Page 85 of A Storm in Every Heart
“I take it Thorne doesn’t enjoy being forced to spend time with his half-brother?”
I shake my head. “No, he doesn’t. It wasn’t always as much of a problem, but now that Daemon is older and looks so much like the king, there’s a lot of tension at court. My aunt is afraid that the king will kill Daemon, or at least have him sent away.”
“Are you worried about that?” Kastian asks, his eyes searching my face.
“Yes,” I admit. “I think he should leave the country as soon as he finishes school. He could move here to Hydratta, or maybe to Solistine.”
He looks at me sharply. “If Daemon moved to Hydratta would you go too?”
I shrug. “Probably. It’s not like I have that many other friends to leave behind.”
Kastian seems to think about it. “As much as I’d like you both to come here, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know King Florian that well, but if my father had another son, the most dangerous thing he could do would be to disappear. Then there would be rumors which could turn into legends and either I or my father would have to hunt him down to remove the threat.”
The blood drains from my face. I hadn’t thought about it like that, but he’s absolutely right. Daemon is already attracting followers without even trying. If he were exiled, the legend would only grow.
“What would you suggest he do?” I ask.
Again, Kastian seems to consider it. “I think he should join the army as soon as possible, even if that means leaving school early. He needs to make himself useful, and more importantly, he needs to appear loyal to both Florian and Thorne. That’s his best possible chance.”
I nod. “I’ll pass that on.”
We reach the end of the hall, and Kastian holds open a door to a winding, white stone staircase. I pick up my skirt to keep from tripping and walk ahead of him down the stairs. We reach the bottom of the stairs and pass through another door, finding ourselves in a garden.
Kastian smiles. “I promise nothing will happen to any of you while you’re in Hydratta,” he says firmly. “But that would be an easier promise to keep if you let me convince you to go literally anywhere else tonight.”
It’s a warm evening, but I still pause and throw on the blue cloak. When I’ve finished fastening it around my neck, I furrow my brow up at Kastian. “You don’t want to go to the docks?”
He shakes his head. “I will, of course, if that’s what you want. It’s only a short walk from here, but it’s not the safest place in the kingdom.”
“Oh, I’m well aware.” I laugh. “I’ve spent a lot of time there.”
It’s his turn to look skeptical. “Are you going to explain why or leave me to try to imagine?”
I bite the inside of my cheek, thinking, as we walk through the garden and out onto the road that leads up to the castle. We don’t pass any guards at the gate and I wonder briefly if that’s normal or if Kastian did something to make sure we weren’t stopped from leaving the castle grounds.
“You’re not done talking to me, are you?” Kastian asks with a teasing smile.
“No, I was just thinking.”
“Good, I thought maybe I offended you again.”
He’s clearly joking, but my face falls. He’s right, I have been so standoffish he probably thinks I’m offended by everything in sight. That’s not really it at all. It’s just that I’d rather keep anyone away from me than allow them to get close ,only to inevitably lose them.
I don’t know how to be open with anyone.
“I grew up on a ship,” I blurt out. “That’s why I want to go see them.”
I internally cringe. As far as an attempt at transparency, that was a bit stilted.
Kastian raises his eyebrows. “Really? I thought you grew up in Vernallis.”
“I did. I mean, both are true. I went to live with my aunt and cousin when I was eight.”
“Is your ship docked in the harbor?”
