Page 121 of The Serpent Prince

How he used her against Mateus.

His heartmate sigil.

Her matching heartmate sigil.

There were so many lies that she couldn’t even name them all.

Yet, he had wanted her to trust him earlier?

A barked, bitter laugh escaped her lips because she had trusted him, and it had now put her in this situation. Vulnerable, ripe for the taking. He could have easily taken everything from her, and hours ago, she had almost given it all to him—freely.

Would they ever overcome all the truths and lies they’d been laying at each other’s feet? How could she think they’d reconcile such things and work together? If she was being honest, whatever small amount of trust they’d built up these past few months had crumbled tonight when his lies were exposed. Being honest with each other didn’t matter anymore. With so much left unsaid between them, everything about them had been doomed from the start.

A sharp knock interrupted her pacing. Tucking the Drasil inside her pocket, she strode to the door and found Zadie on the other side.

The nymph didn’t wait for an invitation, pushing past Imani to enter the main room. “Get dressed,” she ordered.

Imani narrowed her gaze. Zadie could smell bullshit a mile away, so it had become difficult for Imani to look at the witch in recent days, not wanting to reveal her secret—the Drasil.

“What’s going on? I usually meet Kiran at this time.” In fact, she’d been waiting to confront him—desperate for it.

“He won’t be coming tonight.” Zadie kept an eye on the windows but moved to rustle through Imani’s dresses in her wardrobe.

“Why? Tell me what’s happening.”

Zadie pulled out a dark olive-green dress, examined it, then nodded. Shoving the garment, stockings, and cloak into Imani’s arms, Zadie regarded her for a moment. “You need to get away from here.”

“What? Why?”

“Because he’s realized what I’ve been warning him about for months now. But his solution is far grimmer than I anticipated.”

“He and I need to speak before I leave,” Imani said with her jaw clenched.

Zadie scoffed. “You will not like what you find if you confront him now. I’m telling you as a friend, the best place for you is away from here, preferably out of this kingdom and out of his reach. He’s already made up his mind. You should have left after we escaped the Under—I see that now. But Ara would be furious with me if I didn’t help you now.”

Of course, just as Imani suspected when she started her training with Zadie, Zadie and Aralana had been closer friends than she’d believed. More secrets she wasn’t privy to.

“Help me with what?” Imani asked, but she knew the answer. She’d felt it in the way he had looked at her and everything that had passed unsaid between them earlier in the throne room.

Zadie stared at her in shock for another moment before she began to laugh. “Oh, you poor thing … you poor, sweet, misguided child. Do you honestly believe you love him? Or worse—do you honestly believe he loves you?” She straightened and pushed a hand through her hair to tuck the strands back that had been jarred out of place. “I am so sorry. He has corrupted you, twisted you, manipulated you into thinking he cares for you. I promise you, he does not. There is no room in his black heart for anyone but himself. I only hope you will come to see that before it is too late.”

“And why are you helping me?” Imani looked down at all the clothes in her hands.

“You may find this hard to believe, but I was good friends with your grandmother, and I don’t want to see you succumb to the fate he has in mind for you. Go home and beg your false king for mercy—he won’t deny you. Leave tonight and forget Kiran altogether. I can convince him to forget you, too, without you here as a distraction.”

“You can’t make me leave.”

“You’re right, I can’t,” Zadie said with a sigh and crossed her arms. “Look, go talk to him if you must and find out for yourself. I’m not making any promises on the outcome for you, though.”

“I’d be questioning your sanity if you did,” Imani answered. She then swallowed before adding quietly, “I’ll leave tonight, but I must speak with him before I go.”

“That will quite possibly end with you in chains.” Silence fell for a moment before the nymph added, “I’ll help you dress for an audience with him.”

It only took another moment for Imani to nod and whip off her robe.

Behind her, Zadie continued in a hushed tone, working her deft hands quickly to help Imani undress. “If he allows you to go free, I will meet you back here in an hour. There’s an exit that leads outside the city walls that I can help you find.”

“Thank you, but I can leave on my own,” was all Imani said, not sure how to respond to this kindness. Kindness she wouldn’t need once she was through with Kiran, but one she appreciated all the same.