‘I would think you’d have better grace than to refer to my family’s legacy as a tale, and I’ve got half a mind to⁠—’

‘Time’s up, Rohan,’ she snaps sharply. ‘If you want to find another scribe that’ll work with you, then good luck. We’re done for today.’

My jaw drops. This is definitely a side of Caroline I’ve not seen before. I wait for Rohan to put up more of an objection, but instead he merely mutters to himself as he grabs his cane and ambles off.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Rohan,’ Caroline calls after him as he disappears between the shelves, no doubt regretting her sharp tone.

Only when all we can hear are his footsteps and the clicking of his cane does she turn to me.

‘Congratulations,’ she says dully. That’s it. A single word.

My skin prickles. ‘Congratulations?’

‘On surviving the fourth trial. I heard it was touch and go.’

‘Right. Yeah.’

Her shoulders are stiff. Her face is expressionless. ‘I heard it was an interesting turnout for the prince, too. The rumour mill is having a field day with it. Not to mention the bookies. He was everyone’s favourite.’

‘Right.’

‘I take it you and he are … something.’

Something. I can’t immediately think of a better word to sum up what Kyor and I are, but then again, the last thing I expected when coming here was to talk about him.

‘Yes … listen, I saw Llin’s mother, Morwenna, on the island. Met Carys, too.’

For the first time, Caroline’s facade flickers and pain flashes in her eyes. ‘I assume you’re here because you want something. After all, that’s the only time you turn up, isn’t it? So what do you want, Rose?’

It’s a direct hit and the words cut like a knife in the windpipe because of how true they are.

‘You’re right, I shouldn’t’ve come. I’m sorry. I’ll find it myself.’

I twist away from her to stare at the maze of books. I have no idea where to start.

‘I don’t want to blame you, you know,’ Caroline whispers as I start to walk away. ‘I know you didn’t do it deliberately. That you didn’t know the drink was poisoned. But I can’t help it. I can’t help wishing it was you instead.’

I freeze, vision blurring, and look back at her. ‘You’re not the only one who wishes that, Caroline. I promise you.’

Her breath hitches and she shakes her head. ‘I’m sorry. That was cruel of me.’

‘It was justified,’ I murmur.

‘No, it wasn’t. You loved her too.’

‘Not in the same way.’

‘No, but you still loved her.’ She glances up at the ceiling as she wipes away the tears, then looks at me as she inhales again. ‘So what do you need?’

I’m still torn. She wasn’t wrong when she said I only come here when I need something, and I’d hate for her to think that’s all I want this friendship for – for how she can help me. She and Benny are the last fragments of my best friend that I have. But without her help, I’m at a complete loss.

‘Okay, so the latest trial was getting around a kraken.’ I watch her closely. She doesn’t look surprised by this.

‘I heard. That’s crazy.’

‘Right. Well, I was just wondering if you have any books about them. About krakens. Or perhaps the people who could communicate with them. Whether that’s a traditional magic thing, or I don’t know … maybe something other people in other kingdoms can do?’ I try to sound as casual as possible.

Benny would be able to read the lie straight away, and even Llinos wouldn’t have been quick to believe me, but Caroline is wearing an expression I can’t read.

‘Well, turns out there is a book about it,’ she says. ‘But I only know that because someone else found it. Someone else who was looking for exactly the same thing you are.’

‘Somebody else?’

Chills run down my neck only to spread into a warmth of relief. Kyor, I think. Kyor must have got to it first. He said he’d help me in whatever way he could, and he is.

I clear my throat, trying to keep my pulse steady. ‘Who wanted it?’

She nods towards the back of the room, implying I need to turn around. My heart stutters at the thought of seeing Kyor again so soon, and somewhere we can actually have something close to privacy without breaking any rules. Only as my eyes fall on the figure does the fluttering turn into a heavy weight that sinks to the pit of my stomach.

‘Me.’ Jonas steps out of the shadow, his focus narrowed on me. ‘I’m the one who wanted it.’

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter 68

Ifeel sick. Physically nauseous. Jonas is my friend. Wasn’t I trying to convince Kyor only this morning that we could trust him? Then again, that was before Jonas’s comment about working on our solo skills. He’s out for himself now, and I guess that includes doing whatever it takes to get rid of the competition.

‘Jonas.’ I try to keep my voice steady. ‘Whatever it is you think you know, it’s not what you think.’

‘Is that right? Well, I’ll tell you now, I’ve got a fair few suspicions,’ he says. ‘Suspicions I’m pretty sure I can find the answers to in here. Unless you want to save me the trouble?’

He steps forward. There’s a thick tome in his arms and a single vein is raised and pulsing across his forehead. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Caroline slink away. I assume it’s because she thinks we want privacy. Part of me wants to call out to her to stay. But maybe the fewer witnesses, the better.

‘Is this the power you used to kill Oke, too?’ he asks. ‘You didn’t take your dagger with you to the lake. You left it in the dining hall. Did you use magic to kill her?’ He lowers his voice. ‘Issen magic?’

I don’t answer – I can’t – and he takes my silence as agreement.

With a sharp inhale, he takes a step towards me. ‘Rose, whatever is going on with you, if anybody finds this out, you are dead. You know that.’

My eyes jerk up to meet his. ‘Of course I do! But I don’t know what this is. I need time to work it out.’

‘You don’t get time here. Remember? There are no second chances. You, of all people, should know that. Think of your mother. Your father.’

There’s a clattering from somewhere deeper in the library, and I drop my voice to a whispering hiss. ‘What would you have me do, then? Would you have me turn myself in for powers I don’t even understand?’

‘No, of course not.’ That vein is still protruding from his forehead, though it’s not pulsing quite so much anymore.

‘Then what, Jonas?’

He looks at me for a moment, his cheeks drawing inwards. He sets the book down. ‘Marry me,’ he says. ‘I’ll protect you and make sure people don’t find out. Marry me, Rose.’

I gape at him. He has to be joking. And yet his expression is deadly serious.

‘What the hell are you on about?’ A disbelieving laugh cracks from my lungs. ‘You can’t be serious.’

‘It makes sense,’ he says, taking my hands. ‘It’s the only thing you can do. If we’re married, you’ll be back to being a member of the court. Acacia, too. Once that happens, we can move somewhere. Away from Wrohelm. Maybe Benny could get us a place on one of the smaller Eastern Isles. Somewhere quiet.’

My laughter may have stopped, but the disbelief remains. He wants me to run away and hide for the rest of my life. ‘Jonas, I’m not going to marry you. I … I can’t. I love Kyor.’

It’s the first time I’ve said the words aloud, to anyone, and it feels wrong. They should be reserved for Kyor alone.

Jonas is unfazed by my confession. ‘Whatever you believe you feel, it’s almost certainly due to the stress of the situation, Rose. Some weird coping mechanism to make all the suffering here seem normal. Believe me when I say that’s not what love should be.’

I grit my teeth, fighting the urge to spit at him.

‘Kyor is the prince,’ Jonas continues. ‘And you are … whatever you are, Rose. Please think about this sensibly. I’m not denying your feelings for him. I’m not. I’m sure there’s something there for you, and maybe it’s even reciprocated. But at some point, he’s going to have to be king. King of the whole of Morathka. Sworn to protect his subjects from the Issen. What’s going to happen if he finds out? When he realises the truth, he will have to put you to death, Rose. You know that.’