“Not hurt? Your neck is covered in bruises.” Cassie’s grip tightened around me, but I barely felt it. Tarra’s lifeless eyes flashed in my mind, Fontaine’s horror twisted face right after it. The assassin's smile, the conviction in his eyes, flared in my memories. What if he was right? What if I was selfish? What if there were people in the land being forced into slavery? Locked in my polished cage, I would be the last to know.
But the people loved the empress, their goddess—all except the Outlanders. What if their hatred toward us, their vendetta for our blood, was more than just an ancient feud for power and land? Would my mother really hide something like that from us? If it was in her best interest, I didn’t doubt it.
My breath hitched. What if I really was a monster? A demon? My eyes drifted from the pool of blood as I sought Ryker. He stood a short distance away, arms crossed as he watched me. I recalled the hatred in his eyes on the first night we’d met. What if he’d been right; what if I deserved to die?
“Why did you want to kill me?” I blurted.
A deep look of hurt crossed his face, as well as confusion.
“I thought you were over that?” Cassie whispered from beside me, brushing a wet strand of hair from my face.
“I am,” I said, still staring at Ryker. “I don’t care that he wanted to kill me; I just want to know the reasoning behind it.”
Ryker shook his head, the muscles along his jaw working.
“Why do you keep lying to me? I know it was you,” I whispered, dropping my gaze back down to the water. I would recognize his eyes anywhere.
“Enough of this!” the healer snapped. “The princess is in shock. I need both of you out of here now so I can clean her up and assess the extent of the damage she’s sustained.”
Footsteps receded and a door slammed closed, the reverberation echoed off the walls. I didn’t have to look up to know Ryker was gone.
“You too, young lady—”
“I’m not leaving my sister,” Cassie said. “But I can help.”
“Very well.” The healer sighed through tight lips. “But upset her again, and I’ll have the golems drag you out.” Cassie huffed her reproach, but kept her mouth shut. A moment later, the light dimmed around me as servants dragged a screen over, separating me from the rest of the room.
“You’re sure you’re not hurt anywhere else?” Cassie asked, her fingers working at the ties of my corset. “There’s so much blood.”
I didn’t respond, and Cassie and the healer continued to clean the blood from my skin. The healer checked over every bit of me, rinsing me off and removing me from the tub as the door to the infirmary slammed open, hitting the wall. A second later the screen ripped back, revealing a furious-looking Lilitha and a concerned Ariadne at her side.
“Sin!” Cassie jumped, throwing a towel around me and glaring at our mother as she stalked forward. Ari rushed past her to my other side, pulling me into a tight hug.
“Where are you hurt?” the empress demanded, pushing her skewed crown back off her forehead.
“Besides the bruises, she’s not, Your Majesty,” the healer murmured when I didn’t answer.
“Good.” Lilitha tsked, pulling my chin up to examine the bruises around my neck. “They should be healed by the time of the Ascension, so I won’t waste my energy. Let the pain be a reminder of your sins, daughter.”
“The Ascension’s still happening?” Cassie questioned from my side. “But she bested an assassin—she won your wager.”
“All bets are off,” the empress snarled, her eyes narrowing on Cassie.
“You can’t do that,” Cassie spit. “You promised—”
“I’m the empress; I can do whatever I please.” Lilitha’s nostrils flared. “Your sister’s actions resulted in the death of one of my own blood, as well as a most respected healer. She must pay the price for that. Kaleah has brought dishonor and shame to my blood for the last time. Who knows what other mistakes she would make if I waited another year.”
“No,” Cassie’s voice cracked, her hands trembling where they gripped my arm. “You can’t take her from me—”
“I can, and I will. If your sister truly loved you, maybe she would have thought about the consequences before acting so rashly. None of this would have happened if she’d stayed in her room like I ordered.”
“Please,” Cassie begged.
“It’s okay,” I murmured. “It’s the least I deserve.”
Ari’s grip on my shoulder tightened.
Cassie’s eyes widened. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”