Page 146 of Prince of Darkness and Deceit

“Did they say where they were going?” Dian presses, glancing between me and the hallway again.

“No.”

Fief growls. “We must act. We can’t miss this opportunity.”

“Shit.” Dian runs a hand through his hair, glancing again at the corridor. “So what do we do?”

I think he’s speaking to Fief, but a heavy sigh drifts from the hall, followed by footsteps.

Air rushes from my lungs as Lev steps into view.

Betrayal, hot and fierce and unyielding, stabs me in the heart. Lev knows I’m here. He knows…and he isn’t doing anything.

It feels as if blood flows freely from my chest, gathering on the cell floor in a puddle, draining every ounce of affection I ever felt for my closest friend.

Lev closes the distance between us, crouching down on the other side of my cell.

He clears his throat and tilts his head to the side. “When are the Fae leaving, Elara?”

Angry tears sting. “Are you serious right now?”

He clenches his jaw and repeats, “When are the Fae leaving?”

“Fuck you.”

Fief chuckles, cracking his knuckles once more. Dian shifts his weight between his feet.

Lev doesn’t flinch. “What’s happening is bigger than you or me, Elara. Thousands of lives are at stake.”

“Tell me,” I whisper, ignoring his words. “If I had agreed to marry you, would we be in this situation?”

A flicker of hope lights his eyes. “Are you saying you’ve reconsidered?”

“Absolutely fucking not,” I shout, chains rattling as I shake with fury. “Let me out of here, Lev. Right now!”

His features shutter. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. Not until you tell us what we need to know.”

He stands and backs away from the bars.

My hands curl into shaking fists. “There’s no war happening. The Fae are not our enemies.”

“Spoken like the traitorous whore you are,” Fief spits.

Lev doesn’t so much as blink at the insult.

The last of the affection I’ve carried for this man for most of my life drips into the puddle.

A cold, eerie sense of calm falls over me. At last, magic burns hot in my palms, but I’m unable to release it. I silently reassure the volatile power, vowing we both will have our revenge soon.

“You’re making a mistake, Lev.”

“I could say the same to you.” His mask is unyielding now. He steps back and tells Fief, “Do what you must.”

Dian balks. “Lev, you can’t⁠—”

“Let’s go, cousin.” Lev’s gaze leaves me. “We have news to share with the others.”

Without a backward glance, he strides down the dimly lit corridor that I imagine leads to the stairwell connecting the barracks to the basement prison.