Page 66 of Sands of Atonement

He leaped. “Eshe, you’re going to⁠—”

The door slammed before he could finish his sentence, but his palm kept it from closing. I didn’t waste another moment and whirled on my heels just to stop myself in my tracks.

Two guards with stone-cold faces pressed forward, and suddenly, Casimir grabbed my elbow once again.

“Close, but I’m not an idiot,” he grunted. I could feel my eyes go wide as he pushed me back into the room. “I anticipated this,” he panted.

The door slammed shut in front of me. Casimir and I, alone.

Suddenly, I felt stuck.

I shook my head. “This isn’t a game. This is my brother.” I waved a hand at the door. “He’s—he’s alive, and you won’t let me go to him?”

He said nothing back. I had to try harder.

“Don’t do this to me, Cas.” I glanced up with more tears welling in my eyes. “Please.”

The column of his throat moved. “I know it seems cruel, but I know Ezra. He’s doing this for a reason, even if you or I can’t understand.”

“There is no reason, Casimir, but to gain more control by having the Princess of Zyriah in his hands. You say you know your brother, so it’s safe to say that you know he likes to control people just to prove that he can!”

His brows furrowed, and he shook his head slightly. “That’s not true.”

“It’s what he has shown me since childhood.”

Casimir placed his hands on his hips, tilting his head as if I were a child. “Ezra would never play games like that. There is a reason why, and whether you like it or not, he’s not doing this to control you or Zyriah.”

“Why else?”

“I don’t know why!” His arms flung around him. “All I know is that I trust him. I trust him enough for both of us.”

I couldn’t even look at him anymore as I crossed my arms, trying to swallow the words he spoke. There was never going to be a reason good enough to keep me from my sibling. This man was delusional, just like his brother. Twins. Scoffing, I turned my body away from him.

Footsteps echoed in the room, the door shut, and the bar slid into place.

Without wasting another moment, I rushed to the door. My heart slammed against my ribcage as I saw through the holes I’d made.

The bar on the other side was long enough to cover the whole length of the door. So Ezra found out how and fixed the problem.

There was no way out.

That relentless fucker.

My breath quickened.

I pressed my hand against my chest, but the pressure wouldn’t still.

There was no way to Kavid.

This time, I felt tears flow from my face that weren’t forced.

The feeling of truly not being able to see my brother after so long of believing him dead and then learning he was alive but still out of reach broke something I didn’t realize was inside of me.

I would never forgive Ezra for this. Even if he was proven innocent of my family’s deaths.

I would never forgive this.

Father was talking to the Qahl of Tehara about potentially arranging peace through a marriage once I am older. I shifted on the cushion uncomfortably. Father told me not to do anything that would jeopardize us. He told me to sit still, but how was that even possible? Regardless, I would never jeopardize my family. I’d be the obedient daughter—for now.