“Shame on you, and shame on the witches for taking advantage of my brother.” She sighs lightly. “Though I have to begrudgingly admit—they sent the best one for the job. They hit all his high points—blond, tall, sharp as a tack. He was doomed to lust after you from the start. And you of course went with it, because it seemed like a simple job. A bitter young man, jaded and lonely. Easy prey for someone like you.”

She’s laid out in plain words what’s been haunting me these last two weeks. I flinch but try to sit up higher on the couch cushions.

“How many did I…?” My dry throat breaks. “How many did I kill? In the clearing?”

She brushes her hands off. “Nine lawguards.”

I let out a breath. Fourteen men.

I’ve taken the lives of fourteen men.

there will be hundreds more, the hunger taunts.

The princess continues. “I thought it was strange—the trees kept telling me two people had intruded on my clearing. One of them was Lucien; I was used to that. He’s been to those woods nearly every year, scouring for me.”

I speak, brittle words a welcome distraction. “Why didn’t you say hello before, then?”

“He asked me the same thing.” Varia shakes her head. “As if the answer isn’t obvious.”

“Gavik,” I breathe, remembering she’s made him her Heartless. “Where is he now?”

“Around,” the princess says cryptically. “Regardless, I saw Lucien with a girl in my clearing this time, and so I stopped to watch you two. I was thrilled at first—my brother, finally moving on from my loss and embracing love again. And then Gavik made his sordid entrance. And like an Old-God-sent miracle, you did what I couldn’t. After all those years of hating him while growing up, what I dreamed of finally happened. You dragged him out of Vetris, out of the seat of his power, and you so graciously killed him. I didn’t need to hide anymore. That’s the only reason I even deigned to listen to Lucien’s pleadings for me to ask Father to spare you—you freed me, and so I’ll keep you from the jaws of Father’s torturers. You’re welcome.”

“I can’t take all the credit.” I force a thin smile at her. “Fione did most of the ‘dragging him out of Vetris’ bit.”

“So I’ve heard,” Varia muses, pressing on. “Lucien…he’s always been easy to read. He was smitten with you, you know. I saw it in his eyes in the clearing, before you turned on him. But that heart wasn’t good enough for you, was it? You took what he offered and threw it under a carriage wheel.”