The Frozen Prince (The Beast Charmer #2) - Maxym M. Martineau Page 0,118

area.”

“Yazmin has one.” Raven didn’t look at any of us as she spoke. “It’s possible she sent her beast to collect Noc.”

“And left us for the Nix Ikari.” I sighed. My head throbbed. Nothing made sense. “Somehow, we survived her. And then she came to our aid when we were fighting against Sentinels.”

“Sentinels?” Calem’s hands slipped off the edge of the cot, and he nearly crashed to the floor. “Why were they after you?”

Something clicked in my mind. Gaige’s report, dangling from Yazmin’s hands. He’d told her something. “Let’s ask Gaige that question.” Eyes hard, I moved to stand in front of him. “Did anything happen with Yazmin while I was gone?”

He went unnaturally still. “Possibly.”

Kost’s voice was edged. “What do you mean?”

Gaige gripped the back of his neck and averted his eyes. “I discovered Noc was really Aleksander Nocsis Feyreigner, rightful prince to the kingdom of Lendria, and I relayed that information to Yazmin. In case we needed it as leverage during our continued peace talks with the Wilheimians.”

Calem turned in shock, his jaw going slack. Clearly Noc’s lineage had been a mystery to him too. And now to find that Gaige had sold out Noc for a better bargaining chip with Wilheim? My blood simmered.

“You mean in case you wanted to use Noc as leverage.” I bit back a snarl. “So much for trust.”

Gaige winced. “I swear, that wasn’t my intention.”

Tension snapped in the space around Kost, as if he were his own damn lightning rod. Gaze impossibly hard, he glared at Gaige so violently that it hardly seemed fair the look was magnified by his glasses. Rigid fists formed by his sides, and I reached out to place a hand against his heaving chest.

I’d already attacked one Charmer tonight. Taking down a second wouldn’t do us any good.

“I didn’t know. Information is shared freely among the Council. She is…was…our Crown. We trusted her implicitly.” Steely eyes on the verge of cracking implored us to listen. To believe.

Kost had absolutely no interest in complying. Turning his back on Gaige, he stormed across the room and placed his palms flat on a desk littered with test tubes and stray parchment. And then he scattered them all with one wide sweep of his arm. Glass shattered against the tile, and papers dusted the floor beneath his feet. His rare display of raw emotion mimicked my own building frustration. Calem trembled, his fury showing in the widening mercury threads around his irises.

Only Oz was brave enough to reach over and place a gentle hand on Kost’s back. “Easy.”

“I didn’t know…” Gaige stared after him.

“Gods, Gaige.” I spoke through gritted teeth. “Do you tell her everything? Is anything sacred to you? Or is it all just a game to see how much information, how much leverage, you can collect?”

“That’s not fair.” He dropped his gaze to the floor. “You’re telling me you wouldn’t implicitly trust your family? Because up until now, that’s what she was to me.” Slowly, he lifted his chin. “She was my friend. My mentor.”

I tried my best to ignore his pleading eyes. Of course I’d tell my family the truth, but he didn’t even think of the consequences. About what this could mean for Noc. For our family. We’d been robbed of a chance at a normal life, one not attached to his title as prince, solely because of Gaige’s probing.

Folding my arms across my chest, I gave him a hard stare. “What does she want?”

Gaige blinked. “I don’t know. How could I know?”

“You just said she was your friend, your mentor. Or has it always been more of a one-sided relationship and you were just too naive to notice?”

“Leena,” Oz said from Kost’s side, still unwilling to leave him alone. “C’mon. Ease up a little.”

“She does not need to ease up.” Kost seethed. “We need to unearth his true intentions.”

“I agree. This is Noc we’re talking about, Oz.” Calem’s hands twitched, and for a moment, I panicked. If he lost control here, now, what would we do? But he collected himself, stealing a glance at Kaori’s sleeping form, and forced out a slow, shaky breath.

Gaige blanched. “As I said, we pass information freely—”

“Don’t.” I held up my hand. “Just don’t. You’re either ignorant or loyal to Yazmin. Which one is it?”

Gaige bristled, but didn’t fight back. Instead, he said, “Ignorant. I’m sorry.” He let out a long breath, as if admitting that was more difficult than enduring our interrogation. I suppose for someone who prided himself on