Page 97 of The Blood that Binds Us

Cornelius walks forward and hovers a few feet away from us. “After you told me you fought Legion because they were holding your sister, I confirmed with Seraphine we didn’t have her. We’ve been working with Legion for a while, and I never knew of any plan about sisters. If we didn’t have her, it only made sense that our enemy did. I found her in a cell beneath the castle, hidden with illusive magic. I got her out before we unleashed the alchemist fire,” Cornelius explains.

“How did you find her? You’re a transcendent?” I ask. Naturally proficient with illusive magic, a transcendent could have sniffed out her location easily enough, as long as they were searching in the right place.

“No. There’s a… a bit more to us than that. Come with us, and you’ll see for yourself.”

I should have known.

All the time I spent sifting through the complicated mix of emotions rooted in Sin’s collective, and I still didn’t see it. He let me think he was doing me afavorby allowing me to return home, all the while knowing I would find Cosmina missing, springing his plan into action. He knew I’d offer my aid when I suspected Legion took her—that’s why he accepted my offer to fight alongside him so quickly. Andthat’swhy he didn’t want me rummaging around in his head, because he feared if I looked hard enough, I’d uncover the betrayal he’d stowed away in there.

“Please let me explain, Wren.”

Sin’s voice shatters the last of my resolve, and I slowly turn to face him. “Is it true?”

He doesn’t move for a long moment, and then in a voice softer than I’ve ever heard from him, he answers, “Yes.”

I knew it was true. I didn’t need to ask, but I wanted him to look me in the eye and admit what he had done. Tears sting my eyes as they dribble down my cheeks, and I turn my back to him.

“It is time for us to take our leave. Will you be joining us, Wren?” Sera asks.

“Lead the way.”

Cosmina steps out from under my arm, and we follow after Sera’s group now leaving through the tunnels.

“No. Wren, no—stop!” Sin says, grabbing my arm and pulling me to a halt.

I spin on my heel and shove my hands into his chest as I push him away. “Every. Single. Day. Every day you let me worry myself sick, imagining what terrible things Legion must be doing to her. And every time you looked at me, you knew she was rotting away beneath our feet. There is nothing you can say to me, Singard.Nothing!” I shout the last word.

Cosmina stops in the gate and turns to look at me. I nod for her to go ahead, and she disappears in the tunnel with the rest of the group. Sin’s soldiers scatter back towards the castle, beginning to clean up the debris and tend to those injured in the attack, leaving Sin and me staring at each other in the middle of the courtyard.

“I didn’t want this to happen,” he placates.

“Is that so? Pray tell, when exactly did you decide you didn’t want this to happen? Was it before or after you tortured my sister and lied to my face? Before or after you convinced me to slaughter an army for you? Before or after you used me for agoodfuck,Singard?”

“It wasn’t like that. Wren, Iswearto you, it was never like that,” he says, putting his hands up as if to caution my anger.

“You’re a godsdamned monster,” I choke through the tears falling faster now.

“Your sister came here right after you did. I thought you were both working with Legion, so yes, I… questioned her.”

“Tortured her,” I correct.

He sighs but doesn’t deny it. “I made a horrible mistake. When Cathal told me what you were, your secrecy made sense, and I realized Cosmina had been telling the truth when she said you had nothing to do with Legion. But I still didn’t trust you. I had no idea who you were or what you were planning. All I knew was I wanted you on our side when we met Legion head on. You were an asset I wasn’t willing to lose, and I didn’t tell you about your sister because she was leverage if I needed to force your hand. Iwantedto tell you. The night after we went to the temple, I wanted to tell you so badly, but I knew you’d be furious, and you wouldn’t have fought the same if you didn’t think they had her. You didn’t hesitate killing them because you thought you were doing it forher.”

I capture my bottom lip between my teeth and shake my head. If it was possible to hurt more, I do as his words pierce my chest as if they could carve out my heart and plop it on a silver platter.

An asset.

“Do you bed all your assets, Your Grace?” I ask, resting my hands in the divots of my waist.

Sin takes another step towards me but halts when I fling my hand towards him, my own fire magic simmering in my palm. I lower it when he nods in acknowledgment and backs off.

“What happened between us after the war… that was never a part of the plan. When I followed you into my study, I felt a… a hunger I never have before, and it wasn’t just the caster’s high. It was like the high kept me from hiding how I felt about you. How I’vealwaysfelt about you.”

“Save it,” I say, no longer meeting his eyes, unable to stomach looking at him for a second longer.

“I didn’t know how to let you go,” he continues. “I didn’twantto. I knew when I released your sister and you learned what I’d done… I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you like that. I planned on sending you away when I returned from the city, but seeing you at the ball… there it was again. This feeling like if I let you leave, I wouldn’t be able to breathe. It was selfish and wrong, but I couldn’t let you go. But after we… again…” he waves his hand to imply our coupling in the throne room, “I was so furious with myself, and I knew Ineededto let you go. That’s why I was sending you away, because when you were safe and home, I was going to release her and make sure she was returned safely. I just couldn’t bear seeing your face when you learned what I’d done.”

I try to fight back the tears, but they rush down my cheeks. I run my hands through my hair, gripping the roots too hard as if feeling the pain in my scalp will lessen the ache in my chest. “You know what the worst part is, Singard? It isn’t the lies or the betrayal… no. It’s that I didn’t even see it coming. I read your collective so many times, and I couldn’t see the manipulation through all theguiltyou feel about yourself. I actually felt bad for you—I wanted to take that pain from you. If I could have, I would have, to spare you from that hurt, and now I don’t know which one of us that makes more pathetic.”

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