Chapter 19 · The Debt

"Eliza." Kael's voice cracked through the ice door. "Please."

Her hand went to the lock. Valen grabbed her wrist.

"Don't."

She yanked free. "He's my brother."

"He tried to kill my family." Blood still ran down Valen's shoulder where the ice chains had bit deep. "Ten years in that cell. My father didn't lock people up for fun."

"You don't know what happened."

"I know he was in the east wing the night it burned."

She froze. "How?"

"Because I saw him." Valen's voice dropped. "I was twelve. I woke up choking on smoke. Kael was in the hall with a torch. He looked right at me and ran."

The scraping behind the door stopped.

Then Kael laughed. Thin. Bitter. "So you do remember."

Valen moved closer. His good hand went to the knife. "Why?"

"Your father took everything from us first."

Eliza stepped between them. "Kael, what are you talking about?"

"The Silverthorn treaty. The one that sent you here as a bride." Kael's voice hardened. "You know what the fine print said, little sister?"

She didn't answer.

"It said if the marriage failed, the North would annex our trade routes. All of them.