She waited to feel some sort of reaction—some kind of grief or sadness or . . . anything at all. But there was nothing.
“I will find her killer. I swear I will. And I will make him pay for what he’s done.” Magnus’s voice caught and he pulled from her grip to pace the room, keeping his face in shadows.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” she whispered.
“A loss to us all.”
He mourned their mother—deeply. But Lucia found that she did not.
Magnus strode across the room, absently stroking the scar on his cheek. He always did so when he was thinking deeply, whether he realized it or not. “Mother’s body was found with a witch—also murdered. Likely, this witch was supplying her with the sleeping potion. I just don’t understand why she’d do such a thing. What was she thinking?”
So her mother consulted with witches, did she? To fight fire with fire—magic with magic. “We’ll never know for sure,” she said instead. She reached out to Magnus and he came back to her side, grasping her hand in his again. “Help me up. I need to get out of this bed.”
He did as she asked, supporting her. But as soon as her weight was on both legs, she found she did not have the strength to stand on her own.
“Not yet, I’m afraid,” he said, helping her back into bed. “You must rest.”
“I’ve been resting for two months!”
A weary smile curled up the side of his mouth, though his dark eyes were still filled with grief. “Another couple of days will have to be added. You’re not going anywhere today. Too bad, really. On any other day, I could sit here till nightfall and fill you in on everything else you’ve missed. For example, how I feel about being trapped in Auranos. Always bright and shiny and delightfully green—and I truly could not hate it more. All I wish to do is join the hunt for the rebel who killed our mother. But that will have to wait.”
“Wait for what?”
Magnus stood up from the side of the bed and leaned his arm against the poster near the base. “Until I return.”
“Where are you going?”
His brow furrowed. It was as if he didn’t wish to speak his thoughts aloud.
“Magnus, tell me. What’s wrong?”
“Today’s an important day, Lucia. I find it quite ironic that today, of all days, is when you’ve finally returned to us. To me.”
“What’s today?”
“It’s my wedding day.”
She gaped at him and struggled to sit up amongst the many cushions and pillows surrounding her. “What? Who are you marrying?”
His jaw tightened. “Princess Cleiona Bellos.”
Lucia could not believe her ears. “This has been arranged.”
Magnus gave her a look. “Oh, not at all. Since helping to take her father’s kingdom and destroy her life, I couldn’t help but fall madly in love with her. Yes, obviously it was arranged.”
Her brother, betrothed to Princess Cleiona—the golden princess of Auranos! “And you’re not pleased.”
Magnus rubbed his forehead as if the very thought of this pained him. “Pleased that I’m to be wed to a girl who hates me? That I feel nothing for her in return? All to help serve Father’s political agenda? I would say ‘not pleased’ is putting it rather mildly.”
She understood why such a strange union would make sense, despite her initial surprise. But this felt deeply wrong. “He may be the king and your father, but he’s not your lord and master and you’re not his slave. Refuse to marry her.”
He studied her for a long moment. “Do you want me to refuse?”
“It has nothing to do with me, Magnus. This is your life, your future.”
From his suddenly pained expression she knew this was not the reply he’d hoped for.
She inwardly cringed at the memory of Magnus admitting the depth of his desire for her, of forcing a kiss upon her she didn’t want, nor that she returned.
“Nothing has changed between us, Magnus,” she whispered. “Please understand that.”
“I do understand.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes.” The word was a hiss.
They might not share blood, but to her, he was her brother in every way that counted. To feel anything else for him was impossible. When he’d kissed her, she’d felt only disgust.
But when Alexius had kissed her . . .
“Don’t cry,” Magnus said, reaching forward to gently stroke the tears from her cheeks, tears she was surprised to find herself shedding. “I must wed the princess. There’s no other choice.”
“Then I wish you all good things, brother.”