Page 172 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
Hagan seemed to notice.
And whenever the opportunity arose, he made certain that some part of him remained in contact with her.
‘Never mind.’
Ylva kept her attention fixed upon the winding road ahead, refusing to look at the warlock seated opposite her. She could feel his purple eyes resting upon her all the same, narrowed slightly as though he were studying her, searching for something hidden beneath her silence.
For a long while the carriage rattled onward through the forest.
‘We will stop before reaching Velunthar,’ Hagan said at last. ‘We must gather our forces and confer with the witches from thenorth.’
Ylva frowned, confusion knitting her brow.
‘We will attempt to find an entrance from the other side,’ Hagan continued.
‘Is that even possible?’
What Ylva truly wished to ask was why he was telling her any of this at all. Hagan had never been inclined to share his plans—not with her, nor with almost anyone else. The thought crept uneasily into her mind that perhaps he truly feared Eris might turn on him. But even that did not quite explain why he was revealing so much.
‘It might be,’ he said.
That wicked smile curved across his lips, and the sight of it sent a cold ripple of unease through her. Nothing good ever followed when Hagan smiled like that.
Ylva’s blue eyes widened as the realisation struck her.
‘You have witches already inside Velunthar.’
‘Of course not,’ he replied smoothly. ‘The Kingdom of Fauna was the one realm we avoided. The Fae can sense our magic, which makes it difficult to glamour ourselves among them. It is precisely why we intend to destroy the kingdom.’
At that, Ylva allowed herself a small breath of relief.
At least no witches had already infiltrated Velunthar.
‘How did you know about Eris?’ Hagan asked suddenly.
Ylva stiffened at once. ‘I told you. She mentioned it before leaving.’
The faint spark in his eyes told her he did not believe a word of it.
‘I’ve been thinking about that,’ he said thoughtfully, almost to himself, ‘and it does not seem quite like Eris.’
‘You know her so well, do you?’ Ylva asked before she could stop herself. The moment the words left her mouth she regrettedthem. Her foolish tongue would be the end of her one day.
Hagan’s large hand closed around her knee and squeezed.
She knocked it away at once, but his grip returned, firmer this time, tightening slowly until the pressure became painful. He squeezed harder and harder until she winced.
‘Tell me the truth,’ he said, his jaw set tight. ‘How did you know?’
A tear slipped from Ylva’s eye as the pain flared through her leg, but she said nothing. She would not tell him.
He must have seen the truth in her silence.
After a moment he released her and simply watched her. Then he leaned forward and brushed the tear from her cheek with a gentleness so unexpected it almost startled her.
Almost.
‘You shouldn’t cry,’ he said softly. ‘It will do you no good.’
