Page 22 of Owned

They couldn’t betray me—if they did, they would die. I’d made that clear enough.

Thiswasa betrayal, but they weren’t responsible.

And theywerekeeping something from me.

Damn them all.

“Whatdoyou know?” I snapped. “Doyouknow why he’s so… fixated on me? Did you know that he’s been stalking my every move since I was a child?”

No one responded, but Bastian shifted slightly in his chair. How could they all be so… relaxed?

I couldn’t bring myself to do anything of the sort.

But their lives weren’t at risk.

Their lives didn’t hang in the balance like mine did.

“Did you know?” I demanded.

My voice echoed in the room and finally faded away. My chest heaved as I struggled to take a breath, but my stepbrothers didn’t move.

Was I losing my mind?

No. Not losing my mind. I was seeing more clearly than they ever had.

The grimoire’s whispers rose up behind my thoughts and I shook my head to chase them away.

“Answer me!!”

“No,” Titus replied finally.

Liar.

I pressed my fingers against my temples to try to dampen the grimoire’s whispers.

Valen set his hand on my waist and led me toward the center of the room. “You have to understand— This… this isn’t about you. Not really—”

What the fuck was he saying?

I tried to focus on the rough stone walls, the flickering candles, anything but the pounding of my heart. “He thinks if he marries you—”

“Whenhe marries me,” I corrected and bitterness curdled in my mouth. “He set a date—”

“He thinks…” Valen paused and looked at his brothers.

Did Titus just shake his head?

“He thinks what?” I demanded.

“He thinks it will bind us to him,” Valen said in a rush. “But it won’t.”

In my mind, the grimoire’s hiss was loud.

Liar.

“Bullshit,” I snapped and pulled away from him. “You’re not telling me the truth— I can see it on your faces. What happened? Tell me what you know!”

I wanted to tear something apart with my bare hands, but I could only ball them into fists at my side. I wanted to throw every ounce of my magic at them—but then they would know…

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