Her situation was terrible. But personally, I could tolerate being caged with chocolate and books for a little while. I’d finally make a dent in my to-be-read pile, which had taken over Calla’s room.
Branok sprawled into one of the chairs, crossing one leg over the other. He sank back, still looking like a king as he slouched. He was tall and imposing, even at rest. And Lynx took a seat across from him, his twin, their movements precisely the same even though the hearts that beat in their powerful chests seemed so different. I wouldn’t have been able to tell them apart.
Alina perched on the edge of a chair, as if she might fly off at any moment. “Tell me about Lucien.”
Branok rubbed his hand over his face wearily.
“He’s a dragon shifter,” I began, and Alina frowned.
Holy shit. Did she know what he really was? I forged on anyway. “He’s been training with the other dragon royals at the academy.”
“We’re his new best friends,” Branok drawled.
“Is he doing well?” Alina asked eagerly.
Lynx said, “Yes. To all of our surprise… he’s doing well, Alina. He fights hard. I think he’s hoping for redemption.”
“Has he found someone else?” Her words came out in a soft rush.
“No,” Branok said grudgingly. It sounded as if the word was torn from his chest, as if he didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t deny Alina the truth. “And I’d bury a knife in his kidney if he ever did.”
If Alina knew how he beat Lucien bloody every day, I wondered how she’d feel. I didn’t want her to know. Even though there was obviously tension between the three of them, there also seemed as if there was genuine, good-natured affection. I had a feeling that the three of them all needed each other, even if they weren’t perfect.
“How did you and Lucien meet?” I asked. I had to know if Lucien had trapped her in a spell. I didn’t know how to help him yet, but I also didn’t know if he deserved help.
Alina’s gaze took on a dreamy cast. I glanced at Branok and Lynx quickly, wondering if that was the kind of thing that made them think she was enchanted. Branok grunted and got up to go to the bar. He came back with a bottle and two glasses, poured a cup of whiskey for himself and his twin. Lynx didn’t even look his way as he took the offered glass of whiskey, as if the two communicated without speaking.
“Lucien had been orphaned, and Father took an interest in him,” Alina said. Had Joachim seen the chance to turn Lucien into one of his spies? “He was around the house often.”
“And stealing from us.” Branok raised his glass in a toast that no one returned. “The conniving little thief.”
“Father had taken so much of his parents’ estate,” Alina disagreed. “Father was just taking things that Lucien’s parents had valued and hoarding them for no reason. Lucien couldn’t stand it.”
“Because he’s a conniving little thief,” Branok offered to me in an aside. “And he wasn’t merely stealing back what Father had claimed in estate tax, either. He stole half of mother’s jewelry—Alina’s inheritance.”
“Anyway,” Alina went on brightly. “He was always around, training with my brothers—”
“He was always more interested in music and dancing and drinking than defending a kingdom,” Branok said. “The dungeons seem to have done him a favor. He’s a bit more decent now.”
“I saw Lucien at dances.” Alina had an admirable ability to ignore Branok. “He’s such a good dancer. The two of us couldn’t tear ourselves away from each other. We would walk in the garden every day, and he’d play music. He wrote songs for me.”
“I believe I recall one of them,” Branok said.
Lynx shook his head, warning him off.
The smallest mischievous smile tilted Branok’s lips, a look I hadn’t seen before, before he began to sing. “Alina, Alina, hair dressed in gold. Alina, Alina, together we’ll grow old. Alina, Alina, the name makes my heart beat. Alina, Alina, lovely from eyelashes to feet.”
Branok’s singing voice was surprisingly sexy, even if the song was ridiculous.
“He was just playing around,” Alina said defensively. “And you were spying on us like a creep! You should get your own girl instead of obsessing over my love life.”
“I don’t want to take an interest in your love life, but you have the worst taste in men.”
“Probably because the men I grew up around are all terrible!”
Branok rose abruptly. “I’m going to prepare the potion. Let’s show Honor how wonderful Lucien really is.”
“It doesn’t change anything!” Alina called after him as he headed into the hallway.
I got up and followed Branok into the hall. He turned on his heel, bringing our bodies too close together, and I frowned up at him.
“Doesn’t it?” he demanded.
I hoped it would change everything—that it would prove Lucien was a good man, and that I wasn’t Lucien at all. I hoped Branok and Lynx would agree with Talisyn after tonight, and I’d finally have all five of them on my side, truly.
“It will change everything,” I said.
“Fine. Then you can help.”
Why did he manage to make it sound as if he were doing me a favor? But I was curious—about the tower, about the magic, about Branok—and so I followed.
He led me down the hall to the circular stairs that twisted down Alina’s tower. “I don’t understand why the hell you’re getting involved, what your actual motive is tonight, but I’ll play.”
“I just want to be friends with Alina.”
“Liar,” he accused. The word echoed in the stairway, although he didn’t sound surprised; he already expected nothing but trouble from me. “You don’t exactly seek out female friendship. You’ve been burned before, haven’t you? And now you’re never sure how much to trust another woman.”
He delivered the words so casually as he clattered down the stairs ahead of me. “Even with those girls who help you with your chores, who are mopping floors and carrying laundry while you simper around Jaik? You keep a distance. Do you want to? Or do you just not understand how to be human?”
We passed an arched door, continued down another set of stairs, and he stepped ahead of me into another hallway. He went down the hall and unlocked the door to a workshop. These men loved locked doors and secrets.
“You’ve been watching me.” My voice came out cool. Branok, or Lynx, or Arren was always watching. But the thought that he’d been analyzing me irritated me—all the more so because it was true.
Calla deserved nothing but good things, but I was reserved with my friendship, out of practice. I was lucky to have her, so I tried to be a good friend back even if part of me was always waiting for her to hurt me after all. But if Branok could read me, maybe Calla could as well.
“Of course I have.” He slid the key back into his pocket and pushed the door open for me, ushering me ahead of him. “I know you’re lying about something, Honor.”
“How could I ever convince you that I’m not?” I’d stepped into the dark shadows of a small workshop. Magical ingredients lined the shelves.