Page 77 of Fated to the Frost King

My mind stretched across every interaction with him, searching for falsehood and finding none. He was abrasive—and an ass of epic proportions…but he had never felt the need to lie.

I let out a brittle breath.

“What does it matter to you?” My voice cracked despite myself. “You heard the Elder. I’m a Hollow, just like I told you. I’m useless to you. I amnothingto you.”

It shouldn’t have hurt. It shouldn’t have mattered.

He tightened his grip on my chin, his aurora gaze boring into mine. “You aremy wife, whatever else you are, and I do not allow anyone to harm what belongs to me. So I’ll ask you one final time. Who did this to you?”

Each word was laced with authority, garnished with the unmistakable ring of truth.

I have never lied to you.

You are my wife.

I could see him placing his body between me and the Mirrorbane, mana unleashing like an unholy vengeance, then standing between me and the Elder mage, his voice cutting through the tension like ice through silk.

What belongs to me.

In spite of myself, that sent something surging in my chest. I had never belonged anywhere, hadn’t been protected by anyone but Wynnie in so long. It was unreasonably tempting to let myself fall into that lie even though his ownership had brought us both nothing but misery.

But I wasn’t a fool. He didn’t just want me to have mana so he could avoid the taboo of a Hollow wife. He needed my power for something, and I knew better than to trust anyone who wanted to use me.

I reminded myself that I wasn’t falling for this. Still, I heard myself answer.

“Mages,” I said quietly. “But they’re all dead now.”

Not for the torture. For failing to bring forth my mana. That was the sin they were punished for.

Not the knives. Not the cages. Not the screams or the burns.

Just the failure.

He scrutinized me like he could see the truth hiding in my soul. I swallowed, backing away from his grasp. He brought his hand slowly back to his side.

“Why would you expect me to know that?”

I shook my head.

“Why would I expect you to know what happens to children all over the realm, including in the kingdomyourule, when they’re born without mana? What did you think happened when they were sent to the mages?”

A muscle clenched in his jaw, but he didn’t respond. So I answered for him.

“Whether they’re trying to save their children or their pride, most parents don’t just accept that their children are defective and then smother them in their sleep. At least, not right away,” I added bitterly. “After all, nothing is worse than being a Hollow,” I echoed, the words still slicing deeper than they should.

His eyes flared, his lips parting, but I didn’t give him a chance to respond.

“So most of them are likeyou. Ready to deny their reality until it’s proven beyond all shadow of a doubt, by any means necessary.”

I gestured vaguely to my scars and then to the window, the blizzard we had trekked through still raging outside, before turning away from him once more. The reminder of who he was and why we were here had my legs trembling with exhaustion that was slowly seeping its way into the marrow of my bones.

This time, he didn’t try to respond. The silence was more oppressive than soothing.

I paused, looking over my shoulder at him.

“Would you have even cared if it weren’t for this bond? If it was just another Hollow rather than the one Fate shackled to you?”

His features darkened.

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