“Despite the deception you and my father have insisted upon carrying out, I have authority over both you and Serat, along with every man, woman and child on this island. I also have a responsibility to the soldiers who serve here. If you’re not willing to deal with Serat, then I will be forced to take action.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. Janek silenced him with a thought. Caden’s eyes widened with shock, then fear, before finally settling into sullen anger. The boy was becoming rebellious. Truth be told, Janek had expected this confrontation to come much sooner.

Placing his palm over Caden’s heart, he slowed the beat just enough for the boy to feel it. When a trickle of sweat rolled down the side of the prince’s handsome young face, Janek said, “You will do as I say. Do not summon me again. This will be over soon. The Archmage will need to make his move before the nobles scatter to their summer villas. We should receive word as to how the dice have fallen within the week. If all goes well, we’ll be on our way home with the next ship. Until then, you will remain silent and beneath notice. Remember what is at stake.”

He held Caden’s gaze a moment longer until he was certain he’d made his point. He felt the shift in the connection between them when Caden’s anger, fear, and resentment turned to grudging acceptance. He almost felt sorry for the boy. Humility was a hard lesson for a prince to learn. Most didn’t.

He probably could have convinced Caden with words that he was in the right or, failing that, placed him under a compulsion. But this—terrifying him into submission—seemed more honest somehow. It was faster, in any case.

When Caden closed his eyes and sagged against the binding, Janek left him, knowing that the boy wouldn’t attempt to confront Serat on his own. Caden had a good heart and the purest of intentions. There was time yet for that idealism to be tempered into something more practical. Janek sincerely hoped there would be time for the young prince to grow into a man before he was called upon to take the throne.

Turning away from the boy, he passed down the empty alley, waiting until he was well out of shouting distance before releasing Caden from his thrall.

3

Lorel had thought spying for the rebellion would be easy. She would simply dance for the invaders and pass along any information she overheard to the rebellion. While she was at it, she’d see if she could discover what had happened to her missing brother. She’d have a roof over her head and food in her belly while she did it, which was more than many Erysians could say for themselves.

She’d thought it might be difficult to interact with people she despised without letting them know how truly despicable she found them. She’d thought pretending to be someone she wasn’t—quiet and weak and vulnerable—would begin to grate on her pride, if not her nerves.

She hadn’t expected dancing to be the hard part. Dancing had never been hard for her. She’d loved it as a child, had earned her bread with her skill as a young woman, and had abandoned her troupe with great regret when they decided to travel to the mainland after the invasion. She’d danced for plenty of people she didn’t like or respect personally.

But tonight, her stomach was knotted and all of her muscles were tight.