I jumped up just as Darren yanked me down, hard. “Don’t say a word!” he pled. “He doesn’t know!”
I fought the prince’s grip and Wren clung to my arm. She didn’t know what Darren and I were arguing over, but even she knew I was about to make a mistake.
“If the boy tries to heal himself, have him executed.”
I was clawing in Darren’s arms, every bit of magic threatening to burst—
“Ryiah,” Darren’s voice was a rasp, “please.”
“Yes, your majesty. Right away, your—”
“DON’T JUST STAND THERE TALKING. GET THAT BOY!”
Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes, and my heart was attacking my lungs, and I could barely hear over the blaring roar of my pulse.
ALEX.ALEX.ALEX.ALEX. I tried deep, shaking breaths, but as two knights sprinted across the field, dragging my confused brother by the pits of his arms, I broke free.
Darren caught me just before I reached the rail—he spun me around and his lips slammed against mine just in time to muffle the cry.
A part of me was shattering, and all that kept the audience from knowing the truth was Darren’s hot mouth on my own. Strangling the shriek inside.
Preventing his father from knowing.
And that’s when I heard Ella’s rampant screams. And then my parents’. And then Derrick.
****
Two knights hauled my brother out into the center of the arena.
For thirty-nine minutes I had sat still, fighting the verge of panic as Darren whispered into my ear and Wren clung to my arm, pretending everything was fine. The king had been too busy watching the rest of the third-rank trials to notice, and during the brief break between rounds Blayne had hastily engaged his father in a long, drawn out conversation.
But now my brother was back.
I saw the look of horror as some of the candidates as they recognized their own among the prisoners. The soldiers were addressing their group and it was clear from their stance they were explaining the king’s orders, pointing to the extra judge who would make sure my brother didn’t attempt to heal himself during the second-rank trial.
And then it began.
I watched as my brother crumbled to the floor.
I watched as the candidate knelt to the sand and began to treat the first of his injuries.
I watched as the soldiers continued with beatings, and then, later, three stabbings across his chest.
The crowd’s clamor was so loud during the final minutes of the round that my cry didn’t stand out amongst the rest. I was gripping the rail, eyes glued to the stadium floor, screaming at the top of my lungs until I went hoarse.
I watched as the soldiers hauled my brother away. Healed by his candidate, but still wet blood dripping from his robe, the whites of his eyes like saucers, the trembling of his limbs…
And then they brought him out all over again.
I didn’t have to worry about screaming. By the time it was over, I had nothing left to give.
****
When the first day of the Candidacy had concluded, the king had Alex brought to our box. I had to pretend that my heart wasn’t breaking, shattering into hundreds of tiny shards as the king’s men threw him before Lucius’s feet.
Alex’s gaze briefly met my own, and the betrayal was enough to make me bleed out and die. There was so much pain and confusion and anger, but I saw him swallow as the anger vanished and he looked up to the king.
“What is your name?” the king barked.
“Rex.” At least my twin knew better than to tell the truth. He croaked the last words like he’d swallowed a mouthful of rocks. “Your majesty.”
“Rex. If you dare to humiliate your country like that again I will have you beheaded. Today was a blessing, you should count yourself lucky I did not de-robe you on the spot.”
The knights released my brother, and he pulled himself up, limping as he stood. Darren’s grip tightened on my own as I took in the full light of his face, a purple bruise still marring his right eye and sandy brown bangs caked in blood.
He wouldn’t even meet my eyes.
****
Darren half-dragged me out of the stands. I’d wanted to go to Alex, my family, Ella—but he had warned me to wait. He promised Paige would help me sneak out that evening after the rest of the manor was asleep, but I had to at least pretend for the sake of my twin.
After all, if the king found out it was my brother, the consequences would have only been worse.
When I finally did go to my family, it was in the dead of the night. My best friend was sobbing, and my parents couldn’t even bear to look at me. Alex just stared at the wall, hands locked on the steaming mug in his hand.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. I fell to my knees, taking his hand in my own and pleading for him to look down at me.
“You could have stopped them.” Derrick’s raging whisper cut across the inn’s room like a knife. “You could have done something!”
Paige spoke up. “She would have made it worse. The king—”
“I’m not talking to you, bloody traitor! You might be a former lowborn, but you are just as bad as her. The both of you make me sick.”
“Derrick—” My voice cracked. “I—”