A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal (Stars and Shadows #2)(28)

“What of Evren?” I clenched my hands into fists and tried to stop myself from fidgeting.

Sorin's gaze swung to meet my own before he answered. “He's made it back to the fae kingdom. From what Jorah has reported, things are tense, but the queen believes they were attacked near the border.” I heard his words, but they didn't calm me. The queen was no fool. She had to know the truth.

Evren had told me she would stop at nothing until she got me back, and I feared what that nothing would entail. What would she do to Evren if she found out? If she suspected? Would she kill the son of her husband, of her king, if she believed him a traitor?

I knew the answer deep in my gut, and my magic swirled and writhed inside of me, begging for me to let it out, to go after him, to save my mate. But I pushed it down inch by inch as I tried to control my breathing.

“When is he to return?”

“I don't know.” Sorin shook his head, and I noted the dark circles under his eyes.

“Any word for us?” Thalia crossed her arms as she studied the captain in front of her.

“Stay down. Stay quiet.” Sorin shrugged his shoulders as if that didn’t drive him mad, but he rubbed his hand over his eyebrows as he delivered Evren’s order. “Evren wants no movement that can tip the queen off on what is happening.”

“What is happening?” I looked back and forth between the two of them. I felt so lost, so far on the outside looking in.

“If the queen finds out, if she knows that Evren not only has you but knows of the prophecy, she shall kill us all.”

“The queen doesn't know that Evren knows of the prophecy?” As soon as they heard my question, they looked to one another and Thalia wrinkled her brow.

“No.” Sorin shook his head, and I watched as his hand tapped against his dagger mindlessly. “The queen thinks it's her best-kept secret. If she had any idea that Evren knew, she would destroy him before he was even able to open his mouth to defend himself. The son of her king be damned. The two of you are the key to the prophecy. The queen needs your hand or Evren’s head.”

Terror like I never felt before coursed through me, and my magic raged, begging for me to let it out. Uncontrollable, angry, scared. “Then why would he go back there? Why would he do this?”

“Because he's trying to save his people. To save you.” Sorin watched me carefully, and I wondered if he could see the magic writhing inside me. “You have no idea what it used to be like. The king may sit on the biggest throne, but it is Queen Kaida who rules. The queen and that fucking son of hers will ruin the whole damn world if we allow them.”

“Can you feel your magic now?”

I turned to face Thalia, and she was staring down at my hands. I followed her gaze and watched as trickles of black smoke left my fingers.

“I can't control it.” I could hear the irritation, the fear in my own voice.

“It's harder to control when your emotions are high.” She moved in front of me and laid her hands against mine. “When you're angry, fearful, or even aroused, your magic will flare inside of you. It is up to you whether you use it or not.”

Sorin moved closer to us, but I didn't pull my hands away from Thalia.

“I'm going to leave you two to it.” The cockiness was gone from his voice, and my anger only spurred my magic on. If this captain of Evren’s guard was so fearful for his prince, his friend, then why didn’t he stop him? Why didn’t he tell his friend that this was the wrong thing to do?

But I didn’t say any of those questions aloud. I held them in and let them twist inside of me with my magic.

Sorin leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to Thalia’s forehead, and her eyes fluttered shut before opening again to stare straight ahead at me. Neither one of us watched as he left the courtyard. He simply disappeared, but I was too busy fighting the swarm happening inside of me to care.

Questioning his loyalty, of what they were allowing their prince to do, wouldn’t help me calm the magic inside me or the fear.

“The first thing you should learn is how to use your emotions to control your power.” Thalia lifted her hand and pressed her palm against mine. I jolted back when I felt her power mix with my own. I looked between us, and the most beautiful shade of blue wrapped around my black magic in a caress.

“Why is your… why is your magic blue?”

Thalia cocked her head as she stared down at her magic, and I knew she was thinking about her words carefully. “Everyone's magic has an aura, but most people’s magic those stay inside of them. It is rare for someone's magic to escape them like yours or Evren’s or even mine.” She lifted her fingers and ran them through the smoke between us. “It takes an effort for me to push my magic out of me like this. It’s a strain. But it appears to come from you so naturally.”

“I’ve only used my magic a few times.” I clenched my hands into fists and tried to pull my smoke back into myself, but it didn't listen. “Each time was when I was fearful or angry. I have no idea what my magic is like otherwise.”

“Evren's magic is similar.” Thalia took a step back and pulled the blue smoke back into herself before lifting her hand in a gentle motion and knocking me on my ass.

My breath was knocked from my lungs as I hit the ground, and I looked up at her like she had lost her mind. “What was that for?”