Page 218 of Infernal Bonds

When Father initially suggested that Quinfina might be untrustworthy, I found the notion ridiculous. He’d either come to see the absurdity himself or was simply stating what he believed we wanted to hear. Though I suspected he’d never believed in her betrayal to begin with.

Lymsrana placed her hand on the arm of her throne. “Then what do you think is happening here?”

Father propped his ankle on his thigh. “For one, I believe someone has manipulated our dear Rinlora into working against us.”

Rinlora lifted her head. “Master?”

“I don’t doubt for a second that you believe you betrayed us by sending that text message you claimed Lymsrana sent.”

Rinlora’s eyes widened, and she glanced at Raelynn.

“We know you sent it, but the question it left me with was, why? That was until my vallants told me they’d detected illusion magic clinging to you in recent weeks and informed me of your admissions through the wards. I believe it was your mother who manipulated you into working against us.”

“But Mom said—”

“Oh, girl. Do you not see the writing on the wall? Your mother told you nothing of her intentions until she obtained what she wanted, correct?”

Rinlora swallowed. “She told me Raelynn might be dangerous.”

Rae’s head snapped toward her. “What?”

“As we’ve all believed at some point.” Father nodded in understanding.

Cyn stepped forward. “You—”

Zeke grabbed his wrist, halting him.

He glanced down and flexed his fingers.

“Please,” Zeke whispered.

After a few tense beats, Cyn exhaled and stepped back.

Rinlora wrung her hands in front of her. “Mom said the council wouldn’t properly investigate with the magic on hand. She believed her ingredients were stronger.”

Lymsrana frowned. “So you kidnapped her?”

“I didn’t know being away from them would hurt her like it did.” Rinlora’s voice cracked with her admission. “I thought Mom wanted to test Rae and then send her home. That’s all she told me at first.”

Rae stared at her.

Rinlora looked away. “She said the vallants in the palace weren’t skilled enough to get to the truth, and even if they did, they’d use it against Rae.”

Father’s expression hardened. “Convenient.”

Rinlora looked at him.

“She convinced you we couldn’t be trusted, convinced you that Raelynn posed a threat, instructed you to falsify a message from Lymsrana, and only after you delivered Raelynn to her did she reveal that she’d lied about her intentions.”

Lymsrana glanced between them.

Father leaned forward. “And now you believe everything else she told you?”

He wasn’t trying to prove Rinlora’s mother had lied about everything.

If he could demonstrate that she lied even once, it would unsettle Rinlora and raise questions that would prevent us from definitively naming him the guilty party.

And he’d done it.