Crown of Hidden Scales novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: Two Lies

The elder gave us the guest house at the edge of the village.

It had one bed, one hearth, and one window that looked out on the burned thatch.

She lit the fire herself and left without a word.

The crown sat on the table between us, and it would not stop humming.

"She said one of us is hiding something worse," I said.

"I heard her."

"Then say it."

Rhain stood by the window with his back to me.

"You first," he said.

"Why me?"

"Because you cheered with the crowd."

I stared at him.

He turned around, and his face was hard.

"In Brannock. When Edric ran, you smiled at the crowd and took the cheering like wine."

"I saved a man's life."

"You did. And you liked being the one who did it."

My forearms lit up silver, and I looked down at them in horror.

I had said nothing at all.

The crown had answered for me.

"Don't," I said.

"Say it, Sabine."

"Fine." I was shaking. "I did it for him. I did it for the old man."

The light flared brighter.

"I did it for myself," I said, and the light died.

"I wanted them to look at me. All my life I bound myself flat and hid."

"Today a hundred people cheered, and it was the best thing I have ever felt."

"I don't want to be a woman who hides," I said.

"I want the throne. I want them all on their knees."

My voice cracked on the last word.

"That's what I'm hiding. That I'm Hesper's kind of woman, underneath."

Rhain was quiet for a moment.

"You're not," he said.

"You don't know that."

"Hesper never once did a thing without a witness," he said. "You did both of those with nobody counting."

"So what is yours?" I demanded. "What's the worse thing?"

He did not answer, and the crown screamed.

It was a thin high note that went through my teeth.

Both of us doubled over, and the heat hit my wrists.

"Rhain."

"I'm afraid it's only the crown," he said, through his teeth.

I straightened up.

"What?"

"The way I want you. The kiss, the loft, all of it."

"The elder said the old pairs went half mad with it."

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