A Queen of Gilded Horns (A River of Royal Blood #2) - Amanda Joy Page 0,76
Eva, not with this stunt you pulled, not knowing—” Isa swallowed up the words before she could said something foolish. “She’ll find some way to force our hand. How will you feel when she kills Aketo to force your hand?”
“Like you kidnapped him to force my hand?” Eva stood, her hands trembling. “Not knowing what exactly, Isa?”
When Isa said nothing, her sister began to pace in a tight circle. “You never said who told you about Papa being khimaer.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Isa said. She finally yanked the thread and was rewarded with a long run in the finely woven fabric. “I doubt they are the only ones who know.”
Eva’s mouth fell open and Isa could practically see the understanding forming in her gaze. “Just tell me, Isa. I’ll forgive everything if you just tell me this. Please.”
The desperation in Eva’s voice made Isa want to flee. “Forgive me? And what about me forgiving you?”
“What would you have to forgive me for? You’re the one who tried to kill me almost half a dozen times by now. First when you chased me from Ternain when we were children, then the assassins when I returned, and on my nameday.”
“I swore to you, I had nothing to do with any assassins. And I didn’t chase you away from anything. You left me in Ternain, remember? So happy to run off and play soldier with Papa that you didn’t once write me. I sent dozens of letters and you ignored every one.” Isa absolutely hated the whining in her voice, but it wasn’t fair. Eva’s insistence on victimhood always made Isa into a villain.
Isa’s memories of the fight that led to Eva’s departure from Ternain were hazy. Isa wasn’t trying to kill Eva. Since their parents wouldn’t, she had tried telling her sister the truth about the Rival Heirs. She wanted Eva to know she should fight and let go of her fear of magick. But Eva had been so full of fear.
Eva stumbled back like she’d been struck. “You’re right. But only about the letters. Can’t you understand why I didn’t want to speak to you? You told Mother I used my magick to hurt you. I had to leave, to get away from her.”
Isa climbed to her feet, tired of looking up at Eva. “I did no such thing. Why would I? Mother has always so been so paranoid about marrow and blood magick. I knew she would keep us apart if she believed you were using it.”
“Mother”—Eva’s mouth twisted, like the word tasted sour—“she said you confessed I’d been using my magick. She said I couldn’t be around you anymore, that it was too dangerous.”
“So quick to believe I would betray you.”
“I was a scared child, Isa.”
“So was I. And you left me there with Mother and Kitsina.” Eva had seen firsthand how Isa’s fey nursemaid was more liable to strike her than dispense any kindnesses. As children they had spent most of their time supervised by Mirabel for that very reason. “You knew how they were and you left me.”
Eva hung her head, shame filling her eyes. “Mother adores you.”
“Adores me so much she ignored Papa for years when he told her about Kitsina. Adores me so much she wants me to be her exact copy.”
“Why are you still defending Mother, then?” Eva snapped. “It was Mother, wasn’t it? She told you Papa was khimaer, didn’t she?”
Because I’m no better than her, Isa thought.
It was Isa who’d learned the truth about her father and sister, and let years of resentment convince her they were the villains for lying to everyone at Court. Meanwhile she’d been doing the very same. Even though her mother flew into a rage anytime Isa asked about the identity of her real father, Isa knew the truth. She was half fey, and her mother would never let her reveal that fact publicly. Whether it was from the shame of bearing a child out of wedlock or the shame of having a fey child when the Killeen line had remained purely human for eight generations, Isa didn’t know.
When she found out Eva and Lei were khimaer, she’d hated them for sharing this secret. They’d had each other, and Isa had always been alone. Since she couldn’t punish herself, she would punish and loathe them the very way she despised herself.
She knew she could have turned that frustration toward the Court and the Great War that had sewn division between humans, fey, khimaer, and bloodkin. But she wanted