These Twisted Bonds (These Hollow Vows, #2)(18)

Kane blinks at Finn. “Is that possible? Can the crown be cleaved from its power?”

Finn blows out a long breath. “She exhibited extraordinary power when she fled the Golden Palace.”

“More power than the Potion of Life would grant to a human turned fae,” Kane says, seeming to consider it. “Do you think he knows the throne won’t accept him?”

“I’m not sure that I know,” Finn says.

My head swims as I try to keep up. What exactly are they saying? What does my power have to do with Sebastian’s taking the throne?

“If you’re right,” Kane says, “he’ll want it back. What would that mean for Abriella?”

“Nothing good,” Finn says, running a hand through his black curls. “I would put nothing past him.

But he’ll make his move soon enough—with or without the power the throne demands.”

“The shield’s around the palace, and we’re gathering our forces to the mountains as we speak.

Even without Hargova’s guard, we’ll be able to—”

“Finn!” Jalek’s voice echoes in the cavernous room. “Lark says we’re about to have visitors.”

Kane’s head snaps toward the window, and he scans the horizon. “I don’t see any—”

“Hello, brother,” Finn says softly.

Across the room, on a dais where no one stood before, a goblin at his side, stands Sebastian, dressed in a shining black tunic with silver piping. I’ve become so accustomed to seeing him in the gray and yellow of the Court of the Sun that he looks unnatural in the darker colors. Like a child playing dress-up.

Sebastian’s eyes are wide as he stares Finn down. He wraps his fingers around the hilt of his sword. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Strange reason to pull your blade,” Kane says, moving closer to Finn, a hand on his own weapon.

“My guard is on its way,” Sebastian says. “Your shield may be slowing them down, but you forget that as soon as I sit on this throne, I can tear it down. I can flood this palace with those sworn to me. ”

“So why do you hesitate, Ronan?” Finn asks, folding his arms. He cocks his head to the side.

“Sorry—do you prefer Bash, as Abriella called you? Though I don’t suppose she’ll be calling you that anymore.”

Sebastian lunges forward, but Jalek throws up a hand and Sebastian bounces back as if he hit an invisible wall. “I know you have her hiding in Misha’s palace.”

Finn smiles, and if I hadn’t spent all those hours training with him, I probably wouldn’t recognize the anger and impatience behind that smile. “Then you know she’s safe,” he says, as if he wasn’t just discussing with Kane that he has no idea where I am.

They’re still using me to manipulate each other.

Sebastian’s eyes flash with anger. “Let me see her. I’ll send my goblin. I’ll—”

“If she wanted to see you, she’d be with you right now,” Finn growls.

“Damn it, Finn,” Sebastian snaps. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“That’s wise,” Kane says, taking a step closer to Finn. “Because Brie isn’t likely to forgive you as it is, but if you harm Finn, she may truly hate you forever.”

“You’re just angry that she chose me,” Sebastian snarls.

“Oh, I’m angry all right.” Finn’s eyes glitter. “But she didn’t choose you. She chose the work of fiction you created for her, the pretty little story you wooed her with—the poor golden prince with the dying mother and the dream of uniting two kingdoms after centuries divided.”

“It wasn’t fiction,” Sebastian says. “You know the prophecy as well as I do—a king who appears as an outsider will balance shadow and sun, save Mab’s people, and end the war. I am that king.”

Kane coughs. “Bullshit.”

Finn laughs darkly. “It’s funny to me that you never mentioned to her how . . . complicated it would be to unite the Seelie and Unseelie kingdoms.” He taps a finger to his lips and studies the ceiling. “No. Complicated isn’t the right word. Impossible is more fitting. Our courts exist to balance each other. They cannot be joined without the blood of Mab, and your people saw to it that her line was killed off long ago.”

“You didn’t give her the full truth either,” Sebastian says.

“Yes, but I never spouted such ridiculous plans.” Finn’s mask of amusement falls away. “You’re a fool, Sebastian, ” he says, emphasizing the name like an insult. “A fool if you believe our world would be better off under one ruler. You might be young, but you know the history. You know how corrupt the royalty became with that kind of power.”

“I suppose you believe that Mab’s curse saved us?” Sebastian snaps.

“Yes,” Finn says. “I do. The shadows bring balance to the sun, the dark balances the light.”

“And war kills us all,” Sebastian says.

Sighing, Finn strolls to the dais and takes the Mirror of Discovery from its place on the wall.

“Was anything you told her true?” he asks, spinning the mirror in his hand. “Funny how you gifted her with such a precious artifact but completely neglected to mention its inaccuracies.”