“You first,” she whispers, rubbing a circle around my exposed nipple. I drop my head back at the sensation and close my eyes, loving the way her soft skin feels on mine.

“Not fair,” I grunt, but she only laughs, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

“Open your eyes.” I do. Her warm amber eyes bore into me. “Tell me, please.” The request is so gentle but filled with so many unspoken words. She wants me to trust her, wants me to open up. It’s a choice I have to make, one that I’m not sure I’m ready to make. She’s been the best thing about Velmara, and I care for her. I don’t want to put her in danger, but I don’t think I can bear the look of hurt I know will cross her face if I don’t reveal this secret.

So I tell her everything. The discovery that mates may be real, my suspicions that Laurel and Prince Hawthorne are mates, that Mazus likely knows and sent the Prince there for that purpose. My worry about his motivation for wanting them to connect with one another. The fear that the Prince is working with his father and hopes to use the connection to crush Laurel. I let my loathing of the King bleed into my voice for the first time since coming to Velmara, but she doesn’t shy away. When I’m finished, she sighs.

“I used to believe the Golden King was truly a hero, someone who desperately tried to save the people of Thayaria from their terrible ruler. But as the years have gone by, I’ve seen his propaganda machine at work, seen the way the histories are rewritten for storage in the archives. I’ve been skeptical of him for years, but after I discovered that the Vicants took the throne by force, it was like all these disparate facts I’d been holding finally came together. I’ve read through Blood Magic Through the Ages no less than four times, and it—it tells a story I’m afraid to say aloud.” Her lips are trembling, and her body shakes. I wrap her in my arms, kissing the top of her head and stroking her hair.

“It’s okay. Please tell me. Your secret’s safe with me,” I soothe. She takes a single deep breath before spilling what she’s learned.

“There’s a passage that mentions that blood magic is an inherited trait. Not just anyone can practice it. You need an affinity, just like with any other conduit, though the power is extremely rare.” My mind races to fit the knowledge into what I already know. “It also said that the blood mage lineage originally came from Velmara. I think—based on what I’ve read… It seems to be unlikely that the Witch Queen—that Queen Laurel—would be a blood mage. King Mazus must have made that up.”