Chapter 28

Kaelan

The throne room in the old castle also served as a dining room, so it seemed as if we were always in that room, as Hanna was endlessly plotting.

The world was a strange blur. It seemed as if I got up in the morning and then it was night again, as if I were reeling from one moment to the next and losing hours in between them.

”Something”s wrong,” I told Hanna quietly.

She turned those wide, luminous blue eyes to me. ”What”s wrong?”

”Time,” I said. ”Or . . .”

I didn”t want to say my thinking. That was too hard to admit. Too painful.

Her face softened with understanding. She reached out and touched my face gently, her fingertips tracing over my temple. ”You”re still wounded, my prince. You”ll heal.”

”Still wounded?” I frowned.

”That”s what happens when you”re so stubborn and walk away from the healer,” she said, resting her hand on top of mine.

Our thrones were right beside each other. There was something I”d planned to do to Hanna on the throne, but I couldn”t remember what it was now.

”I see,” I said.

”You”ll be fine soon,” she told me, ”but you are still the most incredible man I”ve ever known, even when you aren”t entirely yourself. I”m so thankful every day that you”re my husband. That we will reign together.”

She smiled at me, but the smile didn”t feel quite right. It didn”t feel familiar.

Even Hanna”s fake smiles had a hint of mischief to them, as if she were play-acting and she wanted me to know it.

”Edric still rules,” I asked, confirming that it was true. I”d lost so much time lately.

”Yes, and the Snake Queen still rules in the Snake Kingdom,” she confirmed.

”And are we going to topple them from their thrones? And take the crowns for ourselves?”

She let out a delighted trill of a laugh. ”Even when you are so very confused, you”re still so very ambitious. You and I will take over all kinds of thrones together. Beginning with our parents, but why end there?”

I frowned. That didn”t seem quite right either.

She seemed to notice my reaction because she leaned in close, pressing her lips to my ear. I pulled away, and I wasn”t even sure why. I felt guilty when she looked at me with hurt written across her face.

I never wanted to hurt Hanna, even though it seemed like I had done so a million times.

There was something wrong between us. There was something wrong with her. And there had to be something wrong with me because I blurted out, ”What”s wrong with you?”

”Nothing. Do I seem different?” She gave me another wide-eyed look.

”Why do you say that?” I”d never known Hanna to be insecure. Or at least, I”d never known Hanna not to cover her insecurities quite efficiently with sarcasm and smiles.

”Because you”ve said it before. You said that there”s something different.” Her hand closed around mine. It felt as if her gentle fingers were a trap, but there was no reason for me to pull away. ”But there”s nothing different, Kaelan. Except for what”s good.”

She gave me a warm smile as she went on. ”I really see you now and appreciate you. I was terrible to you before, don”t you think? But you are such a wonderful man, and I”m so grateful and thankful to have you.”

Something dark was pressing in on me from overhead, like the lid of a coffin closing slowly. ”Tell me more. What do you like about me?”

It wasn”t a question Hanna would have entertained for a second. Or at least, I didn”t think so.

She went on to tell me that I was handsome, I was wonderful, I said the sweetest things that made her happy.

This wasn”t Hanna.

Or if it was Hanna, it was Hanna enchanted.

But I couldn”t lash out at her and hurt her trying to escape. The possibility that I was all mixed up and that I would hurt the woman I loved was too strong. The confusion that I felt was terrifying. I had to get away.

So I told her she was beautiful and perfect too, even though it seemed wrong when something was so off. As soon as I could, I rose and made my way out of the hall with my excuses.

I looked back to see one of the servants leaning over Hanna”s shoulder, and Hanna whispering to him. Both of them were looking at me.

Something clutched at my gut. Something like fear. What the hell was happening?

I made it out into the hallway, but to my surprise, I was stopped by a servant. When I turned around, Hanna was the one who was there.

Then suddenly, I was on my knees again. I stared up at them, confused, as his hand loomed over me.

”It”s enough magic to kill one of the great bears,” one of the servants said. ”Are you sure that he”ll be alright, Your Majesty?”

”I think he”ll be alright. I think he has to be. He”s no use to me if he”s still under her thrall.”

Whose thrall was I under? What was she talking about?

And as I was fading out, I heard, ”As you wish, Queen Seraphine.”