But he was also asking her. He wanted her to choose him over everything else because no one ever had. All the choices he’d ever made had been demanded. All the trust he’d ever received, he’d also demanded. And that wasn’t trust. That wasn’t choice. It was power without consent.

Sympathy raced through Caledonia, unexpected and unwelcome. Part of Lir was still a little boy, wondering why no one loved him. He had been created by a violent force, and that was worth her sympathy. But he’d done everything he could to gain power over others, and that wasn’t.

“I can’t,” she said plainly. “No one can choose you. No one ever has.”

Lir’s grip in her hair loosed in shock. His eyes widened and in them Caledonia saw fear and anger twist together like smothering vines.

“Donnally chose me.” His teeth bit off the end of the last word. Before Caledonia could respond, he threw her to the ground, pressing her onto her back. He crouched over her. The knife was in his hand once more. Her knife, she realized with a jolt. The same black blade he’d used to stab her so long ago, that she had carried with her ever since. He’d taken it from her and now he threatened her with it. She could do nothing as he leaned in once more and repeated, “Donnally chose me.”

“He didn’t,” Caledonia challenged. “The only choice he made was to stay alive. He was no more your brother than Aric was your father. He didn’t choose you then and he hasn’t chosen you now.”

“That’s a lie.” Calm washed down Lir’s face and his body relaxed. He shook his head and brought the dagger to her throat, pressing the blade into her skin. “I gave you a choice, Caledonia.”

“You gave me nothing,” she answered. She had to keep stalling.

“I hope you’ll believe me when I say I wish you’d made the other choice.” The blade bit into her skin, lightly at first. Caledonia shifted her weight to the balls of her feet, preparing to use her body against him.

But before she could do anything, the sky exploded.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Silence. Light. Orange. Smoke.

Caledonia blinked. The sky was gone. It was lost behind a haze of orange. And it was so quiet. It was as if sound had been sucked from the air and all that was left was this muffled ringing.

Caledonia blinked again. The ringing grew louder, and she realized that she was lying on her back, hands twisted painfully beneath her. She climbed awkwardly to her knees and paused as her head spun so violently it threatened to send her right back to the ground.