Page 90 of The Last Storm
The color drained from Rogue’s face.
My heart raced at the look on their faces, the hesitation.
“What does that mean?” I asked, glancing between the three of them. Rogue’s eyes didn’t leave Doran’s.
It was Delphia who responded, “Someone with the magic to manipulate can do exactly that, manipulate people’s minds. They can warp anything and everything that the mind perceives. A manipulator can drop seeds, little thoughts, into your mind, and you will wholeheartedly believe they are your own. By doing this, they can convince anyone of just about anything.”
“It was thought the bloodline for that kind of magic was smothered a long time ago, as it’s extremely dangerous to anyone around them,” Doran added.
My hand rubbed my chest, willing my heart to slow down. “And there is one of those alive? In Ravaryn?”
“If the stories are to be believed,” Doran replied as his eyes cut back to Rogue.
“There’s no way. There hasn’t been one in at least a century. Maybe two,” Rogue said. “Do you believe the rumors?”
“I spoke with a man who claims to have met him. Whether he can be trusted or not, I don’t know, but he had a sketch of him, which he made me pay highly for,” Doran huffed, pulling out the page from his satchel. “He said his name was Adonis, but he had no family name.”
Adonis? That’s eerily similar to–
My thoughts came to a screeching halt as I caught a glimpse of the sketch. My heart thundered in my ears and I staggered back, my breaths coming too quick, too shallow. Rogue’s eyebrows pulled together in concern and he stepped toward me with an outstretched hand. I shook my head, taking another step back.
“That isnothim. That is impossible. It’s impossible. The man is confused.” My words came out in a rush, my voice shaking.
“Do you know him?” Rogue asked, raising the sketch to my view.
“That man”—my voice cracked as I pointed a finger at him—“is King Adon of Auryna.”
All three faces fell simultaneously before they darted to the sketch, examining it.
“Are you sure?” Doran asked. “That would be… For a Fae to become king of the human kingdom… That would be—”
“Impressive, for one,” Rogue interrupted. “For him to be able to manipulate that many people into thinking he was human… How did he even become king? What happened to the last one?”
Their gazes snapped to me.
“He handed over the crown about twenty years ago, peacefully…” My mouth went slack. “Oh, dear Goddess. He handed it over willingly, claiming he was tired, and he chose Adon as his predecessor. Even over his own daughter.”
Rogue looked to Doran who nodded. “That has to be him then. I don’t see why else a king would hand over his kingdom, especially to someone outside of his own family.”
“But how could he convince that many people that he was human? Surely, it would exhaust his magic to hold a glamour over himself constantly.”
“Actually,” I said, taking a deep breath and stepping closer. “He doesn’t see anyone. Ever. Just his inner circle, which includes Evander. The only reason I know what he looks like is because he occasionally came to dinner at our estate.”
“That makes sense. When I was in Auryna, I couldn’t find a single person who had spoken to him. Not even a servant. If he keeps his circle tight, he can keep them thoroughly controlled without having to work on several people at once. But Ara, that would mean—”
“That he was controlling Evander,” I finished for him, the knowledge hitting me in the gut.
I didn’t know what to think or how to feel. A small part of me hoped that Adon was responsible for his hatred of the Fae, but even so, it would change nothing. It was still his hands that killed my mother. His orders that tried to kill me. I couldn’t separate the two, and besides, it wouldn’t make sense for—
“Why would a Fae be giving the orders to attack Ravaryn?” I finished my thought aloud.
“Now, that makes no sense at all. I have no idea why he would go against his own kind… Are you sure that this drawing is of King Adon?” Rogue asked.
I took the sketch from his hand and studied the face. The man had short, black hair with a narrow face, pale skin, and dark eyes. It was definitely Adon. There was no mistaking him.
“Yes, he’s younger here, but that’s definitely King Adon. He looks the same minus the pointed ears and maybe a few years older.”
“Well, this complicates things,” Delphia said. “It makes no sense for him to attack Ravaryn then. How could someone hate their own people so much?”
