Page 55 of A Fragile Enchantment

“If you believe Mother would have spared even a single thought for our current situation, save for what gowns she would have worn or which of her appetites could be sated, you are completely delusional.” Jack smiled ruefully. “I suppose it makes sense, however. You always were her little pet.”

Niamh sucked in a breath. Even the wind ceased to stir.

Thus far, it had been the unruly crash of Kit’s waves against Jack’s unmoving shore. She had never seen Jack remove the cool impersonality of his roles, either as a prince or a stand-in parent. She had never seen him mire himself in mortal things like pettiness or resentment. Someone had to intervene before this turned ugly. But Rosa and Miriam had quietly slipped away, and Sinclair urgently waved Niamh over to him. She felt completely rooted to the spot.

Kit’s eyes darkened, a warning. “Jack.”

“I do not know what’s gotten into you, pretending at notions of duty.” Jack sneered. “As if it’s ever meant a thing to you. There was never an ounce of Father’s discipline and dignity in you.”

“Not like you, of course.” Kit trembled with barely restrained fury. “It’s like I’m looking at him now. You try to conceal it, but I see his temper caged up inside you.”

Jack’s expression turned dangerous.

Niamh gasped as plants shot up from the earth. On Kit’s side, briars tangled around his feet, rising like a battlement, each of their wickedly sharp thorns aimed at Jack with malicious intent. On Jack’s, shrubs in horrible, jagged shapes sprang up around them. They bloomed with heavy, bloodred fruits. The very color of them screamedpoison.

Niamh stepped out of the way when a thorn pierced the hem of her skirt. “Ehm… Your Highnesses?”

They did not hear her.

“If you know what is good for you,” Jack said quietly, “you will bite your tongue.”

“What, you want to hit me?” Kit squared up to him. “Go on. Do it.”

“It would hardly make a difference, for I cannot very well beat gratitude into you! These last few years, I have arranged everythingperfectly. All you have to do now is behave yourself, but you are so selfish and spoiled, you cannot even manage that. You fall apart at the slightest provocation—and you cut and run the moment things get difficult, just as Mother did. What good were either of you to me?” He threw down his mallet. The very corner of his lip quivered before he mastered himself, all imposing, impenetrable marble once again. “You are the very worst of both our parents, Kit. From the day you were born, you have done nothing but create problems for me to solve.”

The ground rumbled beneath them. A briar vine launched toward Jack, its spikes extended like claws. Jack did not even flinch. He clenched his fist, and the vine withered, its leaves desiccating before her eyes. The brothers stared at each other, all of their armor stripped off. Something passed over Jack’s face. Without a word, he turned and walked away.

Sinclair trotted up to Kit and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Kit, are you all right?”

“Don’t.” Kit shrugged his hand off. His breaths came in short gasps. “Don’t fucking touch me.”

Before Sinclair could reply, he stormed off. In his wake, foul-tempered plants bloomed in riotous clusters: poison oak, nightshade, wolfsbane. They surged from the earth, only to strangle one another just as quickly.

“Kit!” Sinclair pressed a fist against his lips. When his hand dropped back to his side, his face was drawn and pale. “Damn it.”

Niamh hurried to Sinclair. “Whatwasthat?”

“I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I’ve never seen Jack act that way.”

“Should we go after Kit?”

“Yes, probably,” he said, his voice hoarse and distant. “The last time he was like this… I don’t know. I don’t know what he’ll do.”

He sounded afraid, the same as he had when Kit’s magic lashed out at him in the park. “What do you mean?”

Sinclair dragged a hand down his face. “It’s not his fault, but his magic can be dangerous when he gets like this—to himself and other people. Maybe I’m a coward, but I can’t do it again. Last time taught me to be a little more selfish.”

A prickle of unease went through her. “ThenI’llgo. Someone needs to make sure he’s all right.”

“No. We need to get Jack.”

“I do not think Jack is in any state to deal with this!”

As she brushed past him, Sinclair caught her elbow. She made to thrash out of his grip, but he steered her back around. “All right, hold on. I understand that you’re worried, but perhaps we should think this one through together. First of all, you look like you’re going to keel over. You’re as pale as death.”

“I amfine.”

“I’m not done.” He gave her a stern look, then sighed. “Listen. I didn’t want to bring it up like this, but I don’t see any other way around it. I love Kit, and you’ve been a good friend to me, so I won’t mince words. I’m not an idiot.”