g against his ribs. The torches flickered on the walls, casting dancing shadows that seemed

asleep, curled in the corner like a wounded bird, her chains glinting in th

w what she knew. He had to unders

s cramped, barely large enough for the two of them. He loo

mmanded, his voi

id no

d her shoulder, shaking he

aze without flinching. She did not scream. She did not c

er voice hoarse from sleep. "You

not mock me, princess

en why are you here? Surely you have better things to do th

letter at he

words. He watched her face as she read, watched the colo

to kill me," she

is eyes narrowing. "Wha

ed with something he could not quite ide

"that I have already died once

The whispers of a woman who had drowned and been reborn. But he had dismi

the strange calm in her gre

he demanded. "What do you mean

her gaze distant. When she spoke,

in a world very different from this one. A world without magic

down his spine. "T

A shadow that was forced on you by the Sun King. You cannot be touched without pain. You ca

ding. How could she know that?

e everything. He told me about the ritual. About the shadow he seeded in y

rled into fists.

he wanted me to know. He wanted me to understand what I would inh

cien snarled. "He dese

rrible man who did terrible things. But he was

ling with rage. He could not look at her. H

uilty by association," he said coldly. "

I was a child when he did those terrible things. I had no power

who lived in luxury while my family burned? The princess who had servant

home. My father kept me hidden away. He did not allow me to speak. He did

and bitter sound. "You e

you to want revenge. That is what you have been planning

is moment. I have dreamed of making you suffer. I have d

hisper. "Kill me. End it. But do not pretend that

hurt her. He wanted to make her pay for her father

as quiet. For the first time

fied him more

uld not contain. She was so small, so fragile, so easily broken. He could

ss of the shado

rs me. The court fears me. The guards fear me. Even my own brother walks on eggsh

are both broken. We are both survivors. We are both tryi

g her roughly against him. He expected her to scream

d said, "You cannot hurt me, Your Grace. Not really. You are t

to understand," he sna

ce gentle. "But it will not. It will only make the w

had burned him. His hands were shaking. His hear

m. She saw right through

on made him w

voice barely above a whis

at him, her grey eyes filled with

want to hurt me. But I am not your enemy. I am not the monste

ling. He could not look at her. He coul

er to the manor. Give her a roo

ce shocked. "Your Grace? Y

s close. And I want to watch her. I want to know her

t of the cell. She glanced back at him one last time,

n she w

ling, his mind racing. He had not expected to feel t

was everything he had not anticipated

storm in his mind. The shadow in his chest was still quiet,

fied him more

silent, the castle sleeping. He passed the guards and servants without seeing

crossing to the window. The moon was full, its pa

yes. Her soft voice. Her

r. The threat. The pers

new about her past life. Someone who w

what to do with her yet. He had not decid

thing wa

take her before he had the

. He had been waiting for this moment for fifteen

ecting her from whoever

e moonlit garden an

uld not let her die. He would keep

ind out who wa

id, he would

chest pulsed, a da

in fifteen years that