going to stare and not say anything, maybe we could continue this pleasant encounter later. I’d really like to get some rest.”

“You have every reason to hate me.” He steps into the room, shuts the door behind him, and sets the tray on a low table beside one of the couches. “But you have to understand, I was under orders?—”

“Orders?” My anger peaks as I close the distance between us. “You think that justifies your deceit? After everything you did to gain my trust?”

I slept with him.

Dear gods, how stupid could I be? Was I that starved for affection? He’d gone from openly loathing me to becoming my friend—my lover—in a matter of weeks. And I fell for the whole charade.

Hard.

He reaches out as if to touch me, then drops his hand. “After what you shared about your…upbringing, I thought?—”

“What?” I clench my fists at my sides. “That I’d be grateful? That this is some kind of liberation?”

“Isn’t it?” Desperation mingles with sadness in his voice. “This is your homeland, Lark. Your true home. That woman who raised you and kept you locked up?—”

“Stop! Do you really expect me to believe anything you say? You used me. You betrayed me. And you didn’t even like me when I came to Flighthaven, so don’t pretend that by following your precious orders, you’ve done me a favor.”

His throat works on a swallow. “You’re right. I did use you. My mission was to win your trust, learn what I could about your abilities, and bring you here.”

Though I already suspected as much, his admission still stings. “Well, congratulations. Mission accomplished.”

If Knox catches the hitch in my voice, he doesn’t show it. “It’s not that simple. From that first day when you smacked into me, you…intrigued me. Despite everything, I found myself wanting to spend time with you. To talk with you. To make you laugh. To push your buttons.” He heaves a sigh. “I knew I was getting in over my head, but I couldn’t help myself. The more we trained together, the more you shared about yourself, the more real it became.”

“Real?” Is he serious? “Don’t try to pretend anything between us was real. That you actually cared about me. I was an idiot for having any faith in you, but don’t worry. I won’t make that mistake again.”

With each word, I take a step closer, watching those deceptive lips tighten in pain. That damned, smooth-talking, kissable mouth that led to my downfall. I’m not falling for his act this time. Because I know that’s what this is.

Anger burns in my gut, heating my veins and crowding out the sadness and fear.

I reach for the sword at my hip, only to remember it’s not there. The guards seized my weapons upon my arrival in Tirene.

“Here.” He unsheathes a sword at his side and holds it up for inspection, a grin tugging his lips. “Thought you might want this.”

Short and exquisite, the sword is nothing like the standard-issue weapons I received at Flighthaven. The wicked steel blade gleams in the light, but it’s the intricate designs embedded in the metal that draw my attention.

“You’re giving me a sword?” I chew on my lip. “Why?”

He shrugs. “Why not?”

“I don’t know. The guards took my weapons. I figured I wasn’t allowed to have any.”

“You’re probably not.” He regards me for a long moment before offering me the sword. “Although you no doubt thinkI’m all kinds of an asshole, I don’t want you to be defenseless.” When I raise an eyebrow, he laughs. “I know you have your magic, but…”

“So that’s it? You’re giving me a sword out of the goodness of your heart so I won’t be defenseless?”

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