The only thing he wanted was a home with people who loved him, but he was in prison somewhere.

She tried to suppress a glare when she looked at Elnora. Her hair was a mess. No longer sleek and perfect, but dishevelled. Circles formed under her eyes, and Bethan’s flicked down at the chipped nail polish on Elnora’s fingertips. Her nails had obviously been bitten down.

Perhaps she felt guilty.

Bethan wanted desperately to be alone, to see the effect of that potion that she was forced to ingest.

‘Kellan was using you to get the grimoire,’ Tharin told her.

Bethan protested but her eyes fell on Circe, who nodded at her with amber eyes. As if to say, Go along with it.

‘Kellan even went as far as killing Edington,’ Tharin continued. ‘He went rogue.’

Her stomach lurched. She had forgotten about Edington, how Tharin was the one who slit his throat using Kellan’s dagger, the one he gave to Elnora for safekeeping.

‘How did he go rogue?’ Bethan asked.

Tharin raised a hand in dismissal, and Circe let out what Bethan thought was a growl of protest.

‘When we arrived in that room, he hurt you, Bethan. I have never been more scared in my entire life.’

‘Are you okay?’ Bethan feigned worry.

Tharin seemed pleased, but he only gave her a slight nod in response.

Her eyes darted again to Circe, who smirked at her.

‘He is awaiting a trial and rotting in prison at Phaistos until then.’

The prison in Phaistos was built onto a series of ocean cliffs, one of the worst prisons in Krete and likely the world. Bethan shuddered at the thought of Kellan being kept there.

‘His dagger was used for all three murders,’ Tharin said.

The dagger he gave Elnora.

All three?

She must have said that out loud because Tharin answered her.

‘Lenovik, Canden and Edington.’

Her heart sank; she wanted to say that Kellan never even met Lenovik, but—she couldn’t start defending him just yet.

‘I don’t want to hear anymore.’ Bethan’s eyes grew heavy again.

Agatha stood and adjusted Bethan’s pillows. Thoughts of Agatha crossed her mind, and she hoped that she was not a victim of Tharin’s deception and manipulation.

‘She must be tired; we should let her rest.’ Her airy voice comforted Bethan to some degree.

‘I’ll stay with her,’ Circe volunteered to take Agatha’s vacant seat.

Tharin glared at Circe, which she returned with a smile.

‘The healers said she can’t leave until she’s cleared. I’ll be taking her home,’ he said possessively.

Agatha grabbed Tharin’s arm and pulled him along.

Everyone else followed Agatha out. Bethan wanted to stay up and see if Circe could be trusted.

She shook. She needed to stay awake. She needed to keep her eyes open. She needed answers.

But tiredness overtook her, and she drifted back to sleep.

***