Series: Zandian Brides Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57939 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
The thought of what happened to their friend Katia happening to Sia cracks the granite in my chest for a moment.
Veck, if anything happens to her…
But it doesn’t matter. I can’t keep her as my mate. Not after what she’s done. Why didn’t she trust me?
Sia continues to explain herself. “Daven, I was afraid your king would not allow us to stay. Or would order us to be destroyed. But I’ve been trying to figure out how to make it stop!” She turns pleading eyes on me, but I refuse to look. “I was going to tell you just as soon as I figured out more. I learned how to make it stop recording, and I taught them. I hoped we could deactivate them completely.”
“Clearly you didn't!” I snap. “Katia is proof of that.”
“I don’t…” She shivers, like she's cold.
“You may have killed your friend with your silence, and you jeopardized all the rest of them–and us...” I sweep an arm wide. “Zandians with your lies. Veck, Sia.” I run a hand between my horns. “You betrayed us all!”
“I'm sorry, Daven. I was scared. We were scared of what you’d do if you knew. And I really believed we weren’t a risk because we were so far from them. I thought I could come up with a plan.”
I stop and turn to stare at her. Does she really believe the words she’s saying?
“You–a human female with no resources or freedoms–you were going to execute a plan by yourself, something better than all of the Zandian warriors and intellectuals could create? Had you told us, we’d have our best minds on it!” I start walking again, tugging her along beside me.
Behind us, warriors escort Flora, Alyza and Janae.
Sia’s face crumples, and I scent her tears. “I’m sorry.” She stumbles, probably because she can’t see for the tears.
Veck, if those tears don’t take another chink out of the stone casing around my heart.
“Daven, I am so very sorry. I didn’t know what to do.”
“Anything but that would have been acceptable. Sia, I gave you so many chances to talk to me. To tell me the truth. Wasn’t I good to you?” My jaw feels too tight to speak.
“You were,” she sobs, making my chest ache. “But I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to lose you, Daven.”
I struggle between the urge to gather her against me and soothe away her pain and the knowledge that she can’t ever be trusted. She’s not a suitable mate for me. When will I learn?
I must renounce her.
We march to the dungeons in silence. When we reach the stairs, I remand her to the guard there.
“Take them to a holding cell,” I command. “They are a danger to Zandia.”
“Daven, wait,” Sia cries, her fists balling up in my tunic.
I pry her fingers free. “I can’t keep you,” I tell her, working hard to keep my voice steady. My heart hard. “I can’t keep a female who is a risk to Zandia. A female I can’t even trust. I don’t even know you.” I say it again, more softly. “I don’t know you.”
I turn away and nudge her toward the guard. “Take them now.”
Every step I take away from her grows heavier. Harder to drag. By the time I reach the palace steps, I feel heavier than a battleship. Older than the Zandian star.
I punch the nearby hammered metal wall hard enough to leave a dent. It glints in the sun, further enraging me. My hand barely hurts, and that makes me angry, too. I want to hurt.
The warriors nearby turn and stare. It’s unusual for a Zandian to experience big emotions. At least, it was until humans came to our planet, changing all of us.
It seems now I’ve changed, too.
But what have I become except broken?
Twice betrayed?
I punch the wall again.
I treated her well. I honored her, I cared for her. I was good to her. Why would she continue to lie? I stare at the ground where the wind has swirled the dry dust into whorls. I thought we were making progress. I thought she was starting to be honest with me. Why wouldn’t she just tell me about the danger she was in?
I answer my own question. Because humans are duplicitous creatures. All of them. And I wasn’t smart enough to catch that she was hiding something so critical. I failed. Again.
Memories of the last time I trusted a human flood into my brain. Veck, did I learn nothing from my first mistake?
Now Zandia’s at risk and…
And I’m without a mate.
Sia is no longer my mate.
Veck. I don’t know how I will survive without her.
Chapter Sixteen
Sia
I can’t keep a female who is a risk to Zandia.
Daven’s words echo in my ear for the remainder of the planet rotation.
He’s not keeping me. I’m no longer his mate.