Page 87 of The Prince's Mage

“Funny you say that.” At first his voice was calm, casual, but then… “The Desero demon seems to know.”

Chapter31

MARCELLA

Marcella went completely frozen as a chill went down her spine. But Nikias wasn’t still. His arm slipped out of the sling—completely fine. He took Marcella by the arm—not hurting her and violating his promise, but enough to start pulling her away from the crowd, and she was too stunned to put up a fight.

How long had it been fine?

Why was he talking about Hypatia?

He pulled her into the peristyle and down the hall to another courtyard—the garden they’d disappeared into last time. Only this time there were silver-backed ravens trapped within invisible walls made of runes on the ground. They were cawing and flapping their wings. Nikias let go of Marcella as she stumbled to a stop and he blocked the way back with himself. He had a sneer on his face as he barked, “All these are from that demon, Hypatia.”

“I—I—” Marcella stuttered. Her mind not quite figuring out what she meant to say and even if it did, failing to find the words in the Inimicus tongue to say it.

“Don’t bother,” Nikias spat, taking a step toward her. “It’s clear what you’ve been up to. These ravens tell me everything I need to know about you.”

The raven that was supposed to carry her message to Hypatia was trapped. Her rune still glowing on its back.

Hypatia’s army was still moving toward them.

She took a step back even though she knew he was bound not to hurt her. Unless that was fake like his broken arm had been. “I wasn’t—That wasn’t—I want peace.”

How long had it been healed and he’d been pretending it wasn’t?

How long had he been onto her?

“By any means necessary, and if you get to destroy my little brother by giving him hope before you rip it away, all the better right?” Nikias narrowed his eyes. “That’s what you promised, isn’t it?”

“No—I mean, yes, I did but—” Marcella stuttered, stumbling back away from him.

“Butnothing.I knew it. I knew it the second I laid eyes on your horrid curls that even though you weren’t Hypatia, you are just as much a monster as she is. I knew I was right not to trust you when you suddenly changed your tune and went from hating my brother—my brother who did nothing but worship at your feet—to begging for him to come save you. Then suddenly you were all over him. Andwhy?It certainly wasn’t because you’d changed. Because you’re just a soldier and that demon gave you orders to bring her a prince.” Nikias gestured to her left wrist before lifting his own, the sleeve untied enough that she could see clearly the scar she’d glimpsed before. “And look just how easy that was going to be for you?”

The lines and runes were identical. But Nikias’ was a scar. Like the lines had been torn right off his skin. A broken promise? To who?

But if it was like hers…

He spat, “You hand him over to that demon and she gets rid of your problem for you.”

“What are you talking about? This?” Marcella lifted her wrist and held it to her chest. “I do not—I don’t understand.”

The names. Gavril had told her once as she’d been falling asleep, she barely remembered it. It was her name on his wrist. So when he’d given them to her…

There was only one person whom she knew Nikias had made a promise to. A vow to.

Nikias rolled his eyes. “Don’t act stupid. My brother might have made the biggest mistake of his life making you—uxorem, but I’m not going to let you slip away again and continue lying to him. Oh, I’m certain the demon is laughing it up now, not only did she ripmea uxoremaway from me, but no matter how this ends she also gets to rip Gavril’s away from him.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” But she might. She had an idea. “What isuxorem?I’m not—I didn’t mean—”

The only thing she knew Hypatia had taken from Nikias was Faustina. His wife. She looked down at the rune on her wrist. What Aimilia had said earlier… presenting the names. His cloak hung heavy around her neck. The clasp bore the same rune that was on her wrist. The ritual that had given her the lines on her skin… had that been an Inimicus wedding?

Was she married to Gavril?

Had she been married this whole time?

“No. No more. That demon you look like takes no more from me. Especially not my brother.”

Nikias kept coming toward her, and it wasn’t until the back of her legs hit the fountain that she realized how far back she’d moved.

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