Page 33 of Revert
He released a weary sigh, something tired in the sound. “So it is. But perhaps…now is the chance to remedy that.”
His delivery was awkward, the stumbling words too unpolished to be fully scripted, yet I could think of no reason he’d want to speak with me. Nor did I have the option to decline his unexpected invitation; despite any disinclination Imight feel for conversing with my enemy, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to gather information that might keep me alive.
“Forgive me for being surprised,” I murmured. “In the five years I’ve been here, you’ve never taken much interest in me before.”
For the first time, something in his polished calm wavered, as if my bluntness had slipped past his defenses. “We are to be married. I thought perhaps we should spend more time together. For...diplomatic optics.”
I lifted a skeptical brow. “And who exactly are we performing for, Your Highness? The walls?” Yet for all my sarcasm, I couldn’t shake the unsettling undercurrent, as if some forgotten corner of myself welcomed this rare moment of privacy.
The notion was ridiculous—spending any more time than necessary with the formidable prince was the last thing I wanted. But as much as I risked him prying out damning information, he wasn’t the only one who needed answers. There was still so much I didn’t know about him and about what had led him to that dungeon corridor; this would be the perfect opportunity to spy on him in return.
In the end, cold calculation eclipsed my reservations.Keep your enemies close. I inclined my head, albeit begrudgingly.
He frowned. “You don’t seem particularly thrilled with the idea. You can refuse; I would never force my company on you.”
“Can I?” My second sarcastic quip sharply emerged before I could check it. Not that I had any intention of refusing—doing so now would only make me appear suspicious. I smoothed my expression into something cool and practiced. “Anything to maintain appearances.”
At first glance his expression didn’t change, but upon closer examination the corners of his mouth turned down just a fraction, such a subtle change I might have missed it if I hadn’t been looking for it. “You don’t need to pretend, not with me.I simply thought, if there’s anything you need to tell me…this seems the best place to do it. There’s a reason this room is abandoned. Do you feel the magic pulsing through the air?”
I tilted my head, straining to listen. Now that he mentioned it, I could detect faint tremors, invisible ripples I sensed more than saw or heard—a delicate thrum shimmering beneath the surface of the room.
“With the circumstances of Thorndale’s court being what they are, it’s often difficult if outright impossible to speak of certain matters.”
A delicate way to acknowledge the fact that the king had eyes and ears everywhere…a rather ironic reminder coming from his primary puppet.
“There’s a reason this room is abandoned,” he continued. “The magic here is weaker, meaning the enchantments that allow the king to have a pulse on the kingdom is fractured; he can’t reach us here.”
I blinked. “Are you suggesting that, in addition to spies, magic is used to monitor Thorndale?”
I had never imagined such a possibility. Magic was rare across nearly all the surrounding kingdoms, and I had always believed the crown’s control was maintained solely by the king pulling the strings of the marionettes loyal to his wicked bidding.
But as valuable as this new information was, I received it with reservation, considering its source. My skepticism sharpened. How convenient he would happen to lead me into the one room supposedly beyond the king’s reach and then encourage conversation.
“This castle is laced with ancient magic,” Prince Castiel explained. “When it fades in certain wings, it’s too woven into the stones to repair. As you’re well aware, my father relies mostly on spies—but the enchantments are still strong enough to warrant caution.”
My head spun, both with these revelations and the fact he was voluntarily sharing them. Either he was correct in that our words could be safe here…or this was another trap lulling me into the illusion of security. I tried to ignore the reckless part of me that yearned to believe him.
And yet, despite my secret wish, I could see his hesitation, the tightening of his expression…as if he knew more, but wouldn’t tell, giving me reason to question the information he’d already disclosed.
Yet despite these reservations temptation to heed his unexpected invitation stirred, trying to sway me. There were so many things I wanted to ask—so many unresolved mysteries, so many curiosities I ached to fit together. But the risk was too high, especially when this could be another carefully laid snare.
“I can’t.” I offered no explanation, but the tension in my voice spoke of the fears I left unsaid.
Prince Castiel’s brow furrowed. “It must be exhausting to live constantly on edge, seeing suspicion and shadows in every corner.”
There was no hints of teasing in his tone. For once, he sounded…sincere, which was almost worse. I released a weary sigh. “It is.”
He mirrored my sigh, rubbing a gloved thumb along the edge of his palm. “I can’t fault you for your caution, not when I’ve done so little to earn your trust.” His gaze flicked to mine. “If certain topics are too difficult, even here…perhaps we could speak of other things.”
I frowned, unsettled. Why was he suddenly so eager to talk? Of all the days for him to break his usual silence, why on a day when my emotions were already strung so tightly? Each interaction felt like a riddle without a key, as if he opened a dictionary of responses each morning and chose one at random.
“Such as…” I prompted warily.
“Anything you’d like. While I’m tempted to try and persuade you to trust me, I understand trust is fragile and must be earned.”
I nearly scoffed but caught myself just in time, unwilling to show him that his words were affecting me.Trust, towardshim?Across infinite timelines, I would never be so reckless. And yet…the words tugged at something small and locked away, like a memory I couldn’t quite reach.
While I managed to suppress my retort, I wasn’t quick enough to school my expression. For a heartbeat, a haunting shadow of sadness flickered across his face before he smoothed it away, slipping the mask back into place.
