A Kingdom of Venom and Vows (Stars and Shadows #3)(16)

I tried to wrap my brain around it. Had he fed from someone else that gave him this power? Was it something he had taken from me the first time he did so?

Eletta’s gaze shot to the door before looking back at me with wide and pleading eyes that reflected her fear, though she said nothing.

“That is not a question for me.” Eletta’s voice was pained—like words were being wrenched from her mouth.

“Why not?” I watched her carefully. I studied her for any signs of the truth.

“Because the prince wouldn’t want me talking about it.” There was a quiet trepidation in her voice that spoke of her fear of the royals who she normally spoke so highly of.

She looked back to the door as if she worried he would return at any moment, and the next words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

“I’m sorry.” I reached my hand out and touched her arm. “Gavril isn’t here. You can speak freely to me.”

She swallowed hard, and I held my breath, waiting for her to speak. “The prince will be angry with me if I talk about this.”

“What is going on?” I demanded, though my voice was but a whisper. “What has he done? Has he been feeding from someone else?”

She looked down at the bed and then finally to my face again. “His magic… it’s forbidden.” Her words were so quiet I had to strain to hear them. “He has death magic.”

The world around me went silent as my mind tried to process what she was saying.

“Death magic?” My hands started to shake as I looked at her, and she met my gaze as she nodded. “What does that mean?”

I had never heard of death magic before. My knowledge of most magic in this world was limited, but it wasn’t something I had even heard in legends.

“I don’t really know.” She shook her head softly. “We’ve heard legends of death magic growing up. About how it twists and changes the person who claims it. It is rumored to destroy one’s soul for giving up something so precious.” Her words were obviously difficult for her, but I watched her face for any signs of deception.

“What has he given up for this magic?” I whispered as I tried to wrap my brain around what she was saying. There was no way any of this was possible.

She nodded her head. “I’m not sure, but there are whispers that he’s given up his mate.”

“What?” I sat up straighter as dread filled my gut. Gavril had a mate?

Eletta clamped her lips together and looked back to the door once again as her hands trembled. “I will not talk about this anymore.”

I shook my head and stood from the bed. I almost swayed on my feet, and I immediately pressed my hand against the bed to keep me up. Even the night’s rest and the food I had just eaten weren’t enough to make me feel halfway normal.

Not after the news she had just delivered.

“Can I at least go back to my room to get something to wear?”

“No.” Eletta’s words were soft as if she was worried she would upset me. “Gavril had clothes brought into his closet for you. You are to bathe and dress in here.”

She didn’t wait for me to answer her. She simply moved toward the washroom and started filling the bath as I tried to wrap my head around everything she had just told me.

If Gavril truly had this magic that she spoke of, if he had a mate, what would that mean? Would Evren be able to fight him to get me back?

Would the two of our powers be strong enough to fight someone cruel enough to consume the other half of their soul?

Eletta helped me bathe and dress, and I couldn’t help but notice the way she paled as I winced when my leg hit the warm water.

The wound was still aching as I stepped into the dim library and braced myself for whatever was to come. I prayed to the gods that Gavril wouldn’t feed from me again today. I wasn’t sure that I could handle it. Especially not after what I had just learned.

I held my breath as I stepped into the room and passed a few stacks of books. I had been there many times before, and the smell of the old books flooded me along with the memories of Evren. Of the way he had touched me in this very room.

My hands ran over the spines of the books, and I paused as I noted Gavril. He smiled at me from where he sat in one of the large armchairs that were situated around the room. He didn’t have a book in his lap. Instead, he sat there quietly staring up at me as I studied him. His smile didn’t reach his eyes. Something dark hid in the blue depths.

His mate was all I could think about.

He was dressed in a pair of dark trousers with a dark blue shirt that matched his gaze. His hair was brushed back, and his face was cleanly shaven. He looked like the crowned prince that I knew him to be. Nothing of the days that passed had taken a toll on him.

He leaned his head back as if to get a better look at me. “How did you sleep?” He ran his hand over his jaw as he watched me, and it made my back straighten in panic.

“Horribly.”

He let out a soft, bitter laugh. “It’s okay for you to admit that you slept like the dead in your future husband’s bed, Adara.” He sat up straighter and leaned forward. “Your mate will never know.” He spat out the word mate as if it offended him.

“I slept like the dead because you tried to drain the life from me.”

His lips formed into a sinister smile at my words. “I could fuck the life out of you, too, if you want.”