Page 72 of Only Cold Depths
Kyrion hesitated. “If there is one thing that sets House Zimmer apart from the other Houses, it’s their devotion to family. The other Regals might crow about the importance of family on the gossipcasts, but the Zimmers trulybelieveit. Family first, House second, and then to the bloody stars with everyone else. The importance of family has been drilled into Zane’s head since he was a child, and he would doanythingto protect his father and grandmother. That’s why I told him you were his sister before the midnight ball. I thought the knowledge might sway him to help us.”
Surprise flickered through me. “You still think Zane let you cut him with your stormsword so we could escape?”
Kyrion nodded. “Yes. I think he did other things as well, although I can’t prove it.”
We’d had this conversation more than once, and we’d reviewed everything that had happened during the ball. Every time Kyrion claimed that Zane had helped us, a tiny spark of hope flared up in my heart like a star trying to be born.
I’d had the same spark of hope when I was being held in the Techwave lab and Nerezza had said that her daughter was dead. For one brief, shining moment, I’d thought maybethatwas why my mother had never tried to see, find, or check on me in the last thirty years. But in the very next breath, Nerezza had said my supposed death was a wasted opportunity since she couldn’t use her dead daughter—me—against her enemies. And just like that, my hope had snuffed out, shriveled up, and blown away like bitter ash floating in the cracked chasms of my heart.
In some ways, Nerezza had wounded me far worse than Harkin Ocnus had with his sadistic torture. I’dletmy mother hurt me again, despite all my vows that I was done with her, and I didn’t know how to stop Zane, Wendell, and Beatrice from doing the same thing.
In the R&D lab, a brewmaker could only break so many times before it was beyond repair, and my heart was much more fragile than any appliance.
I rubbed my aching head. Like it or not, the Zimmers were here, and according to Kyrion, Zane wouldn’t leave without having this conversation, so all I could do now was get on with it.
I dropped my hand, squared my shoulders, and lifted my chin. “Fine. Let’s go see what my not-family wants, and then we can be rid of them once and for all.”
Kyrion slid his hand into mine. My fingers were ice-cold in his warm grip, and he gave them a gentle squeeze.
“No matter what happens, I’m right here with you, Vesper.” He paused. “And if you want me to slice Zane open from gullet to gut, then that’s what I’ll do.”
The dark promise in his words made me smile. I stood on my tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. Kyrion held me close for a few seconds, then let me go, although he remained a strong, solid, comforting presence at my side.
I stared at the doors a moment longer, then twisted the knob and moved forward to confront the family that had never wanted me.
KyrionandIenteredthe library. Beatrice was perched primly on a settee in the center of the room. Her back was ramrod straight, and the long skirt of her ice-blue gown was draped perfectly around her body, as though she was the queen of the castle posing for a portrait. Wendell was sitting next to her, and he kept rubbing his hands along his thighs, wrinkling his pants.
Zane was leaning one shoulder against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, watching everyone with an unreadable expression. Maybe my seer magic was whispering a warning, or maybe it was my own prior bad experiences with him, but somehow I knew Zane was the most dangerous of the three Zimmers and that he could hurt me the worst of all.
I looked past the Zimmers, studying the rest of the library, trying to buy myself a few more seconds to shore up my defenses.
Settees, tables, and chairs made of real wood, stone, and glass filled the room, along with other luxe furnishings. Seeing the Zimmers in the midst of such finery made me feel as though I was back on Corios and had just stepped into Castle Zimmer.
After I’d learned who my father was, I’d scoured the gossipcasts, searching for every single scrap of information I could find about Wendell, Beatrice, and especially Zane. I’d watched dozens of shows about Castle Zimmer and the history of House Zimmer, as if seeing the Zimmers in their natural, ancestral habitat would give me some clue to who they truly were—and why they had never wanted me to be part of their family.
Beatrice gestured at the porcelain green tea set arranged on a gold platter on the low table in front of her. “I asked the servants to bring us some tea. I hope you don’t mind.”
As the head of House Zimmer, Beatrice was used to being obeyed. She would have done the exact same thing even if I had minded, but I swallowed my snide thought.
Beatrice gestured at the tea set again. “May I pour you a cup?”
I spun away from her and stalked over to a brewmaker sitting on a table along the wall. I popped a pod into the brewmaker and made my own cup of tea, which I then set on the nearby beverage chiller. The simple act of making it calmed some of my nerves.
I took the cup, walked over, and sat down on the settee opposite Beatrice and Wendell. Kyrion leaned against the wall to my right, close to Zane. Kyrion crossed his arms over his chest, mocking Zane’s seemingly relaxed posture, and my brother rolled his eyes in response.
Despite my roiling stomach, I forced myself to take a sip of the tea, then set the cup down. “I despise hot tea. I prefer to make it howIlike it. Not how everyone elseexpectsit to be. I’ve been making my own tea for a long time.”
My voice grew colder and harsher with every word. Beatrice’s lips pressed into a thin line, but she picked up her own teacup and took a long, slow, deliberate sip before setting it back down. I didn’t touch my tea again. Wendell didn’t pick up his cup either.
I braced my back against the cushions, letting them prop me up, then waved my hand in an airy motion, as though I didn’t have a care in the galaxy. “You wanted to talk, so talk.”
Wendell leaned forward. “I’m so sorry, Vesper. About everything. Truly.”
“Like pretending I didn’t exist for the last thirty-seven years?” A bitter laugh tumbled out of my mouth. “Yes, I imagine you do feel sorry about that. But only now.Afterwe all know the truth.”
Wendell shook his head. “I didn’t even know you existed until the midnight ball when you confronted Nerezza. Truly, Vesper. I had no idea Nerezza had ever been pregnant.”
Sincerity rang through his voice, lessening some of my brittle anger. At him, at least. My gaze shifted over to Beatrice. “But you knew, didn’t you?”
