Page 9 of Revert
I scrambled for a topic, but my thoughts stuttered when I noticed the guard accompanying him—the very man Halric had replaced, a brutish man who carried the air of someone who guarded not to protect, but for the chance to witness my demise.
“Have you swapped out our guards?” The question escaped before I could check its appropriateness. I immediately yearned to snatch it back.
He paused, teacup half-raised to his lips. He didn’t answer right away, and while his extended silences were nothing new—a habit of a man who chose every word with care—this one felt heavier than usual, calculated.
I braced myself for the same evasion Halric had offered, or a convenience I’d be expected to accept without question. “I felt the guards would be best suited in their new positions—Halric serving you, and Garron putting his talents to use for me.” He gave the latter a subtle nod; the man swelled with visible pride.
The explanation only left me more perplexed. I could think of no reason for Prince Castiel to so easily relinquish one of his most trusted men…unless he meant to plant him as a means of gathering information. He hadn’t taken such a precaution in the first timeline, so what accounted for the change? Had the Bernice of this version already done something to provoke his suspicion?
I pursed my lips to suppress my frustration. I already had enough mysteries to unravel without adding another. This one appeared inconsequential at first glance, but it was still a deviation from the reality I knew…and any alteration was dangerous.
Until now, I had assumed both timelines shared the same past. If I was mistaken, it placed me at a severe disadvantage, especially when I had no way to access the memories fromthistimeline, leaving me to navigate in the dark.
I debated asking for clarification, but before I could voice the thought, he leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice. “While I welcome curiosity and questions, not everyone values the trait with the same admiration.”
Startled by his words, I faltered—and in my clumsy nerves, I upended the sugar bowl. Glass scattered across the table, sugar spilling like arsenic. Prince Castiel reached for my hand, but I jerked away so sharply I nearly knocked over my teacup as well, unable to quite conceal my fear.
He went still. For the first time during our exchange, emotion flickered across his face—quiet and somber. I found myself staring, drawn by this crack in his usually impassive mask. Fascination stirred before I could stop it…but the moment passed, and with it the last of my composure. I needed to get away.
“You’re rather on edge.” Prince Castiel made the observation off-handedly, but something in his assessing gaze felt almost knowing.
Panic bloomed. What if the magic responsible for reverting time hadn’t pulled me far enough back? What if he’d already found reason to condemn me and was merely gathering the final threads of evidence before sealing my fate? Or perhaps he had always possessed the necessary information, and in my naivety I had only thought I was in control the first time around, when in truth I’d always been playing right into his hands, only one mistake away from death.
It was too soon for him to notice a change, too soon to suspect. I drew a breath to steady myself.Focus. This wasn’t the first tricky conversation I’d been forced to navigate since ourengagement, and if I had any hope of surviving, it wouldn’t be the last.
Though terror of what my betrothed was capable of had followed me from that night of blood and shadows, I had to remember his blade hadn’t struck without cause; he’d caught me in the act of treason. If I navigated this version of events carefully, he would have no reason to claim my life a second time. It might be a vain hope, but I clung to it nonetheless.
“I’m fine.” But my voice wavered, betraying the lie.
His serious expression tightened. “Whether or not you’re well is not for me to determine,” he said at last. “But your behavior today is markedly different from yesterday. It’s my duty to determinewhy.” His voice was measured and controlled, but beneath it lay a warning not to lie to him again.
You murdered me and I have gone back in time to see where I went wrong. While that wasn’t a truth I could share, it would be in my best interest to offer some measure of honesty—I was in no state to keep my growing web of falsehoods straight.
“Forgive me, my thoughts are still lingering on last night’s dream,” I admitted after a pause. “It was…rather unsettling.”
“It must have been quite memorable to so thoroughly capture your attention while with your fiancé,” he said. “Would it help if you shared it with me?”
His tone was searching as he took a slow sip of tea, his eyes never once leaving mine. I had to summon every ounce of court training not to squirm under the weight of his scrutiny.
I lifted my lips into the tight, well-practiced smile. “I would hate to burden you with such trivialities.”
He frowned. “It saddens me that despite the length of our courtship, you still don’t trust me.”
I cursed myself inwardly for that careless slip I knew better than to have made. “Not at all, Your Highness. You are a most devoted and generous fiancé.”
My stomach twisted, the words poison on my tongue. The blood-soaked details from last night rose unbidden, recollection that made it impossible to hold his gaze any longer.
Silence stretched, taut and unbearable. I sat stiffly, every nerve alert, bracing for his next words like a prisoner awaiting sentencing. In this court of fear and intrigue, even death was not excuse enough to justify straying from routine or revealing unnecessary emotion; remaining guarded was the only defense I had left.
But it never came. After a moment, he rose. He took a slow, unhurried step towards the door. He paused with his hand on the handle. His back remained to me as he spoke. “Remember that some illusions are in place for your protection.”
Without awaiting a reply he departed; the door closed behind him, leaving me in the suffocating silence choking the room.
His words haunted me long after he left. Did he know I feared him? Had that been compassion in his voice…or manipulation? Did he truly mean to protect me now—or was this simply another tactic, designed to lure me closer before he struck again?
One thing I was certain of: I would not let him catch me unaware again. Whatever game he was playing, I would not lose a second time.
CHAPTER 4
