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“It had. So, you saw that conversation.…”
Theo nodded. “I heard what he offered you. Not just a normal life. A position with one of the great houses. A position you’ve always wanted. And then you arrived here without any warning.…” He shook his head, struggling to maintain eye contact. “I know you’ve come here to break the news to me. I just… I thought I’d make it easier on you. You don’t have to ask, Ren. I’ll absolutely release you from our bond. If that’s what will make you happy.”
His words were a shock of cold water. They ran down through her skin, past her bones, straight to her heart. She hadn’t realized how much she felt for Theo until this moment. She sank back into the cushions of her chair and could barely keep from laughing.
“You think I came here to break up with you?”
Theo frowned. “Yes?”
Now Ren did laugh. The rest of the conversation would not be humorous for either of them, but at least this part was funny. “You didn’t witness the whole conversation, did you? I thought I felt something. Almost as if you… pulled away. You didn’t see my response?”
He shook his head. “No, I retreated. I’m not sure how to explain it. Maybe you felt the same way. Being there was… too painful. It was like I was inside your feelings. The emotions were too raw. It hurt so much that if I didn’t leave, I felt like I might die.”
“Then you don’t actually know what happened,” Ren said. “I told your father no, Theo.”
The sudden brightness on his face was unmistakable. All the pieces fit together. No wonder he’d been so eager to avoid a private moment. It made so much sense. Witnessing his father’s offer but not seeing Ren’s response. And then her sudden arrival. She would have leapt to the same conclusions. It nearly broke her heart to think about.
Quietly, Ren stood. She crossed the room, following her earlier instinct. She placed a single kiss on his forehead. When he looked up, she leaned down just far enough that their lips could brush together. Once, twice, three times. Theo shivered, and Ren knew he’d gone weeks without any kind of physical touch. Isolated in this place. She kissed him one more time for good measure and then took her seat again.
“I’m not here to break up with you, Theo.”
Theo’s expression faltered. “But Ren… my father’s offer…”
“I know, Theo. He was awful. As awful to me as he was to you at that dinner party.”
“I’m not talking about that,” Theo replied unexpectedly. “I’ve known that side of him my entire life. I was talking about Seminar Shiverian. My father’s offer was… good for you. Timmons said last year that your dream was to be a spellmaker. You could start an entirely new life. Away from my horrible family. I don’t want to be the one thing that’s binding you to House Brood. If you secretly want that life, I’ll still agree to it. We can be severed—and at least one of us would be free.”
Ren saw he was trying to sacrifice himself. It was noble. If her affection for him was their only link, it might even be the right choice. But he didn’t know the rest of the story. And how could he? She’d never been brave enough to tell him.
“You do not know my dreams.”
He stared back at her. “Tell me, then.”
She settled deeper into her chair. A quick glance to the entry confirmed the door was still shut. They were alone. “Are you sure you want to know?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”
“My father’s name is Roland Monroe. Does that sound familiar?”
Theo shook his head.
“It should. He is the man your father’s hound is named for.”
She could see the gears turning in his mind. The impossibility of her words. Likely, Theo was trying to recall some employee that his father had been fond of. Imagining some charitable reason for naming a dog after a human being.
“My father worked in the canals. I used to visit him. My mother would send me there to bring him lunch sometimes. I’d watch the workers. Each day they labored to build your father’s dream. Their conditions were poor, though. My father…” Ren fought for the right words. “He was a leader. If others were afraid to speak, he’d be the first to raise his voice. He organized a union. It undermined your father’s efforts, but it would have benefited all the workers involved. As I understand it, my father won. The union succeeded in halting the progress of the canal. Your father called a meeting to concede to their demands.”
Ren’s breathing slowed. Her heart barely felt like it was still in her chest. How many times had she relived these memories? And always alone.
“You saw what happened. During our encounter with Clyde. That was the day. My worst memory, and it was all arranged. Your father asked him and the other union leaders to make an appearance at the unfinished bridge. It was where they were going to officially shake hands—but when they posed for a picture, the bridge collapsed. Everyone said it was so unlucky that they were standing there when it happened. Except it was no accident, Theo.”
She could see him trying to piece together everything.
“It was your father who arranged their death,” she said. “He invited them all there. Some of his own personal inspectors were seen that day, ‘examining’ the undergirding of the bridge. A hundred different people confirmed the rumor, even if there was never enough evidence to prove it. Not that it would have mattered. What judge would prosecute the head of one of the five great houses? You found that out last year, didn’t you? After you almost killed the people in that teahouse.
“This is the unfortunate truth, Theo. Your father murdered mine. Roland Monroe got in his way—and he was killed for it. Not because he wronged your father. Not because he insulted your family name or committed some unspeakable crime. He was killed for asking that people like us be treated with decency.”
Ren saw a hundred questions waiting to burst out of Theo. He was chewing on his lip, drinking it all in. She went on before he could speak.
