Page 17 of A Song of Shadow and Starlight

Atlas cocks his head to the side with a confused and amused look on his face. Nyx's mouth drops, as if he didn't expect me to have basic manners.

"What did you say?" Atlas asks sweetly, but I have a sneaking suspicion he just wants to hear me say it again.

"I said, thank you." I cross my arms over my chest. "Thank you for saving me."

Atlas smiles and for the first time since meeting him, I don't want to slap him. "You're welcome." His eyes are molten. I wish I could read his mind to know exactly what he is thinking. Or maybe not. Who knows what dirty and unwholesome thoughts are running wild through the Tronovian's head.

"What was it?" I ask, hoping to quench whatever unwanted tension might be brewing between us.

"It's a Panthera." Finn puts his glasses on, not at all bothered by the gruesome morning wake-up.

"Do you think there are more of them?" I scan the jungle but it's so thick with vegetation, vines, and trees, there's no way to see more than twenty feet in front of me.

Nyx laughs. "I'd be surprised if we didn't run into more, Princess."

"Shaye." I say without thinking and now I'm wishing I could take it back, but it's far too late for that. "Call me Shaye."

"Well, Shaye," Nyx smiles, "you survived the night without your tea."

He's right. What were my parents so worried about?

"I suppose so."

I'm more curious than ever to find out what the tea was really for. What if the tea had been given to me to stifle my magic, since it's illegal in Midori? But that would mean my parents knew of my power and hid the truth from me.

Eris is the last one to crawl out of her sleeping bag, but when she sees me, she sucks in a sharp breath, earning our attention. She stares at me, mouth agape, as if she's seeing me for the first time.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" I ask, my tone sharper than intended.

"Your eyes," she rasps. "They're grey."

I laugh. "That's ridiculous. My eyes are brown."

The brothers exchange odd looks before examining my face.

"Are you three quite finished gawking?" I scoff, flashing them a dirty look. I tighten the hooded jacket Finn returned to me last night before I fell asleep.

"If they were brown, they aren't brown anymore." Nyx takes a step toward me and slowly raises his hand toward my hood. "May I?"

I nod, trying to curb the panic stirring inside me. Gently, Nyx slips his fingers into my hood and lowers it. I detect from their bewildered faces something is wrong. He pulls strands of my hair forward for me to see and I nearly pass out.

"It's white!" I blurt, tugging hard on a few strands to make sure it's actually attached to my head. "That's impossible!"

"So, your parents gave you a special tea to not only suppress your magic, but to disguise your appearance as well." Atlas rubs the stubble along his jawline, before meeting my gaze. "I hate to break this to you, Princess, but there's no way you're a Midorian."

"Don't be an idiot." I shoot back, but a part of me is afraid he might be right. "I'm the heir to the Golden Throne -"

"You might be the heir to the Midorian throne," Atlas interrupts, his eyes homed in on me, a grimace snaking across his face, "but the Sand Lands is not your home."

I scoff, slamming my hands on my hips. "Since you seem to have all the answers, Tronovian, why don't you tell me where I'm supposed to hail from, if not Midori."

Atlas tips his head to the side, drinking in the curvature of my hip. "From your white hair and grey eyes, there's only one kingdom you could be from."

"Elowen? The Frost Kingdom?" I laugh, but tears well in my eyes. "That can't be true," I whisper and Atlas' face softens. The way he looks at me, as if I am someone to be pitied, angers me, but I'm far too rattled to lash out at him. "If that's true, then…" That means my parents aren't my parents.

Eris slips her hand into mine. "Shaye, we'll figure this out."

I look into her compassionate blue eyes. I want to believe her, but I also want to push her away. This has been a trying twenty-four hours. I glance around the camp and a knot forms in my throat when I see all three brothers watching me. They're probably waiting for me to crumble or start crying like a blubbering fool, but it'll be a cold day in the Underworld before I lose myself in the presence of my enemies. There will be another time to cry.

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