Page 154 of Heir of Illusion

He glares down at me, but I merely shrug.

“That’s never stopped her before,” Griffen adds unhelpfully.

I peek around Thorne to scowl at the high fae.

“There’s a first time for everything.” Thorne pulls my attention back to him.

“You and I both know this reprieve won’t last forever,” I tell him, not raising my voice above a whisper. Darrow’s tonic may have helped, but my throat has still been through a lot. “The longer we let this continue, the weaker I’ll become.”

“I won’t let that happen,” he argues, but we both know he can’t follow through on that promise.

“The only way to end this is to remove the collar. And for that, we need thealmanova.”

He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. When they open again, I know I’ve won.

“Fine,” he grinds out.

My shoulders slump with relief, but before I can say anything else, Fia steps forward.

“The sword can remove your collar?” she asks, her body tense as she glances back and forth between me and Thorne.

I nod, and a strange expression passes over her face. Next to her, Griffen crosses his arms over his chest.

“You should have told us that,” he says to the God beside me, his forehead wrinkling with worry.

Thorne stiffens. “We can discuss this upstairs. Ivy needs to rest.”

I open my mouth to argue, but he cuts me off with a hard glare. The trio disappears up the staircase, causing unease to swim in my stomach. Why would Thorne have kept that a secret from his council? Did he think I wouldn’t want him to share it? Was he trying to protect my privacy?

I push my guilt aside, choosing to focus on happier things. Such as the fact that I didn’t feel a single spark of jealousy as I watched Thorne leave with Fia. While I can’t say exactly what’s growing between us, I do know that loyalty isn’t something I need to worry about. Thorne has proven many times over that he only has eyes for me.

“Ivy.” Darrow’s voice pulls me from my thoughts as he sits on the stool next to my bed. “Do you have a moment?”

My lips turn down at his polite tone. I observe him closer, noticing the way he’s holding himself too straight.

“You should know, the enchantment I placed on you is tied to this building,” he says, refusing to meet my eyes. “Once you leave, the king will be able to track you.”

Deep down, I think I already knew that. Leaving is a risk, but doing nothing is even worse. “Thank you for telling me.”

With that said, I expect him to head back upstairs, but instead he stays seated.

My eyebrows pinch together. “Was there something else?”

His eyes meet mine, clouded with self-loathing. “I wanted to apologize.”

“You’ve apologized to me before,” I remind him. “Recently.”

“I know.” He nods, his throat bobbing as he swallows. “But it will never be enough.”

I want to tell him that’s not true, but the words won’t come out. Still, whatever animosity I’ve harbored toward him in the past seems to have subsided.

“When I was desperate and afraid, I came here,” I admit quietly. “I knew I could count on you to help me when I truly needed it. Whatever was done in the past, I’m ready to move on.”

His head rears back as shock splashes across his face. “That’s a very mature answer, Lady Iverson.”

I shrug. “I’m a very mature woman.”

“Eh, I wouldn’t go that far.”

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