Page 188 of Owned

“What is he planning for the wedding?” I hissed.

“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. His voice dripped with contempt. “He didn’t bore me with the details—after the marriage to the traitor’s whore, there wasn’t much to change… Even the bridal gown—”

“You don’t lie very well,” I interrupted and pressed the blade against his throat again. I wanted to snap his neck for evencoming close to mentioning Avril. I wanted to silence his vile little mouth for good.

“What does it matter what I tell you?” he wheezed. “You’ll kill me either way.”

I stared at him, at the blood-splattered collar of his shirt.

I hadn’t decided how far I’d go for this.

“That depends,” I said.

His mouth twitched. “On what?”

“On whether I get what I need.”

His eyes narrowed, calculating.

I stepped back and let the silence stretch as I crossed my arms over my chest. His eyes followed the blade of the knife and the sheen of his blood on the bright metal.

“Lucian plans to use her,” he said finally. His voice was hoarse. Almost conspiratorial.

I didn’t react. “How?”

The advisor chuckled darkly, as though he could see the way what he’d implied had already twisted my guts. I took some small joy in seeing him wince at the pain his action caused. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what he’s going to do. He wants to expand his power. Take back what was denied him.”

I forced myself to stay still. “You’re lying.”

My captive shook his head and a fresh trickle of blood dripped down his chin from the cut on his lip. His tongue darted again. Tasting it.

Disgusting creature.

“He’s been waiting for this for years,” he gasped. “Long before you had come into your power— You were still at school. Valen’s whore of a mother was still alive…Yourmother was still alive—” he said, the gleam of a challenge in his eyes.

Unease prickled through me.

Lucian had planned this for that long?

“You can’t scare me,” the advisor said and his voice grew stronger, as though he knew he’d already won. “I told him you’d try something stupid—”

My teeth bared as I moved toward him again. “You’re starting to be boring— I don’t have time for boring—”

“What do you know about Dario Velez?” he choked out.

“A traitor,” I replied. “Executed as he should have been.”

The man’s expression twisted, but only for a moment before he took a deep, steadying breath. “The girl has power,” he said, his tone shifting to something almost... respectful. “A legacy. That fool of a father passed it down to her by accident—”

“What kind of accident?” I pressed. Something inside my memories stirred, something Valen had said—

The advisor’s grin widened and exposed bloodstained teeth. “The most powerful sorcerer among you is that girl. Did youreallythink Lucian would let you have her?”

“That’swhy he’s marrying her?”

He nodded, slow and deliberate, savoring each moment of my dawning comprehension. “To unlock her potential. To expand his own power—exponentially.”

My mind reeled, racing to process this new betrayal.

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