Damien stared at the empty space where Selene had been standing moments ago, her words replaying inside his mind like a song in minor tones. House Ravenwood killed with their gift. And had kept it a secret for hundreds of years.

He pressed a fist to his mouth. How many had they killed? How many secrets had they uncovered? He thought back to those nights when he held Selene’s hand. What exactly was she doing? Searching his mind? Using her gift to uncover every covert part of his being? Not that he had that many secrets, but still.

He dropped his hand and frowned. However, there was something missing from Selene’s explanation. Something she failed to mention. Something he remembered from that night when they escaped from Rook Castle.

“I couldn’t do it.”

Those were her words.

She had been sent to kill him, and she couldn’t. Did that mean that she had been unable to do any of the other things she just shared?

He looked out the window and swallowed.

Selene had woken him up that night and told him he wasn’t safe. She’d risked her life to lead him and his men to the borders of his land, knowing that she was forfeiting her life in doing so. And she’d saved his life on Trader’s Road when she fought off those bandits.

So who was Selene really? The one he had witnessed for himself or the one she had painted during her confession? Yes, she had admitted she shattered a person’s mind, but the way she said it reeked of guilt and shame, not pride. It was almost as if she had used that memory as a shield to keep him away.

Damien stood. He needed time to sift through what Selene had shared. There were considerations to be made, the foremost being if his people were safe. He ran a hand through his hair. Had he been wrong to bring a member of House Ravenwood back to the Northern Shores?

And what did this mean for his marriage?

15

Why had she shared her past with Damien? Selene hit the wall with her fist, then slid to the floor of her bedroom and held her head between her hands. No more secrets. No more hiding behind the veneer of a noble lady. The mask was off. She was a wicked woman, and now he knew.

A burning bubble of bile rose up her throat, threatening to expel the little food she had eaten that morning. She bit her lip and forced the burning sensation back down. At least she could live with herself. It was too much to carry a lie and wear a mask at the same time. Now she was free to carry only one. The mask could stay in place, but as a way to keep people at arm’s length, not to hide the truth. Damien knew everything now. It was too bad he didn’t know before he married her.

Selene slowly stood, her body tense and her eyes on the verge of tears. She balled her hands into tight fists. No, no crying. What she needed was exercise. If only she had her dual swords with her and a place to let out all these pent-up emotions. Exercise always had a way of siphoning off restless energy.