Page 87 of The Dragon and the Dove

But not to truth.

Truth governed everything.

Even magic.

‘Yes,’ he admitted. ‘It’s true.’

Her brows shot up. ‘You never said anything.’

‘There wasn’t a good time.’ He rolled his hand. ‘What with the whole exploding Appoline situation. And Hale dying in the back seat.’

You should have killed him yourself.

Worn his shadows like a cloak.

Val canted her head. ‘What did you and Andreas talk about?’

‘Hugo.’

It was not quite a lie.

Her eyes narrowed.

Not the whole truth either.

‘Andreas invited me to Bellevue Castle,’ he relented, hating how it sounded. A traitor’s deal. And for a fleeting moment he’d considered it. ‘He thinks I can be swayed to his cause. That, in the end, we both want the same thing.’

‘Which is?’

A sharp inhale. ‘Greatness.’

The silence swallowed them.

Val chose her words carefully. ‘Is it possible that you might be swayed, Theo?’

He shook his head.

Her eyes gleamed gold, and the truth was yanked from him like a fish on a line. ‘It’s possible.’

‘So you’ve considered it?’

A sharper tug. ‘Yes,’ he eked out.

‘Hell’s teeth.’

‘Wait!’ But Val hadn’t moved. She couldn’t stomach being close to him. His magic, its grasping nature… it was leaching the colour from her cheeks.

‘It’s not me, Val. They’re not my thoughts. My ambitions.’ This truth came easier, like a sigh. ‘It’s this… thing inside me. It seems to know just what to say. Where to prod.’

‘Your magic?’

A nod.

She hesitated, steeling herself. ‘What is it?’ she whispered. ‘What does it do?’

The web truly was upon him. He opened his mouth, closed it. The truth was nebulous, even to himself. He could offer only this. ‘I don’t know exactly. But it’s dark. And it’s ancient. And it feels… powerful.’ Another word shoved its way out. ‘Hungry.’

She came towards him, one careful step and then another. Pushing into the swell of his magic. ‘What else, Theo?’